New Electronic Fare System Replaces 300 Different Tickets With One Smart Card

The Puget Sound’s new electronic fare system will get a limited roll-out on Mon., April 20, in an effort to help make traveling the area by bus, train and ferry easier by eliminating the need for exact change – or any change at all for that matter.

The ORCA – One Regional Card for All – will replace about 300
various passes, tickets and transfers with a single card that works for all seven of the major public transportation agencies serving King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties, including Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro Transit, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and Washington State Ferries.

Together, the agencies serve more than half of Washington’s population and carry more than 500,000 riders daily.

The system’s limited roll-out will allow partner agencies to identify and resolve remaining technical issues in a live environment and give transit customers and the agencies time to transition to the new system.

A more extensive ORCA launch and customer awareness campaign is expected to begin this summer.

The phase-in of ORCA will continue through the end of the year as current transit passes expire and are replaced by ORCA cards.

For more information, go here.