SEATTLE — Starting later this month, Sound Transit said Monday it's changing its fares for the Link 1 and the 2 Line.
The regular adult fare for Link light rail will be $3 starting Aug. 30, Sound Transit said in a release. The flat $3 fare will replace Sound Transit's distance-based fares, which range from $2.25 to $3.50. One-way fares on the T Line in Tacoma will remain $2, however.
Meanwhile, Sound Transit said 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 the ORCA promotion, the price for a reduced fare pass will drop from $4 to $2. According to Sound Transit, the ORCA LIFT program is unchanged, allowing youth under 18 to ride free.
The agency said the change to flat fares will simplify travel by eliminating the need for passengers using ORCA cards to tap off when they complete their trip. In a few weeks 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, according to Sound Transit.
The Sound Transit Board approved the move to the new $3 flat fare for Link 1 and 2 Lines in December following public and passenger feedback about the proposed change.
"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 Dow Constantine, King County executive and Sound Transit Board chair. "These changes will enable daily commuters, occasional riders and visitors to easily and confidently rely on transit to get around."
Sound Transit said its fares on Link have not changed since 2015. Distanced-based fares would have been more complicated with some rates reaching $5 or more.
Instead, the agency opted for a late fare approach because it said it would be simpler and allow Link fares to integrate seamlessly within the city's regional transit system.
The new changes come as Sound Transit plans to open 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.
According to Sound Transit, Link 2 Line service to downtown Redmond is expected to open early next year. The rest of the 2 Line should be in service later in 2025. The Federal Way extension is set to open in early 2026.
“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 Goran Sparrman, Sound Transit interim CEO.
