Starting Friday, Aug. 30, the regular adult fare for Link light rail will be $3.
This flat fare will replace Sound Transit’s distance-based fares, which range from $2.25 to $3.50, according to an Aug. 19 Sound Transit news release. One-way fares for the T Line in Tacoma will remain $2.
Also starting Aug. 30, the price for an Adult ORCA day pass will drop to $6 from the current $8 as part of a six-month promotional period. Under this ORCA promotion, the price for a reduced-fare pass will drop from $4 to $2. The ORCA LIFT program is unchanged, and youth 18 and under continue to ride free.
The change to flat fares will simplify Link travel by eliminating the need for passengers using ORCA cards to tap off when they complete their trip. Link 1 Line and 2 Line passengers will only need to tap before entering the fare-paid zone. Sounder passengers will continue to tap on before boarding and tap off when they exit.
The Sound Transit Board approved the move to the new $3 flat fare for Link 1 and 2 Lines in December 2023 following public and passenger engagement about the proposed change, and after considering the potential impacts on ridership, equity and the agency financial plan, according to the news release.
“After months of careful consideration, the board has decided on a simple, flat fare to help boost ridership in the post-pandemic era, facilitate seamless regional integration, uphold our commitment to equity and maintain financial responsibility,” said King County Executive and Sound Transit Board Chair Dow Constantine. “These changes will enable daily commuters, occasional riders and visitors to easily and confidently rely on transit to get around.”
Fares on Link have not changed since 2015. As the system expands, distance-based fares would become more complicated with some fare rates reaching $5 or more. The new flat fare is simpler and will position Link fares to integrate better within the regional transit system.
“Moving to a flat fare will make it easier for people to take Link light rail at a time when we expect many new riders with the imminent opening of the 1 Line to the Lynnwood City Center Station, the completion of the 2 Line to downtown Seattle and the expansion of service to Federal Way,” said Sound Transit Interim CEO Goran Sparrman.
The change to flat fares coincides with the opening of the Lynnwood Link Extension on Aug. 30. This extension to the 1 Line will add 8.5 miles and four new stations, including the first ones in Snohomish County. Link 2 Line service to Downtown Redmond is expected to open early next year, followed later in the year by the rest of the 2 Line. The Federal Way extension is set to open in early 2026.
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