In addition to formally approving lower concession fares for Sounder, last week the Sound Transit board approved a fare enforcement pilot which would replace fare enforcement security contractors with Sound Transit staff “fare ambassadors” with different uniforms and an emphasis on rider education and de-escalation. As part of the pilot, there will be no citations …
Continue reading “ST suspends fare enforcement another year”
At its October 22 meeting, the Sound Transit Board heard proposals to reduce concession fares for Sounder and reduce the law enforcement footprint in fare enforcement. In community discussions about fare enforcement, ST has heard four main things: fares are confusing; the law enforcement character of enforcement causes “discomfort;” fares are a hardship for some; …
Continue reading “ST considering more changes to fares, fare enforcement”
Link’s 2009 opening inaugurated the proof-of-payment system and introduced the Puget Sound to the concept of the Fare Enforcement Officer. Over the last decade, as POP and FEOs have expanded to RapidRide and Link’s ridership has exploded, FEOs have come under much scrutiny. Following King County Metro’s 2018 examination of fare policy, Sound Transit has …
Continue reading “Sound Transit presents initial fare enforcement report”
Since it dropped right before Thanksgiving, I worry not everyone saw Alon Levy’s excellent piece in Streetsblog on fares and fare enforcement. The proximate reason for the piece is New York’s plan to spend a bunch of money on fare enforcement that’s disproportionate to the actual loss of revenue involved. As per usual, the piece …
This afternoon, the Sound Transit Board will consider participating in King County’s program to offer free transit passes to participants of several state benefit programs that are income-based. King County intends to eventually expand the program to all households with income below 80% of the federal poverty level. At the same meeting, the Board is …
Continue reading “Sound Transit set to adopt low income fare program, update enforcement policies”
Sound Transit: The Fare Ambassador Pilot Program grew out of passenger feedback and community engagement that expressed discomfort with fare enforcement officers who resemble law enforcement. In response, Fare Ambassadors wear bright yellow caps, and carry yellow messenger bags that make them easy to recognize. Their focus is on passenger education and customer service rather …
Continue reading “Sound Transit begins new fare ambassador pilot”
Sound Transit is pushing ahead with fare enforcement reform. At last week’s Board meeting, CEO Peter Rogoff announced that the agency has formed a working group that will study changes to the existing fare enforcement process. He updated a Board committee on the goals of the working group in comments at a meeting yesterday. “[We] …
Continue reading “Sound Transit rethinking fare enforcement”
Stephen Fesler also unhappy with how ST3 is turning out Transit update from West Seattle Rogoff says reduced fare enforcement partly responsible for collapsing revenues ($), ECB is skeptical And now the Supreme Court can make things even worse Plan for Kirkland’s Dan Ryan Tower ($) is coming together Venu Nimani is the new Dongho …
With buses leaving the tunnel Saturday, there is no particular reason to be on the platform without a paid fare. Therefore, Sound Transit will consider the platform a fare-paid zone beginning Saturday. “ORCA readers will be removed later, during the rollout of Next Gen ORCA,” said ST’S Kimberly Reason. As trains get ever more crowded, …
Feds send $60m for RapidRide G — in theory they can finally start construction in 2021 and open in 2024 $37m for the Swift Orange Line, too Legislature about to remove obstacles to ST implementation of a less punitive fare enforcement system Metro gets fresher air Monorail gets updates ($) before they release the Kraken …
This post is part two of a three post series on fare enforcement on Seattle area transit. Links: Part One, Part Three Fare enforcement is a step removed from policing, and so it can brush against the twin controversies of American policing: racial bias and use of force. In one 2017 incident, rider Devin Glaser …
Continue reading “Fare enforcement brings policing onto transit (Part 2 of 3)”
EIS for South King Link Maintenance facility will slip into 2021, Covid blamed. CT won’t change much this year ($), but future growth may be much less aggressive. ST donates land in Rainier Valley for affordable housing. Early data on the Lime scooters, and their effect on the bikes. ECB reports data on fare enforcement …
This post is part one of a three post series on fare enforcement on Seattle area transit. Links: Part Two, Part Three Patrick Burke got on a RapidRide E bus at Third and Pike one evening with a transfer in his backpack. At least, he thought it was in his backpack, until he tried to …
Continue reading “How fare enforcement stops can compound poverty and homelessness”
This post is part two of a three post series on fare enforcement on Seattle area transit. Links: Part One, Part Two After the release of the King County Auditor’s report, Metro revised its fare enforcement policies over the summer. Elected officials, including Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, have asked Sound Transit to consider similar changes. …
Continue reading “How transit agencies are reforming fare enforcement (Part 3 of 3)”
Yesterday, King County Executive Dow Constantine transmitted the proposed Metro budget for 2021-2022. The budget eliminates several planned RapidRide expansions. Metro will dig into reserves to fund service, and will defer a planned increase in fares. The budget also funds a significant expansion of the electric battery bus fleet. The depletion of reserves sets Metro …
RapidRide R Concept via Metro Ashley Archibald reports some locals aren’t so sad Metro is shelving RapidRide R (Rainier): Much of the Rainier Valley community “doesn’t really want the RapidRide R,” Kidde [of Rainier Valley Greenways] said, adding that they don’t like the reduction in the number of stops, the removal of the Prentice loop …
Special guest Alex Hudson, Executive Director of Transportation Choices Coalition Federal funding & Covid-19 response County ballot measure is…dead? (13:23) Legislative update (21:19) Fare enforcement (26:57) Eastside restructure (33:02) West Seattle bridge (38:34) Download
More Connect 2020 gripes University St naming (5:33) Fare enforcement (8:55) MVET bill (29:20) SDOT capital projects (34:50) North link restructure (46:58) Note: when we recorded this last week, I-976 had just been upheld by a local court; the upper court has since temporarily sided with Sound Transit. Download link
Should Link accept paper transfers? The idea surfaced recently in Sound Transit’s ongoing examination of fare enforcement. Making it easier for riders to pay fares is one part of the response to concerns about the impacts of fare enforcement. Currently, Sound Transit can accept transfers from other agencies if riders are using an ORCA card, …
