King County Executive Dow Constantine sent legislation to the County Council that removes civil infractions for fare violations from King County District Court and sets up an alternative resolution process within Metro that offers reduced penalties and non-monetary options for resolving fare violations.
Last April, a report by the King County Auditor’s Office and an internal Metro review found that fare enforcement may disproportionately impact people with low incomes or who are experiencing homelessness. The goal of the legislation is to minimize the chances of someone entering a cycle of debt and court interactions over a fare evasion ticket.
“Fares are an essential part of funding our regional transit system, but we know some riders have trouble paying,” said Constantine. “We’ve created reduced and even free transit fare programs, but some people still skip the formalities and end up accruing infractions, which can lead to legal headaches that impact housing and employment. We want to find a better way that funds vital public transit service while best supporting our most vulnerable riders.”
Metro is required by King County policy to recover nearly a third of its operating costs from fare revenue. On Metro’s RapidRide bus service, customers often pay before they board, so fare enforcement officers board to check for a valid proof of payment. Fare enforcement officers typically issue a warning for the first offense, followed by a civil infraction for $124 for the second violation.
Under the new program, infractions for second violations initially would be set at $50 or lower. Fines paid within 30 days could be further reduced by half.
Customers could resolve fare infractions through non-monetary options, such as:
• Performing community service at a nonprofit organization
• If eligible, enrolling into the ORCA LIFT reduced-fare program
Individuals who do not resolve their infraction within 90 days and are ticketed again for riding without valid proof of payment would be suspended from Metro service for 30 days.
Metro met with advocacy groups, fare enforcement officers, and others to develop fare enforcement options that address the auditor’s concerns. That work will continue as Metro seeks to strike the right balance between collecting fares and promoting safety and equity.
Metro plans to conduct surveys later this year to better understand why some transit riders do not have valid proof of payment and the barriers they face to affording transit fare.
