[27][28] Since 2003, Metro has contracted with senior charities to operate the Hyde Shuttle system, which provides free rides to elderly or disabled passengers in Seattle and other cities. On 3rd Avenue, each bus route is assigned to Blue, Yellow, Red or Green stop groups and each bus stop has two color designations; in the northbound direction, every other bus stop is a Red/Yellow or Green/Blue stop, while in the southbound direction they are Green/Yellow and Red/Blue. Pay your Link fare with: **RequiresRegional Reduced Fare Permit. After downloading the new Metro Flex app from the app store on their phone, existing and new on-demand riders choose their desired destination. Keep it with you at all times when riding because a fare enforcement officer may ask to see it. Beginning September 1, youth up to age 18 can ride for free with a Youth ORCA card or a school ID, or by simply boarding transit. The service programs identified in the ordinance are as follows: In November 2014, Seattle voters passed Proposition 1 with 59% support. Tacoma Link trains run every 12 minutes most of the day on weekdays and Saturday, and every 24 minutes on Sunday. In addition to the bases, maintenance of the fleet and operation of the system are supported by several other facilities. Any eligible person may apply for an RRFP card online via the Reduced Fare Portal or in person at the Metro Pass Sales Office. Please have the exact fare ready (you can overpay if you don't have the exact amount); Put your money in the farebox located next to the driver. Day passes (good for round-trip or multi-trip rides) are also available from ticket machines. [38] The first freeway flyer stop opened in 1975 at Montlake Boulevard and State Route 520. [8][10], After two failed attempts to enable it to build a regional rapid transit system, it was authorized to operate a regional bus system in 1972. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message. When boarding the Water Taxi, Access, the Seattle Center Monorail, Via to Transit, and Trailhead Direct, the loading agent or cashier will scan your card. Whentransferring from Sounderto Link, keep in mind that Linkfares are distance based as well. Metro's cost per boarding is 38% above the national average. Morris. Use the "Find out more" links below to learn how each card works. As of 2017, King County Metro operates the 10th largest fleet of buses in the United States, with a total of 1,540 buses. The closure of the bridge impacted 13 Metro routes that normally traveled across the West Seattle Bridge. Departure times are shown on information signs at the bus stop. Day passes (good for round-trip or multi-trip rides) are also available from ticket machines. Metro Flex delivers flexible, reliable transportation for the same cost as a Metro bus fare. Custom routes that serve schools in Bellevue and on Mercer Island are numbered in the 800s (823, 824, 886892) and routes serving the private Lakeside School and University Prep numbered in the higher 900s (980995). Metro's award-winning commitment to innovation means more green, accessible options for everyone. Metro offers several types of reduced fare transit cards. Metro Transit buses; Metro Community Shuttles; Community Vans; Community Ride; Trailhead Direct; Via to Transit; Access services; King County Water Taxi; Kitsap Transit buses, Fast Ferries and Foot Ferries; Sound Transit (Express buses, Link light rail and Sounder Train); and Seattle Streetcar accept the Transit GO Ticket. Transferring to another service is easy with the ORCA card. Learn if you qualify for an ORCA LIFT card and where to get one. Rememberto tap onat your starting station andtap off at your end destination for both Link and Sounderto accurately calculate your total fare. Metro bus driver Lisa Nault, who campaigned recently for Prop 1 downtown, said there is a fallback: a free shuttle in downtown to replace the ride free zone. Riders may also pay with credit or debit card, but not with cash. [56] While it was planned from the outset to be convertible to use by trains, the tunnel began operation with a fleet of 236 Breda dual-mode buses that operated using a diesel motor on city streets and an electric motor (with power fed by overhead trolley wire) in the tunnel. -DeSean Quinn, Metro Assistant General Manager of Partnerships and Strategy. Metro has a regional trip planner that provides itineraries for transit trips within King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, including those on Sound Transit services, Washington State Ferries, the Seattle Center Monorail, and the Seattle Streetcar. King County Metro Transit tickets and transfers . Were excited to introduce this investment to and for the community. in your browser. Learn more Adult Orca. Before boarding Link light rail, RapidRide, the Sounder commuter train, and the Seattle Streetcar, tap your ORCA card on a yellow card reader outside/on the platform. Fares on the King County Metro varies depending on your age. Besides its own transit operations, Metro operates several ST Express bus routes and the Central Link light rail line under a contract with Sound Transit[17] and two streetcar routes under contract with Seattle Streetcar. But with the growing demand for other street uses, such as pedestrian access and bike lanes, and the desire to keep bus operators safe and comfortable, a layover facility is needed. Route Preference: [29][30] Metro formerly funded a shuttle system named Ride2 that served West Seattle and Eastgate using contracted private buses, which ended in 2019.[31]. Tap your ORCA card flat against the ORCA logo on the card reader at your stop before you board or at the front of the bus as you board. See below for a list of adult fares by service. The network uses only 67 routes on high-frequency corridors with flat topography to compensate for a reduced number of drivers and workers. Transfer fare is calculated automatically between services. A free transfer is available to cash, ORCA, and mobile app riders. Rememberto tap onat your starting station andtap off at your end destination for both Link and Sounderto accurately calculate your total fare. [citation needed], On September 29, 2012, the Ride Free Area was eliminated. Metro is the leading public transit agency of King County. Most stations and some stops in Downtown Seattle have ORCA card readers that allow passengers to pay before the bus arrives and board at any of the buses' three doors. Buy and reload cards at participating retailers, vending machine locations and customer service offices across the region. Metro has 237 bus routes that combine service patterns typical of both city and suburban bus networks, carrying over 400,000 daily passengers as of 2019[update]. 