King County Metro (Seattle) to offer $1.50 fare card for low-income riders

[brooklynite]

Seattle Times:

King County Metro Transit has begun laying the groundwork for anywhere between 45,000 and 100,000 low-income residents to get a discounted fare card, good for $1.50 a bus trip, starting in March.

The mushy estimate of how many might qualify speaks to the fact that this is relatively uncharted territory. Metro says it’s only the second big U.S. transit agency, after San Francisco, to offer low-income discounts, though reduced fares for seniors, student and disabled riders have been available for years.

Metro said it will lose $7 million to $9 million to subsidize these rides and cover the processing costs — at the same time Seattle is asking voters in November to approve an additional 0.1 percent sales tax and $60 car-tab fee, to avert proposed bus-service cuts within the city.

...snip...

To be eligible, household incomes must be less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which is a maximum yearly income of $23,340 for individuals or $47,700 for a family of four. The discounts will be available only for bus riders using a special ORCA fare card, not cash.

[agbdf]

1. I've recently moved to Seattle after having lived my entire life in NYC. This step is commendable!