Metro fares increase on Sunday

Published 4:51 pm Wednesday, February 25, 2015

King County Metro Transit riders will pay a little bit more to ride the bus beginning March 1.

Transit fares will increase 25 cents for adults, youth, seniors, people with disabilities and businesses offering “Business Choice” accounts to their employees. Customers who have a Passport or U-Pass through their business or school will notice the change as contracts are renewed after March 1.

Fares for Access paratransit service will increase 50 cents to $1.75 per trip. The increase reflects the much higher expense of operating Access service compared to regular bus service.

Metro reports that the fare increases will place the agency on a more stable financial footing and will help keep service on the road.

Also on March 1, the newly created ORCA LIFT reduced fare program makes its debut. It is the outcome of an intensive two-year push by King County Executive Dow Constantine and the County Council to make riding the bus more affordable for people struggling to make ends meet.

The reduced ORCA LIFT fare will be $1.50 per trip regardless of time of day or number of zones traveled. It will be available to riders earning at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, about $23,340 annually for an individual.