ORCA card

Last updated
ORCA
ORCA card logo 2.svg
Location Puget Sound region, Washington, U.S.
LaunchedApril 20, 2009 (2009-04-20) (v1) [1]
May 16, 2022 (2022-05-16) (v2) [2]
Technology
Operator
ManagerRegional ORCA Operations Team
Currency United States dollar ($5 minimum load, $400 [5] maximum load)
Stored-value E-purse
Credit expiryNone
Auto rechargeYes
Validity
Retailed
Variants
    • Reduced Regional Fare Permit
    • ORCA Youth Card
    • ORCA LIFT
Website myORCA.com

The ORCA card (standing for One Regional Card for All) is a contactless, stored-value smart card system for public transit in the Puget Sound region of Washington, United States. The card is valid on most transit systems in the Seattle metropolitan area, including Sound Transit, local bus agencies, Washington State Ferries, the King County Water Taxi, and Kitsap Fast Ferries. It was launched in 2009 and is managed by the Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination Project, a board composed of local transit agencies.

Contents

The card is able to be loaded with "e-purse" value, similar to a debit card, and monthly passes. Cards are sold and reloaded at participating grocery stores, customer service centers, and ticket vending machines at transit stations. ORCA cards offer free transfers between transit systems within a two-hour window.

In 2018, the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) contracted INIT (Innovations in Transportation, Inc.) to replace the legacy ORCA system with an account-based, open architecture system known as "next generation ORCA". The next-generation ORCA system will offer new payment options including mobile ticketing, maintain customer data security, and provide real-time account management and fare processing so customers can instantly add value to their account at any time. [6] The new system is set to roll out in phases, which began with a new website and app in May 2022. [7] [8]

History

The former ORCA card logo ORCA card logo.svg
The former ORCA card logo

Central Puget Sound transit agencies have collaborated in a region-wide fare system since 1991 with the introduction of U-PASS and later FlexPass. In 1996, voters approved Sound Move, which called for an integrated regional fare policy for a "one-ticket ride". [9] That goal led to the creation of the PugetPass in 1999, which allowed transit riders to use a single pass for five transit agencies. [10]

On April 29, 2003, an agreement to implement a smart card system between the seven agencies in the Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination Project (Sound Transit, King County Metro, Community Transit, Everett Transit, Pierce Transit, Kitsap Transit, and Washington State Ferries) was signed along with a $43 million contract [1] awarded to ERG Transit Systems (now Vix Technology) as the vendor and system integrator of the project. The ORCA card was originally anticipated to be operational in 2006. [11]

The former ORCA card design ORCA Card.jpg
The former ORCA card design

Between November 9 and December 22, 2006, as many as 6,000 transit riders were asked to participate in a live test of the smart card system. The test was conducted on selected routes of the seven participating agencies. [10] The University of Washington conducted a separate test for integrating ORCA with the Husky Card and U-PASS during the same period. [12]

A limited rollout of the ORCA system began on April 20, 2009, which allowed remaining technical issues in the system to be resolved. An extensive rollout and public outreach campaign followed in June 2009. Blank cards were available at no charge during the introductory period, which lasted until March 1; from then on, the card cost $5 ($3 for reduced fare permit holders). Users of PugetPasses, FlexPasses, and other passes were to be gradually transitioned to ORCA. [1]

Launch timeline

The ORCA launch press kit gave a launch timeline as follows: [13]

A comparison photo of both generations of ORCA card New and Old Orca Cards.jpg
A comparison photo of both generations of ORCA card

Name origin

The ORCA name honors the killer whales (orcas) indigenous to the Puget Sound. The name was originally suggested by the Sound Transit project manager as in keeping with a theme of successful earlier smart card system names such as Oyster (in London) and Octopus (in Hong Kong), but the name was not accepted by the project joint board until the acronym "One Regional Card for All" was suggested by another Sound Transit staff member. [13] [ failed verification ]

