By Sam Smith

Hello Metro riders! My name is Sam Smith, and I’ve been a Metro driver since early 2013. I hear all sorts of questions from passengers, friends, and fellow TRU members on a range of topics related to my job. This column is dedicated to answering some of those questions. Anything you want to know – Why do the poles come off the wires so often? Where do you pick up the bus? – just ask! Send questions to sam@transitriders.org.

Dear Bus Driver Sam,

I’ve heard rumors that Metro drivers go to the bathroom in cups and bottles. Is that true? – Randy, Central District

Thanks for submitting the very first question to this column, Randy! I’m so glad you asked, because I love talking about bathroom breaks for bus drivers. It’s perhaps the most challenging logistical aspect of the job. I could go on a lengthy rant about the difficult labor conditions that recently resulted in Metro being fined by Labor & Industries, but before I jump into the bad and the ugly, allow me to brag about some of the things I love about bus driver bathrooms.

The Good

When I was first hired, I was outfitted with the usual items you may suspect: a collection of uniforms, employee handbook, county ID badge, etc. What stood out most to me was a fairly standard-looking metal house key. At this point, having been through a month of training, I already knew that this key served no purpose in starting a bus engine or entering the Metro base, so what was it for?

“It’s your T-key. T as in Toilet.”

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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? 

Category	Current Fare	New Fare	Difference
Adult 1-zone Peak	$2.50	$2.75	+$0.25
Adult 2-zone Peak	$3.00	$3.25	+$0.25
Adult Off-Peak	$2.25	$2.50	+$0.25
ORCA LIFT Reduced Fare (i.e. low-income fare)	NA	$1.50
Youth	$1.25	$1.50	+$0.25
Senior/Disabled	$0.75	$1.00	+$0.25
Access Paratransit	$1.25	$1.75	+$0.50

 

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.

* Join the Delegation *

On March 1, San Francisco will make riding the bus FREE for low and moderate income seniors and people with disabilities.  On that same date, King County Metro will RAISE fares for all these riders by 33%.  Standard and youth fares will also go up by $0.25, and Access fares will go up by $0.50.

C’mon King County – we can do better!

The Transit Riders Union won our fight for a low income reduced fare.  Now, we’re going to win affordable transit for all. But we need your help.

This spring, a Delegation of hundreds of transit riders will meet with County Councilmembers to reject fare hikes and demand affordable transit for everyone. Join the Delegation. It’s time for transit riders to stand up and take action.

Sign a Delegate Pledge online

Delegate Pledge – Printable PDF

No Fare Hikes! Flyer – Printable PDF

 Upcoming Delegation Organizing Meetings:

Sat., Feb. 14: 3:30 – 5:30 @ Capitol Hill Public Library Meeting Room, 425 Harvard Ave E.

Sat., Feb. 21: 3:00 – 5:00 @ Casa Latina Training Center, 317 17th Ave S. (enter from 17th)

Sat., Feb. 28: 3:00 – 5:00 @ Casa Latina Training Center, 317 17th Ave S. (enter from 17th)

How much is the reduced fare, and how much does a reduced fare ORCA card cost?

The reduced fare is $1.50 per ride, for any time of day, one-zone or two-zone travel. You can pay per ride, or get a monthly pass for $54. The ORCA LIFT card is free once you qualify and it’s valid for 24 months. If it gets lost or damaged, a replacement costs $5.

How do I qualify?

Your income must be below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (chart below). To show that you are eligible you’ll need to present documentation, such as an award letter for EBT food stamps or SSI, a ProviderOne medical services card, paystubs or tax return. A full list of acceptable documents can be found at www.orcalift.com.

 

When and where can I get an ORCA LIFT card?

You can order one now and it will be mailed to you starting February 1! Visit https://metro.kingcounty.gov/programsprojects/orca-lift/enrollment-locations.html for a full list of enrollment locations, days and times. When you get your card, it won’t have any value on it yet. You can pay for Epurse value or a monthly pass at an ORCA customer service center (King Street Center, 401 S. Jackson), ticket vending machine, or ORCA retailer.

Can I pay the reduced fare with cash?

Nope, you must have an ORCA LIFT card.

Can I use my ORCA LIFT card on Sound Transit?

Link Light Rail is also introducing a $1.50 low-income reduced fare starting March 1, but Sound Transit buses are not. You can still use your card on ST buses and other services that accept ORCA, but you’ll have to pay the full fare – if you are using the monthly pass, you can make up the difference with E-Purse or cash. Kitsap Transit and the King County Water Taxi also have a low income fare.

Do you Qualify for the new ORCA LIFT Reduced Fare of $1.50?

If your annual income is less than listed in the chart below, you do!

More questions?

They may (or may not) be answered here: www.orcalift.com

Join the Transit Riders Delegation. Meet with County Councilmembers to reject fare hikes  and demand affordable transit for all!  SIGN A DELEGATE PLEDGE HERE

Take our Fare Enforcement / Transit Police Watchdog Survey. Have you had bad experiences with fare enforcement or transit police?  We want to hear about them.  Good experiences?  We want to hear about them too.  TAKE THE SURVEY HERE

The following is from TRU’s awesome newsletter, the Transit Reader.  Do you have a question only a bus driver can answer?  Send it to sam@transitriders.org, and maybe it’ll be featured in an upcoming issue!  Also, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like some paper copies of the Transit Reader to hand out to fellow riders on your bus. Email contact@transitriders.org or call 206-651-4282.

By Sam Smith

Hello Metro riders! My name is Sam Smith, and I’ve been a Metro driver since early 2013. I hear all sorts of questions from passengers, friends, and fellow TRU members on a range of topics related to my job. This column is going to be dedicated to answering some of those questions. Anything you want to know – Why do the poles come off the wires so often? Where do you use the bathroom? Where do you pick up the bus? – just ask! Send questions to sam@transitriders.org.

Because this is my first column and I don’t have any questions, I’m going to answer a question that I have heard many variations on:  Why did the driver not stop for me?

Read more

Success! On Monday, November 10, the King County Council responded to pressure from TRU and a score of human service organizations whose members or clients rely on the underfunded Reduced Fare Bus Ticket program for their basic transportation needs.

The council unanimously passed legislation sponsored by Councilmembers Dave Upthegrove and Larry Gossett, increasing funding for this program by around 33% in 2015 and subsequent years. You can read Ordinance 2014-0445 here. Some of this new funding will merely compensate for the planned March 2015 fare increase, but most of it will translate to a real gain in the number of tickets available.

Thanks to everyone who joined in this effort!  Our united voices got the job done.