156th Ave NE & Redmond Technology Station - Bay 8 Sr 520 & NE 40th St Bellevue Transit Center - Bay 6 Southport Dr N & Lake Washington Blvd N Park Ave N & N 8th St Renton Transit Center - Bay 4 Sr 167 & SW 7th St Central Ave N & S 228th St Kent Sounder Station - Bay 9 4th Ave N & W Smith St Auburn Park . The conductors do not sell tickets. All county transit services including buses, Access paratransit, Vanpool, and Via to Transit will be requiring full fares. Please put the ticket in the farebox located next to the driver. In 1978, Metro was the first large transit agency to order high-capacity articulated buses (buses with a rotating joint). [12], The Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle was overseen by a federated board of elected officials, composed of elected officials from cities throughout the region. (Customers may be directed to a bus or light rail option instead with arrival times if theyll be best-served by those modes.). [69] As a part of the radio update Metro also added automated next stop signs and announcements to all buses.[70]. 1", "Transit Signal Priority tests a success,more signal synchronization planned countywide", City never responded to Metro's request to plow routes, bus chief says, In Transit Newsletter, July/August 2008 issue, "Open Transit Software Foundation History", "Pilot Project for Real-time Bus Information System on Aurora Avenue North", "ORCA smart card limited rollout gets underway", "The evolution of Metro buses - video transcript", Metro Employees Historic Vehicle Association (MEHVA), Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination, Comparative study between Diesel and GM Hybrid bus fleets operating in Seattle (King County), Why You Should Trust King County Metro Trip Planner, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=King_County_Metro&oldid=1142522551, Transit authorities with alternative-fuel vehicles, Transportation in King County, Washington, 1973 establishments in Washington (state), Articles with dead external links from August 2018, Articles with dead external links from April 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2019, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2009, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2021, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from May 2015, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. For ORCA LIFT, day passes are only $4.00 per day. Today, King County Metro operates more than 200 routes, providing local and regional transit service, primarily within its jurisdictional boundaries. The permit is free, a replacement will cost $3. By mail. Accessibility inquiries1-800-201-4900, TTY Relay 711, we can authorize you at an in-person King County Metro Neighborhood Pop-Up, . Cards can unlock travel options on region's buses trains and ferries. Learn more. ORCA cards now free for youth riders. (King County) King County Metro will start rolling out a new on-demand microtransit service, Metro Flex, on March 6th. In addition to credit cards, debit cards and cash uploads, are there any other payment forms accepted for purchasing Transit GO Tickets? From the first successful steam ferry launches of the "Mosquito Fleet", Seattle's first street car in 1884, the creation of Seattle Transit and eventually King County Metro Transit, our mass transit history milestones are listed here. It uses $45million in new annual funds from a 0.1% sales tax raise and a $60 annual car-tab fee to add King County Metro bus service within the City of Seattle.[67]. For fares up to $1.75 $4.00/day. Look for new orange timetables and Metro's special Rider Alert brochure. A fiber optic backhaul connects access points and roadside equipment together to Metro's Communication Center. Transfer fare is calculated and applied automatically between services. Implementation of RapidRide routes in five arterial corridors. Services like Metro Flex are part of Metros mobility framework principles something that helps our agency adapt to the changing transportation landscape in an equitable and sustainable ways. OPEN TODAY, 3PM TO 4:30PM. By way of contrast, Metro's peak-only route with the lowest cost per boarding was route 206 (Newport Hills to International School), at $2.04. Print and complete the application form and mail it to the ORCA Regional Mail Center. Showing a Transit GO Ticket also can speed up boarding for everyone, potentially saving operating costs for transit agencies. The ride to Grand Central during peak commuting times takes just under an hour; the one-way fare is $13.75 . Bus Service Revisions began Saturday, June 12, 2010", "Metro Flex: On-demand transit services now even better, united under one name", "New on-demand shuttle service makes it more convenient than ever to take transit in southeast Seattle and Tukwila", "Metro's Ride2 shuttle service to West Seattle water taxi and Eastgate Park-and-Ride to end this month", "Metro buses still on reduced snow schedules while slush brings new driving risks", "Metro buses are now operating on the first use of 'Emergency Snow Network', "You can ride King County Metro buses for free during the next snow emergency", https://your.kingcounty.gov/dnrp/library/wastewater/wtd/about/History/1995BetterThanPromised/ch02.pdf, New transit/HOV ramps now open at Eastgate, ST Express Regional Bus Projects and Related Projects, "Service Change Information - King County Metro Transit", "Night Owl bus service - King County Metro Transit - King County", "STBD Service Investments September 2017", "Popular transit-to-trails program returns with new service in Seattle connecting to more hiking destinations", "Trailhead Direct offers shuttle