Next generation project

The ORCA Joint Board approved a capital-and-service contract with INIT in 2018 to design and implement a major overhaul of the ORCA system, including new cards, mobile ticketing, and compatibility with contactless payment credit cards and smartphones. [4] Approximately 2,900 on-board fare validators, 1,000 off-board validators, and 250 vending machines were to be replaced under the contract. [18]

A new website and smartphone app was launched in May 2022 with a weekend-long fare-free period to introduce new validators and card readers. [4] [19] Ticket vending machines for Link light rail were also taken offline for three days as part of the transition. [20] The new website and app allowed for fare management without the previous 24-hour delay. [21] The new card readers and validators initially did not display e-purse balances and pass statues until a later update. [22] The machines' noise was also reduced, which drew criticism from passengers and was later corrected. [23]

The new, black-colored cards debuted in October 2022 as part of a retail rollout following a short beta test period. [24] A tap-to-pay option through the ORCA app is planned to be deployed in the future. [25]

Technology

The original card uses the ISO/IEC 14443 RFID standard. [26] Specifically, the MIFARE DESFire EV1 which "implements all 4 levels of ISO / IEC 14443A and uses optional ISO / IEC 7816-4 commands.". [27]

The new card, which features a black design, includes a barcode and magstripe for quicker reloading at retail outlets. [28]

Agencies

ORCA is managed by the Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination System, a joint board of directors with representatives of all member transit agencies. Day-to-day management is provided by the staff of Sound Transit and King County Metro. [29] The system is centrally operated by Vix Technology. [29]

Current

Products

E-purse

ORCA Card Fare Vending Machine Orca Card Fare Vending Machine.jpg
ORCA Card Fare Vending Machine

An ORCA card can be used as a stored-value card through a function called the electronic purse (E-purse). The E-purse holds value that can be used like cash to pay fare. The minimum value that can be added to an E-purse is $5. The maximum value that can be stored in an E-purse is $400. [31]

PugetPass

PugetPass is a regional monthly pass that lets passengers travel on nearly every transit service in the region for a calendar month. A PugetPass is valid for payment of trip fares up to the value of the pass. Trip fares above the value of the pass may be paid with E-purse value. (Example: a passenger who has a $2.50 PugetPass and rides a service that costs $3.75 would have $2.50 covered by the PugetPass and $1.25 would be deducted from their E-Purse). Washington State Ferries does not accept the PugetPass. Pass values available range from 50¢ to $5.75. [32] Passes are priced at $36 per $1 of fare value.

Regional 24-Hour Pass

This pass costs $8 or $4.50 (senior/disabled and youth only) and cover up to $3.50 or $1.75 (senior/disabled and youth only) of fare value per trip on any transit service that honours the PugetPass within 24 hours of first boarding. [33]

Agency specific products and pass

An agency pass covers rides on a specific transit agency's service. [31] Examples include Washington State Ferries' monthly passes, Metro ACCESS paratransit passes, and Metro vanpool passes. [32]

Business products

Employers may purchase one of two products for their employees:

The ORCA Business Passport is comprehensive, annual transportation pass program. Employers pay a flat annual cost per employee and each receives an ORCA card that covers almost all transit services in the Puget Sound, including Vanpool. Employers must cover all employees.

The ORCA Business Choice allows businesses to add funds to employee ORCA cards on a monthly basis in the form of an E-voucher. The E-voucher can be used to purchase a monthly PugetPass or E-purse value. Any unused E-voucher amount at the end of the month is removed from the employee ORCA cards and refunded to the business. [34]

Seattle Public Schools

Seattle's former Mayor Jenny Durkan proposed free ORCA cards for students enrolled in Seattle Public Schools, it is not clear if current mayor Bruce Harrell supports this proposal. Seattle Public Schools has issued ORCA cards to students previously; the Interagency program provided these to students from low-income families and those who live more than two miles from their school. [35]

Features

Transfers

ORCA cards allow a two-hour transfer from the time fare is paid. If an E-purse or regional pass was used to pay fare, transfers are allowed on any bus or rail system in the region. If an agency pass was used, transfers are allowed only on services within that agency. Transfers are stored on the card and automatically calculated for the user. Transfers are not given or accepted on Washington State Ferries. [36]

