Terms of use and privacy notice
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Privacy notice

1. Overview

This Privacy Notice describes how Sound Transit collects and uses your information.

Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority ("Sound Transit," "we," "us," and "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through our compliance with this Privacy Notice ("Privacy Notice"). This Privacy Notice describes the types of Information we may collect from you, that you may provide when you visit the website www.soundtransit.org ("Website"), and that you may provide in email, text, and other electronic messages between you and this Website. It also describes our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that Information. This Privacy Notice does not apply to Information collected by us offline or through any other means or by any third party.

Please read this Privacy Notice carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your Information and how we will handle it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, do not use the Website. By accessing or using this Website, you agree to this Privacy Notice. 

Sound Transit may change this Privacy Notice at any time, at its discretion. Your continued use of this Website after we make changes is deemed to be acceptance of those changes, so please check the Privacy Notice periodically for updates. 

2. The types of information that Sound Transit collects

Sound Transit may collect personal and non-personal information about you. Personal Information identifies you specifically (like your name), and non-personal information does not identify you specifically.

Sound Transit may collect two types of information from you when you visit the Website: Personal Information and Non-Personal Information (collectively "Information").

  • "Personal Information" refers to data by which you may be personally identified, such as name, postal address, e-mail address and telephone number. 
  • "Non-Personal Information" means data that is about you but does not identify you specifically. If you do nothing during your visit to our Website but browse, read pages, or download content, we will gather and store Information about your visit that does not identify you personally. 

3. How Sound Transit collects information about you

Sound Transit collects information in a number of ways depending on how you interact with our website and your privacy settings.

We collect Information:

  • Directly from you when you provide it to us.
  • Automatically as you navigate through the Website. Information collected automatically may include usage details, IP addresses, and Information collected through cookies.
  • From third parties.
  • Through Google Analytics.

Information You Provide to Sound Transit. The Information we collect on or through our Website from you may include:

  • Information that you provide by filling in forms on our Website. This includes Information provided at the time of registering to use our Website, subscribing to services, posting material, or requesting services. We may also ask you for Information when you enter a contest or promotion sponsored by us, and when you report a problem with our Website.
  • Records and copies of your correspondence (including email addresses), if you contact us.
  • Your responses to surveys that we might ask you to complete for research purposes.
  • Details of transactions you carry out through our Website.
  • Your search queries on the Website.
  • If you are accessing a feature from a mobile device or mobile application, you may be asked to share your precise (GPS level) geo-location Information with us so we can customize your experience. Feature examples include the Trip Planner and Real-Time Arrivals on mobile. This Information is anonymous and not personally identifiable. We use this geo-location Information to inform marketing campaigns, Website content and usability as well as service planning.

Information Automatically Collected from You. The Information that Sound Transit may automatically collect and store about you when you visit the Website may include:

  • The Internet Protocol Address and domain name used. The Internet Protocol address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer. We use the Internet Protocol Address to direct Internet traffic to you. This address can be translated to determine the domain name of your service provider (e.g. xcompany.com or yourschool.edu);
  • The type of browser and operating system you used;
  • The date and time you visited this Website;
  • The web pages or services you accessed at this Website; and
  • The website you visited prior to coming to this Website.
  • Cookies, which are small text files that a web server (such as Sound Transit's or its chosen web hosting company server) places on a user's computer. When accessing a cookie, Sound Transit's server reads a number associated with a browser, but is unable to determine any data about a user. With that number, our web server can tailor its content to the needs of the specific browser.

Third Party Information Collection. Some content or applications, including advertisements, on the Website are served by third-parties, including advertisers, ad networks and servers, content providers, and application providers. These third parties may use cookies (alone or in conjunction with web beacons or other tracking technologies) to collect Information about you when you use our Website. They may combine this Information with other data about your online activities over time and across different websites and other online services. They may use this Information to provide you with interest-based (behavioral) advertising or other targeted content. We do not control these third parties' tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about an advertisement or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly.

