EVERETT — Beginning in July, Everett Transit will offer a $1.50 fare for eligible low-income riders.
At the same time, the adult fare is increasing to $2 while youth fares rise to $1.50 and senior fares stay at 50 cents.
The City Council unanimously agreed with creating the low-income fare. It declined an alternative proposal to create a $1 / $2 split fare system that lowered the youth fare to $1, upped the senior fare to $1 and would have set the low-income fare at $1.
Increasing the senior fare
repulsed council members. A majority commented that they did not want to increase it.
Everett Transit increased the senior fare from 25 cents to 50 cents less than six months ago in January’s fare adjustments.
The low-income fare is for households that earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Riders would need to verify their income with a social service provider to qualify, such as the state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). The income thresholds are $24,980 for a single individual, $33,820 for a two-person household or $51,500 for a family of four.
Getting the reduced fare will require people to get their Orca card registered into the Orca Lift system. More information is available at www.orcalift.com or by calling the customer service line at 1-888-988-6722.
The Orca Lift program requires re-enrollment preiodically.
A Regional Reduced Fare Permit through the Orca card system also exists for some seniors and disabled people.
Survey results from the city bus agency showed that 49 percent of riders supported the option council took. About 40 percent preferred the $1 / $2 split. The remaining 10 percent disagreed with creating the low-income senior fare.
Teens found lowering the youth fare appealing, transit director Tom Hingson said in presenting the survey results. Seniors, naturally, preferred not upping their fare.
Two-thirds of Everett Transit’s ridership makeup are adults, while about 22 percent are seniors and 12 percent are youth.
About 150 people attended public input meetings held in the weeks before council vote.
Half of Everett Transit’s adult riders live under the 200 percent low-income threshold. The figures come from ORCA’s ridership data.
There were no comments at the council meeting at a public hearing on the low-income fare, which was opened for comments at nearly
9 p.m. The public hearing was so late during the council meeting because there was a lengthy council discussion about the Riverfront Development earlier in the meeting.
Everett Transit forecasts adding the $1.50 low-income fare will cost about $540,000 in less fare revenue spread over five years.
Earlier discussions proposed introducing a $1 or $1.25 low-income fare without altering other fare amounts, which would have greater impacts to farebox revenue.
Community Transit also plans to introduce a low-income reduced fare this July. The price will be $1.25 for local and Swift buses and $2 for commuter buses, or half the normal rate.
King County Metro and Sound Transit set their low income fare rate at half their normal adult fare. Those agencies charge $3 for full adult fare and their low-income fares are $1.50.
How to apply for Orca Lift
King County Metro says people can apply for Orca Lift at the Alderwood DSHS office, 20311 52nd Ave W, Lynnwood, WA 98036 on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Catholic Community Services can help with signups at its centers in Seattle.
More information is available at www.orcalift.com or by calling the customer service line at 1-888-988-6722.
Community Transit and other agencies are working on an Orca Lift implementation plan, “including which partner agencies may be involved in determining income eligibility and distributing cards,” Community Transit spokesman Martin Munguia said. More information on these distibution sites will be available closer to when the low-income fare is introduced.