Fare preset

ORCA card users paying with an E-purse can set their zone preference for King County Metro and Sound Transit services. Since July 2018, King County Metro is single-zone only. [37]

Balance protection

Balance protection protects the user from losing any value on the card when it is lost or stolen. A replacement card is issued with its value restored for the cost of a new card if the card is registered. [38]

Trip protection

Since July 2022, ORCA cards allow for a negative balance of up to $2.75 owed to allow users to continue traveling until they can reach a usable vending machine or reloading station. [39]

Autoload

An Autoload automatically adds transportation products to an ORCA card on a regular basis using a Visa or MasterCard. Examples of autoloads are adding value to an E-purse when its balance falls below a certain amount and recurring purchases of monthly passes. [40]

myORCA account

A myORCA account can be created on the ORCA website to monitor and manage ORCA cards. The account lets the user view transportation products stored on their card (E-purse balance, validity period of passes), transaction history, purchase additional ORCA cards for others, set up an Autoload, set fare presets, and report lost, stolen, or damaged cards. [38]

Low-income fare

The ORCA LIFT program discounts fares to $1.00 per ride for users of the ORCA card earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. [41]

Criticism

New card fee

As of March 2016, a new ORCA card costs $5, one of the highest prices for a public transportation smart card in the United States. [42] The King County Council has requested a study on the impact of either eliminating the $5 fee or adding $5 in value to all newly purchased cards. [43] The report will be due in February 2017.[ needs update ]

The $5 fee was waived for all new cards for a three-month period beginning December 1, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [44] The fee on youth cards was waived through May 2021 and was later permanently eliminated. [45] The card fee was lowered to $3 with the launch of the new ORCA system in May 2022.

Privacy concerns

Like all transit cards, ORCA cards may be used to track users. [46] In the case of subsidized cards, information regarding a rider's trips may be released to third parties including employers who provide the cards. [47]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MetroCard</span> Public transit payment system in the New York City area

The MetroCard is a magnetic stripe card used for fare payment on transportation in the New York City area. It is a payment method for the New York City Subway, New York City Transit buses and MTA buses. The MetroCard is also accepted by several partner agencies: Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE), the PATH train system, the Roosevelt Island Tramway, AirTrain JFK, and Westchester County's Bee-Line Bus System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SmarTrip</span> Contactless transit card system used in the Washington, D.C. metro area

SmarTrip is a contactless stored-value smart card payment system managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) uses a compatible payment system called CharmCard. A reciprocity agreement between the MTA and WMATA allows either card to be used for travel on any of the participating transit systems in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. Unlike traditional paper farecards or bus passes, SmarTrip/CharmCard is designed to be permanent and reloadable; the term "SmarTrip" may refer to both payment systems unless otherwise noted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sound Transit</span> Regional transit government agency for the Seattle metropolitan area

Sound Transit (ST), officially the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority, is a public transit agency serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It operates the Link light rail system in Seattle and Tacoma, regional Sounder commuter rail, and Sound Transit Express bus service. The agency also coordinates the regional ORCA fare card system, which is also used by local transit operators. In 2019, Sound Transit services carried a total of 48 million passengers and averaged over 161,000 riders on weekdays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Community Transit</span> Bus transit agency serving Snohomish County, Washington

Community Transit (CT) is the public transit authority of Snohomish County, Washington, United States, excluding the city of Everett, in the Seattle metropolitan area. It operates local bus, paratransit and vanpool service within Snohomish County, as well as commuter buses to Downtown Seattle and Northgate station. CT is publicly funded, financed through sales taxes, and farebox revenue, with an operating budget of $133.2 million. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 7,133,700, or about 24,400 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023, placing it fourth among transit agencies in the Puget Sound region. The city of Everett, which serves as the county seat, is served by Everett Transit, a municipal transit system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King County Metro</span> Public transit operator in King County, Washington, US

