The public agency Sound Transit is planning to retrofit 14 of its busiest light rail stations with fare gates to make sure people pay before getting on the train.
For years, the light rail has operated on an honor system, with fare ambassadors only rarely getting on trains to check for proof of payment. Sound Transit estimates that 63% of riders pay their fares — a decrease from around 85% before the pandemic.
Waiting for a train at Stadium Station last week, Jonah Ohm, who lives in Seattle, said over the past five years he had not encountered fare enforcement officers.
“It seems like there’s just a bunch of money going to waste, basically, that could be paying for light rail and public transit,” Ohm said.
Agency staff estimate that the fare gates will raise revenue by between $32 million and $82 million annually, and will pay for themselves in three to five years. The plan calls for turnstiles to be added to all stations between Northgate and the International District/Chinatown, in addition to Lynnwood City Center, SeaTac, Bellevue Downtown, Downtown Redmond and Federal Way.
Sound Transit has previously shied away from fare gates because of financial and logistical constraints. Many stations operate at street-level, and agency staff have expressed concern that people would try to bypass turnstiles by walking on or near the train tracks.
But during a meeting last month, Sound Transit Chief Planning Officer Meg Cederoth told agency board members that since the light rail system has expanded in recent years, fare gates are now viable.
“On having fare gates, we are lagging compared to peers with comparably-sized systems,” Cederoth said.
The Sound Transit Board approved $6 million to design and plan the fare gate program, but they have yet to approve funding for total installation costs, which are estimated to run about $87 million.
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay said he sees the potential upsides of fare gates, but was concerned about creating barriers for low-income riders and youths, who ride for free and often don’t carry Orca cards.
“There are unintended consequences of being more exclusive or putting up walls, or making it inaccessible for some of our most vulnerable communities,” Zahilay said.
Installation isn’t set to start until 2029. Before that happens, Sound Transit staff say they plan to set up systems allowing people to easily enroll in free and reduced fare programs onsite at the train stations. They will also expand efforts to distribute Orca cards to youths and may place fare ambassadors at stations to manually override them if necessary.
Staff say they are also looking to make sure the gates can accommodate people in wheelchairs and people with bikes or large luggage.
