No Fare Hikes Campaign: FAQs

Who will be affected by the proposed fare increases?
All bus riders will be affected by the proposed fare increases, but the increased fares will be especially burdensome on seniors, riders with disabilities and youth.

How much does Metro want to raise fares by? 

How much money would raising these fares generate? 
These fare increases are expected to generate around $6 million annually.

What impact will raising the youth fare have on students in Seattle? 
Students who live less than 2 miles from school are not eligible for a free ORCA card (subsidized by Seattle Public Schools). They must pay to take the bus, which could cause economic hardship and lead to students missing school on account of not being able to pay to get there and back.

Why does Metro need to raise more revenue? 
The State of Washington has one of the lowest contributions to local transit systems in the nation. That leaves King County Metro scrambling for revenue from local sources (sales taxes) and bus fares.

Metro canceled the proposed cuts to bus lines and service last fall. So why are they now trying to raise fares? 
Metro canceled the bus cuts through a combination of changing Metro’s reserve policy and trusting healthy sales tax projections.

If Metro doesn’t raise these fares, what are alternative forms of raising money? 
King County can put an Employer Head Tax (a very small fee for employers) on the ballot for transit. County­wide, this would raise enough money to reverse the fare hike and even lower the fares! The City of Seattle can also pass an Employer Head Tax for transit and pass a Commercial Parking Tax increase to fund transit.

What impact will raising fares have overall? 
A fare increase of 10% generally results in a ridership reduction of around 3.5%. This means more people driving, causing traffic and contributing to climate change.

Why should I join the Transit Riders Union’s delegation? 
Stand up for affordable transit for all! A strong, affordable transit system will help the region fight climate change, traffic and economic inequality.