SEATTLE — Sound Transit’s light rail system will begin charging a flat fare of $3 next fall for rides anywhere on the system under a plan approved Friday by the transit agency’s board.
Riders currently pay fares ranging from $2.25 to $3.50 based on distance, with the majority paying $2.75 or less, the Seattle Times reports. The new fare will increase revenue while simplifying fare payment; riders must currently tap their fare cards at both the beginning and end of a trip to calculate the fare.
A Sound Transit press release said community comments were split almost evenly on retaining the distance-based fare system or a move to flat fares, with board members choosing simplicity and the potential for future fare capping — the practice in which riders are no longer charged after spending a certain amount on fares in a given day.
Interesting. The director resigns and all of sudden the outgoing board agrees on something.
Like I said before, enforce your fares everywhere. Set up a hardship system for those who struggle or cant pay.