Sound Transit to Introduce $3 flat fare for Link Light Rail starting Aug. 30

Starting Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, Sound Transit will introduce a $3 flat fare for adult passengers on the Link 1 Line – which includes light rail in our area – and 2 Line light rail, replacing the current distance-based fare system that ranges from $2.25 to $3.50.

The change aims to simplify travel and encourage ridership as the system continues to expand.

The flat fare will streamline the payment process, allowing passengers using ORCA cards to tap only once before entering the fare-paid zone, eliminating the need to tap off at the end of their trip. Sounder train passengers will still need to tap on and off.

In addition to the flat fare, the cost of an Adult ORCA day pass will temporarily drop from $8 to $6 as part of a six-month promotion. Reduced-fare passes will see a similar reduction, dropping from $4 to $2. The ORCA LIFT program remains unchanged, and youth under 18 will continue to ride for free.

The Sound Transit Board approved the flat fare system in December, 2023, following public feedback and consideration of its impact on ridership, equity, and finances. The change comes as Link expands, with the opening of the Lynnwood Link Extension on Aug. 30, adding 8.5 miles and four new stations, including the first in Snohomish County.

“This flat fare simplifies travel and encourages riders to use public transit as the region continues to recover post-pandemic,” said King County Executive and Sound Transit Board Chair Dow Constantine. “It makes it easier for everyone, from daily commuters to visitors, to confidently rely on Sound Transit to get around.”

Fares on Link have remained unchanged since 2015, and Sound Transit expects the new pricing model to better integrate with the regional transit system as expansions continue, including the completion of the 2 Line to Downtown Redmond next year and the Federal Way extension in 2026.

“Moving to a flat fare will make it easier for people to take Link light rail at a time when we expect many new riders with the imminent opening of the 1 Line to the Lynnwood City Center Station, the completion of the 2 Line to downtown Seattle and the expansion of service to Federal Way,” said Sound Transit Interim CEO Goran Sparrman.

The Federal Way extension is set to open in early 2026.

For more information on the new fare system, visit Sound Transit’s official website here.