You can ride around the town for free – if you are a youth resident – that is. The transit agencies now accepting the Free Youth Transit Pass include King County Metro, King County Water Taxi, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Kitsap Ferries, Kitsap Transit and Skagit Transit. Washington State Ferries started accepting the Free Youth Transit Pass on Oct. 1, excluding vehicles. Riders age 13 and older are encouraged to show one of the following to the driver, if they have it:
– Youth ORCA Card
– Please “tap” your card when you board. On Sound Transit light rail, please also “tap” when you exit.
– If you kept the Youth ORCA card issued by your school during the 2021-22 academic year, it will continue to work through June 30, 2023.
Current High School or Middle School Student ID
– Youth who do not have one of these can still ride for free.
The Free Youth Transit Pass is funded by the state’s Move Ahead Washington transportation package, which was signed into law earlier this year. King County Metro is expected to receive an estimated $31.7 million in grant funding to implement the Free Youth Transit Pass. King County said the funding exceeds the estimated $10 million in annual fare revenue from those under 19.
Residents without big household incomes will benefit greatly from this. Those 18 and under can ride transit for free across Puget Sound, including King County Metro, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and more. Young riders can use their blue youth and student ORCA cards, show their student identification or simply board and ride free, according to King County Metro.
More youth can now ride for free. Of the 329,000 students enrolled in public and private K-12 schools in King County, only around 25,000 students had access to subsidized ORCA cards during the school year, according to King County Executive Dow Constantine’s office. King, Snohomish, Pierce and Kitsap counties have an estimated 645,000 youth population aged 6-18.
Information provided states that in 2023 and beyond, youth will be directed to get a Free Youth Transit Pass that allows them to tap a card—or eventually their smartphone—to access transit across the region for free.