King County Metro, officially the King County Metro Transit Department and often shortened to Metro, is the public transit authority of King County, Washington, which includes the city of Seattle. It is the eighth-largest transit bus agency in the United States. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 78,121,600, or about 256,200 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023. Metro employs 2,444 full-time and part-time operators and operates 1,540 buses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in Seattle</span> Overview of transportation modes and routes in Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Transportation in Seattle is largely focused on the automobile like many other cities in western North America; however, the city is just old enough for its layout to reflect the age when railways and trolleys predominated. These older modes of transportation were made for a relatively well-defined downtown area and strong neighborhoods at the end of several former streetcar lines, now mostly bus lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clipper card</span> Public transit ticketing system in the San Francisco Bay Area, US

The Clipper card is a reloadable contactless smart card used for automated fare collection in the San Francisco Bay Area. First introduced as TransLink in 2002 by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) as a pilot program, it was rebranded in its current form on June 16, 2010. Like other transit smart cards such as the Oyster card, the Clipper card is a credit card-sized stored-value card capable of holding both cash value and transit passes for the participating transit agencies. In addition to the traditional plastic card, Clipper is available as a virtual card in Google Wallet and Apple Wallet. Clipper is accepted by nearly all public transit services in the Bay Area, including but not limited to Muni, BART, Caltrain, AC Transit, SamTrans, Golden Gate Transit, Golden Gate Ferry, San Francisco Bay Ferry, and VTA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CharlieCard</span> Public transit smart card used in Boston

The CharlieCard is a contactless smart card used for fare payment for transportation in the Boston area. It is the primary payment method for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and several regional public transport systems in the U.S. state of Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1 Line (Sound Transit)</span> Light rail line serving Seattle, Washington

The 1 Line, formerly Central Link, is a light rail line in Seattle, Washington, United States, and part of Sound Transit's Link light rail system. It serves 19 stations in the cities of Seattle, SeaTac, and Tukwila, traveling nearly 25 miles (40 km) between Northgate and Angle Lake stations. The line connects the University District, Downtown Seattle, the Rainier Valley, and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. The 1 Line carried over 26 million total passengers in 2023, with an average of nearly 80,000 daily passengers on weekdays. It runs for 20 hours per day on weekdays and Saturdays, with headways of up to six minutes during peak hours, and reduced 18-hour service on Sundays and holidays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitsap Transit</span> Local public transit operator in Kitsap County, Washington

Kitsap Transit is a public transit agency serving Kitsap County, Washington, part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The system is based in Bremerton and operates bus service on 40 fixed routes, a foot ferry, a vanpool system, worker-driver services, and dial-a-ride services. The Kitsap Fast Ferries are also operated by Kitsap Transit. In 2023, the system had a total ridership of 2,739,600 and over 8,000 passengers on an average weekday in 2022.

The Chicago Card and the Chicago Card Plus were contactless smart cards used by riders of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Pace to electronically pay for bus and train fares in the city of Chicago, Illinois, USA and the surrounding suburbs. On June 1, 2014, CTA and Pace stopped accepting these cards as part of a transition to Ventra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Link light rail</span> Light rail system the Seattle metropolitan area

Link light rail is a light rail rapid transit system serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It is managed by Sound Transit in partnership with local transit providers, and consists of two non-connected lines: the 1 Line in King County, which travels for 26 miles (42 km) between Seattle and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport; and the T Line in Pierce County, which runs for 4 miles (6.4 km) between Downtown Tacoma and Tacoma Dome Station. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 23.9 million, or about 78,600 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023, primarily on the 1 Line. Trains run at frequencies of 6 to 24 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sound Transit Express</span> Express bus system in Seattle, Washington

Sound Transit Express is a network of regional express buses, operated by the multi-county transit agency, Sound Transit. The routes connect major regional hubs throughout 53 cities in three counties in the Puget Sound region. Sound Transit Express ranks first in the nation in the number of commuter bus passengers carried and in vehicle miles driven. The first nine routes and 114 buses began carrying passengers on September 19, 1999. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 8,565,100, or about 29,000 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King County Water Taxi</span> Passenger ferry service in King County, Washington

