Sound Transit And Metro: What's The Deal?

does sound transit accept metro pass

Sound Transit does not have a regional bus ticket program. However, it offers a subsidized annual pass for riders in need, covering travel on services provided by King County Metro, Sound Transit, and the City of Seattle. The Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan region, also known as the Puget Sound Region, is served by seven major transportation agencies that work together to provide a public transit network across King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties. ORCA cards are a widely accepted mode of payment across the Puget Sound Region, including on Sound Transit services.

Characteristics Values
Does Sound Transit accept Metro Pass? Sound Transit does not have a regional bus ticket program. Community Transit bus tickets are only valid on ST Express routes operated by Community Transit (510, 512, 513, 532, 535). King County Metro Bus (KCM) tickets are valid only on ST Express Routes operated by KCM. (522, 542, 545, 550, 554, 555, 556, 566). Neither are valid on Sounder trains or Link light rail.
How to pay fares on Sound Transit? Using an ORCA card, TicketGo app, or cash.
What is an ORCA card? ORCA is a regional transit card that you can load money and/or daily or monthly passes to. It is accepted across seven agencies in the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan region.
What are the benefits of an ORCA card? ORCA cards can be used for real-time loading via the myORCA website or the myORCA app, avoiding long lines to buy tickets or reload during peak hours or events, transfer credit across all seven regional agencies within a two-hour window, ability to register your card to protect your balance in the event of loss or theft, and the ability to buy an unlimited transit pass for the day or month.
What is the cost of fares on Sound Transit? One-way adult fares range between $3.25 and $5.75, depending on the distance traveled. Day passes are twice the one-way fare and are valid for travel only on the date purchased. One-way low-income adult fares are $1.00, regardless of distance traveled. Youth aged 18 and under ride for free.
Are there any passes available for riders with low incomes? Yes, Sound Transit offers a subsidized annual pass for riders in greatest need. The ORCA LIFT card is also available for income-qualified riders, offering up to 60% savings on fares.

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ORCA card

The ORCA card is a regional transit card that can be used to pay for trips in the Puget Sound region, which includes King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties. It is the easiest way to pay for your ride and is widely accepted across seven major transportation agencies, including buses, trains, and ferries.

The ORCA card offers several benefits to users. It provides seamless transfers between different modes of transportation, such as buses, trains, and ferries, without the need to pay separate fares. It also offers reduced fares for youth, seniors, riders with disabilities, and low-income individuals through programs like the ORCA LIFT and Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP).

Additionally, the myORCA app works together with the ORCA card, allowing users to manage their accounts, add funds, and purchase passes from their mobile devices. The app provides real-time loading capabilities, avoiding the need to stand in long lines to buy tickets or reload during peak hours. The ORCA card also offers protection for lost or stolen cards by allowing users to register their cards and protect their balances.

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Transit GO Ticket app

Sound Transit does not have a regional bus ticket program. However, it does offer various ways to pay for your ride, including the Transit GO Ticket app.

The Transit GO Ticket app is a mobile application that allows riders to buy bus, rail, and water taxi tickets using their smartphones. It is available for download on both Android and iOS devices. The app provides a convenient and fast way to purchase tickets, eliminating the need to carry cash or stand in line at ticket vending machines. It is accepted on various transit services within the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan region, also known as the Puget Sound Region, including King County Metro Buses, Sound Transit Express Bus, Light Rail and Sounder, King County Water Taxi, Seattle Streetcar, and Kitsap Transit routed buses and ferries.

To use the Transit GO Ticket app, riders can download the app and purchase tickets directly using their credit, debit cards, or cash. Tickets can also be bought through Metro's Marketplace site on a desktop, and these tickets will then appear in the app on the user's mobile device. It is important to note that tickets must be activated before boarding, and transfers between different transit services are not allowed with this app.