service from Seattle to the Issaquah Alps, with more stops coming soon", "Trailhead Direct returns with more routes connecting hikers to more trails", Review of Metro Transit, Municipal League of King County, Public Transit and the Time Based Fare Structure, "What to pay - Fares & ORCA passes - Metro Transit - King County", "Fares & ORCA - King County Metro Transit", "Report on Transit fares: Metro fare history", "Metro transit begins excavating downtown Seattle transit tunnel on March 6, 1987", "Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel to reopen Sept. 24", "Buses no longer using Seattle's transit tunnel; Monday commutes test new routes", "Metro bus service to get boost with passage of Prop. Sidewalk closure, new pedestrian detour and movement of bus stop. Learn if you qualify for an ORCA LIFT card and where to get one. How Metro is protecting our region's environment. It also found that unloading outbound coaches once outside the RFA took additional time, though not entirely quantified vis--vis time saved within the RFA. It formerly carried bus traffic alongside light rail trains, stopping at a fifth station in the north and connecting to the SODO Busway in the south. The ORCA card is all you need to pay your fare on buses and trains in the Puget Sound region. Port Chester station, on Metro-North's New Haven line, is in the heart of downtown. On Metro RapidRide buses, the driver will always give you a paper transfer when paying with tickets. Can my driver help me if the Transit GO Ticket app isnt working? Amtrak Cascades train schedule offers flexibility. Just click on a decade below to read about them. You'll upload this with your application. Transit fare zones for King County Metro, Community Transit, Pierce County Transit and Sound Transit Purpose: Computing Transit Fare in Automatic Travel Information System (ATIS) Supplemental_Information: None Time_Period_of_Content: Time_Period_Information: Single_Date/Time: On King County Metro routes, the driver will give you a paper transfer, which you can use to continue your trip on another King County Metro bus within the timeframe indicated on the . You can download the app for Android and iPhone and buy tickets directly using your credit card, debit card or cash. [8] The state legislature approved the formation of a combined transportation, sewage, and planning authority in 1957, but the countywide referendum was rejected by a majority outside of Seattle. Since 2019, King County Metro's on-demand services have provided safe, reliable connections for people and places that aren't near frequent bus or rail service. Advance equity. During the 2019-20 school year, 34% of King County's students qualified for free and reduced-price lunch. The system will extend the legacy RFID-based TSP system. If your phone has location services enabled, the app will select the nearest stores to you. Youth (age 6- 18) $1.50. . If you are transferring, the fare you paid with your first tap will transfer with you for up to two hours on all other ORCA transit services, except Washington State Ferries. Getting there can be half the fun, as long as you follow a few common sense rules. Currently, Metros on-demand services: Were excited to offer Metro Flex, and we hope youll download and try the new service. Rememberto tap on at your starting station to begin your train portion of yourtrip and tap off at your end destination to accurately calculate your fare. Eligible customers can enroll starting October 15, 2020. ? If you are paying with a ticket and use more than one transit system you must pay a fare each time you board a different bus. Riders 65+ or riders with a disability can qualify for a reduced rate with a Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP). Refresh this page after you have enabled JavaScript. King County Metro Transit. Youth ages 6-18 use an ORCA card, school ID, or simply board. With almost 220 bus and trolley routes, the King County Metro can get you where you want to go. The application will give riders a new, convenient way to pay to ride transit. Tickets must be purchased prior to boarding. Currently only credit cards, debit cards and cash uploads are accepted as means of payment. ORCA works like cash or a pass, automatically tracking the value of different fares and transfers so you don't have to. The system can boost average speeds as much as 8% and is in use on several of the city's busiest corridors, including Aurora Avenue North, Rainier Avenue S and Lake City Way NE. King County Metro operates a weekend express shuttle between Seattle and hiking areas in the Cascade foothills called Trailhead Direct from April to October. They are twice the one-way fare and are valid for travel only on the date purchased, between the stations printed on the ticket. As long as you transfer within 2 hours, your original fare will be credited toward the next leg of your journey. Regional transit agencies will be operating on the following schedules to accommodate fare-free New Year's Eve rides: King County Metro: Buses will operate on their regular Saturday schedule and be fare-free from 3 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, through 3 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 1. Enjoy the ride. In 1918, the city of Seattle bought many parts of the Seattle Street Railway, on terms which left the transit operation in financial trouble. Call the Access Transportation Rideline 206-205-5000 (WA Relay: 711) Penalty Points. King County Metro, officially the King County Metro Transit Department and often shortened to Metro, is the public transit authority of King County, Washington, which includes the city of Seattle.It is the eighth-largest transit bus agency in the United States. Qualified riders are issued an ORCA card to pay their fare. Metro operates out of several transit centers located throughout King County, some of which are shared with Sound Transit and other county agencies. King Street Center. Retail bus tickets sold by Community Transit are valid only on the ST Express routes operated byCommunity Transit(510, 511, 512, 513, 532, 535). If you don't know which of these to apply for, get help finding out which ORCA fare is right for you.