The King County Water Taxi is a passenger-only fast ferry service operated by the King County Metro Transit Department, Marine Division. It operates two routes between Downtown Seattle and West Seattle or Vashon Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SmartLink (smart card)</span>

SmartLink is a RFID-enabled credit card-sized smartcard that is the primary fare payment method on the PATH transit system in Newark and Hudson County in New Jersey and Manhattan in New York City. It was designed to replace PATH's paper-based farecard, QuickCard, and there was plans to expand its usage throughout most transit agencies in the tri-state area. The SmartLink card has been available to the public since July 2, 2007. Although the MetroCard used on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s transit system can also be used on the PATH, the reverse is not true for SmartLink, which cannot be used on the MTA's system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vix Technology</span> Australian electronics company

Vix Technology (Vix) is an Australian company that designs, supplies and operates automated fare collection (AFC) systems, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), access, payment and passenger information display systems (PIDS) for the public transit industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transit pass</span> Transit ticket for multiple trips

A transit pass or travel card, often referred to as a bus pass or train pass etc., is a ticket that allows a passenger of the service to take either a certain number of pre-purchased trips or unlimited trips within a fixed period of time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transit Access Pass</span> Physical and electronic public transit smart card used in Los Angeles

The Transit Access Pass (TAP) is a contactless smart card used for automated fare collection on most public transport agencies within Los Angeles County, California. The card is also available in electronic form, free of charge, in Apple Wallet, thereby bypassing the need to purchase the plastic USD $2 card. It is administered by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), and the card and fare collection systems are manufactured by Cubic Transportation Systems.

OMNY is a contactless fare payment system, currently being implemented for use on public transit in the New York metropolitan area. OMNY can currently be used to pay fares at all New York City Subway and Staten Island Railway stations, on all MTA buses, AirTrain JFK, Metro North's Hudson Rail Link, and on the Roosevelt Island Tram; when completely rolled out, it will also replace the MetroCard on Bee-Line buses, and NICE buses. OMNY will also expand beyond the current scope of the MetroCard to include the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pronto (smart card)</span> Public transit smart card used in San Diego, California

Pronto, stylized as PRONTO, is the second-generation contactless payment system for automated fare collection on public transit services in San Diego County, California. The system is managed by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, operated by INIT Systems, and is valid on all services operated by the Metropolitan Transit System, and on North County Transit District. It launched on September 1, 2021, replacing the first-generation Compass Card system. Pronto involved the installation of new fare machines at all transit stations. It was the first contactless smart card introduction in California during the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