The Transit GO Ticket app also features an innovative rewards program called Transit GO Rewards, which encourages sustainable travel choices. Riders enrolled in this program can earn reward points by taking qualifying trips and making smart travel decisions. These points can then be redeemed for free mobile transit tickets or credits for other transportation services such as bike-sharing or scooter-sharing.

Overall, the Transit GO Ticket app offers a seamless and rewarding experience for riders, providing a touch-free and time-saving way to purchase and manage transit tickets within the Puget Sound Region.

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Community Transit bus tickets

Community Transit is one of the seven major transportation agencies serving the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan region, also known as the Puget Sound Region. It primarily serves Snohomish County.

There are several ways to pay your fare on Community Transit buses. You can pay with cash, but you must have the exact change as drivers do not give change. You will need to pay the full fare each time you board a new bus.

The recommended method of payment is the ORCA card, which is accepted on Community Transit buses. This is a smart card that carries your transit pass and/or fare. It offers benefits such as transfers, and you can load money or daily/monthly passes onto it. You can also use your ORCA card to transfer between transportation modes. Reduced rates are available for youth, disabled riders, seniors, and low-income community members who qualify.

You can also pay with the Transit GO Ticket app, which allows you to buy tickets in advance and use them for touch-free payment.

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King County Metro Bus tickets

Riders can also pay with cash, inserting the exact amount into a farebox, as drivers cannot give change. When paying with cash or a bus ticket, riders can ask the driver for a paper transfer to use when boarding another bus within 2 hours.

King County Metro Bus fares are $2.75 per trip, and riders can purchase a monthly pass for $99. This pass includes unlimited rides on King County Metro buses for one calendar month.

Riders can also use an ORCA card, a regional transit card that can be loaded with money or daily or monthly passes, to pay for King County Metro Bus tickets. The ORCA card can be purchased at ticket machines or on Android and Wear OS devices using Google Pay.

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Subsidized annual pass

Sound Transit offers a new subsidized annual pass for riders in the greatest need. This pass is available to qualified riders living in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties and covers travel on services provided by King County Metro, Sound Transit, and the City of Seattle. The subsidized annual pass is designed to ensure that people with very low or no income can afford to ride transit.

The subsidized annual pass covers travel on the following services:

  • King County Metro's buses, Access paratransit, water taxi, Via to Transit, and Trailhead Direct
  • Sound Transit's Link light rail, Sound Transit Express buses, and Sounder commuter rail
  • The City of Seattle's Monorail and Streetcar

The subsidized annual pass can be added to a new RRFP card, while the existing ORCA LIFT card can be kept as a regular ORCA LIFT card. The eligibility criteria for the subsidized annual pass require income to be at or below 80% of the federal poverty line, along with other requirements unique to each program. To check eligibility, individuals can contact DSHS at 877-501-2233.

It is important to note that the subsidized annual pass will only cover fares on certain transit systems. For other transit services, such as Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, and Washington State Ferries, riders will need to pay their own fare by loading their card with E-purse money before their trip. The ORCA LIFT fare is available on most transit agencies around the Puget Sound.

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Frequently asked questions

Sound Transit does not have a regional bus ticket program. However, Community Transit bus tickets are valid only on the ST Express routes operated by Community Transit (510, 512, 513, 532, 535). King County Metro Bus (KCM) tickets are valid only on ST Express Routes operated by KCM. (522, 542, 545, 550, 554, 555, 556, 566). Neither are valid on Sounder trains or Link light rail.

The ORCA card is a regional transit card that you can load money and/or daily or monthly passes onto. It is accepted by seven major transportation agencies in the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan region, also known as the Puget Sound Region.

When using your ORCA card, tap the yellow card reader before you board to hear a single beep, which confirms that your card has been accepted. When using Sounder, tap off once you reach your destination to hear two beeps. There is no need to tap off when riding the bus or Link light rail.

You can purchase an ORCA card from a ticket machine or use your smartphone as your ticket by downloading the Transit GO Ticket app and buying tickets in advance.

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