Transportation is a human necessity. It’s a vital part of our daily lives. However, transportation can be expensive, especially if you’re barely making ends meet.
If you reside in the King County area, here’s some good news for you; King County Metro, the largest public transportation agency in the Puget Sound region, offers discounts on transportation to low-income earners and other eligible residents.
Thanks to these discounts, you can save on bus transit, water taxis, and several of their services.
In this post, you’ll discover the types of discounts they offer. You’ll also learn how to enroll for the ones you qualify for.
Discounts Offered By King County Metro
King County Metro offers several discount programs to help low-income, disabled, and senior citizens save on transportation costs. Some of the discounted fares include ORCA Lift, Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP), the Subsidized annual pass, and the Taxi Scrip Program.
ORCA Lift (& ORCA Youth)
ORCA Lift is an income-based fare program that provides standard reduced fares to low-income individuals for Metro Transit, King County Water Taxi, Seattle Streetcar, KitsapTransit, and Sound Transit Link light trail.
Under this program, King County Metro gives eligible individuals an ORCA Lift card. The ORCA Lift card grants them access to reduced transport rates on most Metro services,
Applying for the card is free. However, you have to load the card with money or a monthly pass before using it to pay for transit. Also, the ORCA Lift card has a life span of two years. Then you’ll have to renew it by following the application process.
For the ORCA Youth option, King County Metro also offers discounts to young residents with the ORCA youth card. The ORCA youth card is available to residents between the ages of 6 to 18 and allows them to ride selected transits without cost.
Who is Eligible For The ORCA Lift Program
To be eligible for the ORCA Lift card, your household income must be less than double the Federal Poverty Level for your household. This means the monthly income for a household of one must be less than $2,430 while that of 8 should be at most $8,427.
Individuals who are enrolled in the Apple Health/ Medicaid (ProviderOne), Washington Basic Food (EBT Card), or the Women Infants Children (WIC) are automatically eligible for the ORCA Lift program.
For more information on eligibility requirements call the Community Health Access Program (CHAP) at 800-756-5437.
How To Apply
You can either apply online, in person at an authorized enrollment office, or over the phone by calling CHAP at the number stated above,
When applying, you must present documents proving your identity and income level. Or a combination of two or more documents, You’ll find a detailed breakdown of the accepted documents on the ORCA LIFT page.
Please note that there is no initial fee for the ORCA LIFT card, however, you have to load your card before you can ride transit. There are several ways to do this. You can:
- Visit myORCA.com
- Visit the Metro Pass Sales Office
- Contact the ORCA Regional Center at 88-988-6722 or call a Metro rep at 206-553-3000
Taxi Scrip Program
The Taxi Scrip program offers eligible individuals discounts on Taxi services. Once you’re eligible, you’ll be allowed to buy up to 8 books of taxi scrip each month.
Taxis scrips are a sort of payment voucher. Each taxi scrip gives you access to a 50% discount on a taxi ride. This means presenting a taxi scrip at the end of a trip allows you to pay half of the transport fare, i.e., you save 50% of the actual cost.
Although most taxi companies accept scrip as a means of payment, you should always confirm when you request a cab. Companies that accept Scrip include Yellow Cab, A1 Taxi, and Farwest Taxi.
Who Is Eligible
To be eligible program, you must:
- Be a resident of King County
- Be over 65 years
- Be a disabled person within the age bracket of 18 to 64 years
- Have a Regional Reduced Fare Permit
- Be a low-income citizen
How To Purchase
Unlike the other discount programs, the Taxi Scrip is purchased not necessarily applied for. You can purchase scrip via mail or visit Metros Customer Services Office.
You don’t need to use a taxi scrip the same month you buy it and unused scrips are non-refundable.
Subsidized Annual Pass
The Subsidized annual pass is available to residents of King County and its surrounding region, With this card, qualified individuals can board selected vehicles and transit for free.
Services covered by this pass include Kings County Metro buses, Access paratransit, water taxi, Via to Transit, Trailhead Direct, the city of Seattle Monorail and Streetcar, Sound Transit Express buses, Sound Transits Link light rail, and Sounder commuter rail.
Who Is Eligible For The Subsidized Annual Post?
To be eligible for the subsidized annual pass, you must reside in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. You must also be enrolled in one of the following state programs:
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or State Family Assistance (SFA)
- Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA)
- Housing and Essential Needs (HEN)
- Pregnant Women Assistance (PWA)
- Aged, Blind, or Disabled Cash Assistance (ABD)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
How To Apply
You can apply online, in person, or by phone.
- To apply online visit the Reduced Fare Portal. There you’ll be required to upload your One number or DSHS Client ID number. You’ll also be asked to upload your photo ID and the most recent copy of your DSHS award letter.
- To apply in person, visit the Federal Way Public Health Storefront, the ORCA LIFT/Public Health Office, or the Catholic Community Services -Randolph Carter Center.
- To apply via telephone, you can either call the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Customer Service Center, Public Health – Seattle and King Community Health Access Program, or the Catholic Community Services.
You’ll find additional information on how to apply on their page.
Regional Reduced Fare Permit
If you’re a Medicare card holder, over 65, or suffer from a disability, you can take advantage of the Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP). The Regional Reduced Fare Permit allows qualified King County residents to enjoy reduced fares when they travel with certain transit agencies.
The Regional Reduced Fare Permit covers:
- Metro Buses
- Access Transportation
- Metro flex
- Water Taxi
- Link light rail
- Seattle streetcar
- Sounder train
- St Express buses
- Seattle center monorail
Who Is Eligible For The Regional Reduced Fare Permit?
To qualify for the RRFP, the individual must be disabled or older than 65 years of age. If you’re applying on the grounds of disability, you must present a picture of yourself together with other documents.
How To Apply
The application process differs depending on the grounds on which you’re applying.
Disabled residents can apply for this permit online, or in person. To apply online, visit the Reduced Fare Portal, fill out the form, and submit the necessary documents. Your card will be sent to you via mail within 7 to 10 days.
To apply in person, visit the Metro Pass Sales Office or the Neighborhood Pop-Up event.
The application process for individuals applying based on age is slightly different. To apply online, visit www.myORCA.com. You can also apply via mail or in person. You’ll find more information on Metro’s Regional Reduced Fare Permit Page.
Relief Recap
Getting around King County doesn’t have to be expensive. There are programs available to low-income earners, seniors, and persons with a disability that can ease commuting bills. Explore any of the options we listed above and visit their websites for more detailed information.
Low Income Relief Team
This article is the product of a team effort! Multiple authors from the Low Income Relief team have contributed to this post. We have also used AI tools to organize data and refine the writing in accordance with our Responsible AI Use Policy. All articles on our website are reviewed by our founder and resident poverty expert, Nicole Thelin, prior to publication.