Google Analytics Advertising Features. We also have the following Google Analytics Advertising Features Implemented: Demographics and Interest reporting, Remarketing, GDN Impression Reporting and Double Click Campaign Manager. These features collect data using Google advertising cookies and anonymous identifiers. Sound Transit and third-party vendors use these first-party cookies to access the success of online marketing campaigns, inform future campaigns and improve usability on the Website. To learn how to opt-out of the Google Analytics Advertising Features we use, please see Google Analytics' currently available op-outs for the web.

4. How Sound Transit uses the information it collects about you

This section describes how we use the information we collect while you visit our website.

We use Information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any Personal Information:

  • To present our Website and its contents to you.
  • To provide you with data, products, or services that you request from us. For example, when you provide your email address with a comment form, we are able to use your email address to respond to your comment or question personally.
  • To fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it.
  • To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing and collection.
  • To notify you about changes to our Website or any products or services we offer or provide though it.
  • In any other way we may describe when you provide the Information
  • For any other purpose with your consent.

This Information helps us create a better overall experience for Website users. The statistics are compiled into Website traffic reports, which help Sound Transit understand, anticipate, and respond to user needs. If we learn, for example, of heightened interest in certain aspects of Sound Transit's projects, we are likely to highlight that information on the Website home page.

5. Collection of your information by third parties

Our data collection policies may differ from other websites or third-party services that integrate with our website.

The Website provides a link to third party services that allow you to input your phone number and email address so that you can receive transit data. This Information is collected by the third party and is not viewed, accessed or retained by Sound Transit. Your provision of your phone number and email address to the third party is governed by the terms and conditions of use and privacy policy of that third party provider, and Sound Transit is not responsible for the third party’s actions. Information about how you can opt-out of receiving transit data from those third parties is available from those third parties.

6. How Sound Transit protects your information

We cannot guarantee that your information is secure, but this section describes the measures we take to protect your information.

We have implemented measures designed to secure your Information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. Unfortunately, the transmission of data via the internet is not completely secure. Although we are working to protect your Information, we cannot guarantee the security of your Information transmitted to our Website. Any transmission of Information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the Website.

7. When Sound Transit shares your information

Sound Transit will share Personal Information about you with third parties only for limited purposes.

We may use and disclose Non-Personal Information about our users without restriction. We may disclose Personal Information that we collect or you provide as described in this Privacy Notice:

  • To our subsidiaries and affiliates.
  • To contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support our business.
  • To a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of Sound Transit's assets.
  • To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it. 
  • For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the Information.
  • With your consent.
  • To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.
  • To enforce or apply our Terms of Use.
  • If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of Sound Transit or others. 

8. Public records laws

Public records laws require Sound Transit to share certain types of information.

Sound Transit is a public agency and subject to the Washington Public Records Act (the "Public Records Act"). Information provided by you may be subject to disclosure pursuant to the Public Records Act, unless the Information is exempt by law. You should not provide Information if you are concerned about disclosure under the Public Records Act.

9. Information from children under 13

Sound Transit does not knowingly ask for information from children under the age of 13.

Sound Transit complies with the requirements of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and related regulations. The Website is not directed at children, and Sound Transit does not knowingly collect any Information from children under 13 years of age. If Sound Transit learns that a child under 13 years of age has provided Information, Sound Transit will delete this Information from our databases. Please see the Website Terms of Use for further guidance. 

10. Do not track

Using "Do Not Track" browser features may mean that some website features will not work.

Some browsers incorporate a "Do Not Track" feature that, when turned on, signals to websites and online services that you do not want to be tracked. The Website responds and acts upon Do Not Track browser settings when the Website recognizes the Do Not Track signal. Do Not Track may affect the functioning of the Website, and Sound Transit is not responsible for any issues caused when users select Do Not Track.

11. Contact us

To ask questions or comment about this Privacy Notice and our privacy practices, contact us at: 

main@soundtransit.org

Sound Transit Customer Service
Union Station
401 S. Jackson St.
Seattle, WA 98104 USA

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 12, 2019