Smart Card - Fare Integration

Smart Card

Here’s a smart idea: one card you use to pay your fare on all seven of the areas’ transit providers… one card that eliminates the search for spare change, a lost ticket or a misplaced transfer...

Sound Transit and six other transportation agencies are working together to plan and implement a regional fare collection program using “smart cards.”  A major test of the system started in winter 2006.

Fare Integration

Since September of 1999, transit riders in the Puget Sound region have been able to use a single pass or cash payment for travel on services provided by all of the region's transit agencies. These transfers are made possible through a region-wide agreement which is overseen by Sound Transit's Fare Integration Program.

Why Fare Integration

Sound Move offered voters a uniform, single-ticket fare system among local and regional transit providers. Sound Move also envisioned that riders on regional bus, commuter rail and light rail service would transfer to local and regional bus service. Therefore, Sound Transit provides funding for transfers between the five transit agencies and is participating in the development of the smart card project.