SEATTLE — The number of riders who aren't paying their fare is on the rise, according to Sound Transit officials.
Pre-pandemic, about 4% of riders used Sound Transit without paying their fare. However, fare-evasion has spiked since then. One estimate suggests between 10% to 30% of riders aren't paying for a ticket. A different estimate suggests the number could be much higher, between 40% and 70%.
Sound Transit suspects the true number is likely in between those estimates, in the 30-40% range.
Fare evasion isn't an issue with one particular community or demographic, the problem is system-wide, according to the agency.
The transportation organization has options for riders who can't afford fares. Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff said he's more concerned with those who can afford the ticket but still choose not to pay. Rogoff said he saw the scale of fare-evasion firsthand attending Mariners games this fall.
"Folks who are paying 60, 80, 100 bucks for a seat, they're paying $13 a pop for a beer, and then they came down to stadium station and they weren't tapping on or they weren't buying tickets, we need to reverse that," Rogoff said.
Fare evasion is compounding the revenue loss Sound Transit already saw due to the pandemic. Ridership fell by 67% and profits dropped from nearly $100 million in 2019 to just $30 million in 2020, according to a report from the agency.
Revenue from fares is earmarked to cover 6% of the agency's costs, including operations and construction, through 2046. Current operations and construction projects are fully funded, but completing future projects on time remains dependent on Sound Transit earning enough revenue from riders.
Sound Transit is currently testing out a program emphasizing educating passengers on fare requirements and encouraging eligible passengers to sign up for reduced-fare options. Over the course of the pilot, citations for non-payment are suspended.
In order to cut down on non-payment, the agency is working to expand access to the reduced fare program and subsidized passes. Sound Transit is working on getting ORCA-LIFT cards to 80% of eligible riders, instead of just the 38% who are currently enrolled.
When citations return, Sound Transit is planning to give passengers more warnings before riders who don't pay their fare receive a fine. Passengers caught for a third time evading fare would receive a $50 fine, which would increase to $75 for a fourth infraction. The fines could be paid by loading the $50 or $75 onto an ORCA card.
On a fifth infraction, Sound Transit maintains the ability to refer a $124 fine to district court for resolution and/or dispute as a civil infraction instead of a criminal referral.
In the past, riders who were evading fare would receive a $124 fine after the first warning.