  1. 1 2 3 King County News Center, ORCA smart card limited rollout gets underway
  2. ↑ New ORCA card system begins on May 16 - myORCA
  3. ↑ Intro to ORCA/Husky Card Presentation. UW SocTech, Spring 2007
  4. 1 2 3 Lindblom, Mike (May 2, 2022). "What you need to know about changes coming to the ORCA fare card system". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  5. ↑ "ORCA cards". King County Metro. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  6. ↑ "PR 2018 INIT to Deliver Next Generation ORCA Fare Collection System". www.initse.com. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  7. ↑ "next generation ORCA". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
  8. ↑ "New ORCA system for regional transit launched". myORCA. 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  9. ↑ Sound Transit. "Sound Move—The 10-Year Regional Transit System Plan". 1996.
  10. 1 2 "Transit Agencies Gear Up to Test "Smart Card"" (PDF). Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination Project. 2006-08-28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-01-09. Retrieved 2009-02-14. (via Archive.org)
  11. ↑ "Smart Card - Signing of the Interlocal Cooperation Agreement and Vendor Contract". Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination Project. 2003-04-29. Retrieved 2009-02-14.
  12. ↑ UW Commuter Services: ORCA Smart Cards
  13. 1 2 Seattle Transit Blog - ORCA Rollout Begins Monday
  14. ↑ "Trip Planner Tips - Fare and transfer information". Archived from the original on 2010-01-08. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
  15. ↑ University Transportation Committee Meeting Minutes, October 14, 2008 page 2
  16. ↑ "New program quadruples options for buying ORCA" (Press release). Sound Transit. May 16, 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  17. ↑ "ORCA agencies plan new Regional Day Pass options" (Press release). Sound Transit. March 27, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  18. ↑ INIT (October 8, 2018). "INIT to Deliver Next Generation ORCA Fare Collection System" (Press release). Mass Transit Magazine . Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  19. ↑ "New ORCA card system begins on May 16" (Press release). Sound Transit. May 2, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Link Light Rail Ticket Vending Machines Off-Line at 11:30 p.m. Tonight". Sound Transit. May 13, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Transit agencies launch 'improved' ORCA ticketing system". KING 5 News. May 16, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  22. ↑ "What's up with the ORCA card readers?". MyORCA. May 26, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  23. ↑ "ORCA Update: Card Reader Boops". MyORCA. July 28, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  24. ↑ "ORCA retail network expansion starting today; redesigned cards debut" (Press release). Sound Transit. October 5, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  25. ↑ "New ORCA system for regional transit launched" (Press release). Sound Transit. May 16, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  26. ↑ Raschke (11 February 2011). "FareBot: reading ORCA cards on Android" . Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  27. ↑ "MIFARE DESFire™ EV1". mifare.net. Retrieved 30 June 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  28. ↑ Lindblom, Mike (May 16, 2022). "FAQ: What you need to do now to keep your ORCA card working". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  29. 1 2 "King County Job Listings: Functional Analyst III (ORCA Operations)". King County. 2011-02-11. Archived from the original on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  30. ↑ Guevara, Natalie (October 7, 2019). "For tourists or commuters? Seattle Monorail to begin accepting ORCA Card payments Oct. 7". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  31. 1 2 "Terms and Conditions | ORCA".
  32. 1 2 ORCA Products List
  33. ↑ "Regional Day Pass Approved". Seattle Transit Blog. 14 April 2015.
  34. ↑ ORCA Business - Products Available for Sale
  35. ↑ "Seattle plan for free transit for students among most generous in nation, mayor says". 21 February 2018.
  36. ↑ ORCA: Transfer Questions
  37. ↑ ORCA FAQ: Fare Questions
  38. 1 2 ORCA FAQ: Password and Account Questions
  39. ↑ "Introducing One More Trip Protection for ORCA". MyORCA. July 5, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  40. ↑ ORCA FAQ: Revalue Questions
  41. ↑ Johnson, Kirk (February 28, 2015). "Targeting Inequality, This Time on Public Transit". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  42. ↑ White, Brent (January 6, 2017). "Micro-Fixes for Link Ops". Seattle Transit Blog. Retrieved January 14, 2017. ...get rid of the nation's most-expensive-by-far fee for acquiring a bus smart card (the ORCA card). If some sort of incentive is needed to keep riders from treating the card as disposable, it need not be more than 25 cents. $5 is EXTREME OVERKILL for the purpose, that has forced a lot of expensive workarounds for occasional and cash-flow-challenged riders.
  43. ↑ Shaner, Zach (November 11, 2016). "King County Unanimously Passes $11B Biennial Budget". Seattle Transit Blog. Retrieved January 14, 2017. Council-led changes to the budget were mostly additive, and they included: • A proviso requiring King County to study either eliminating the $5 ORCA card fee, or adding $5 in value to all newly purchased cards. A report to Council will be due in February 2017.
  44. ↑ Rynning, Torie (December 1, 2020). "Metro waives ORCA card fees on new cards". Metro Matters. King County Metro. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  45. ↑ Zhou, Amanda (May 20, 2021). "King County ORCA youth card fee will be waived permanently". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  46. ↑ Lindblom, Mike (December 17, 2009). "Is Big Brother watching your ORCA card?". The Seattle Times . Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  47. ↑ "RCW 42.56.330 Public utilities and transportation". Washington State Legislature. 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.