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AN ORDINANCE relating to public transportation, revising rates of fare and eliminating the regular fare peak, off-peak and zone fare differential; and amending Ordinance 13480, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 4A.700.010 and Ordinance 12643, Section 9, as amended, and K.C.C 4A.700.090.

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STATEMENT OF FACTS:

1.  K.C.C. 4A.700.010 provides for separate off-peak, one-zone peak and two-zone peak fares for full fare adult riders, with zones as set forth in K.C.C. 28.92.030, and time of day limitations for peak and off-peak period trips as set forth in K.C.C. 28.92.115 and 28.92.100.

2.  The King County Metro Strategic Plan for Public Transportation, 2011-2021, 2015 Update, includes "Strategy 6.3.2: Establish fare structures and fare levels that are simple to understand, aligned with other service providers, and meet revenue targets established by Metro's fund management policies."

3.  A recent peer comparison of thirty comparable bus transit agencies in the United States and Canada found that King County Metro was one of only two agencies with both zones and general time of day pricing.

4.  Metro is the only ORCA transit agency with fares that vary by time of day.

5.  The 2016 Regional Fare Forum (“Fare Forum”), made up of members representing the policy boards of each of the ORCA agencies, including members of the King County council, was convened last year with a mission to reaffirm agency commitments to regional fare coordination and discuss strategies to further integrate and simplify fares to allow customers to travel seamlessly throughout the region.  Among other things, the Fare Forum recommended that ORCA agencies work to simplify fares by eliminating fares that vary by zone and time-of-day.

6.  In a March-April 2017 survey to obtain public feedback on Metro's fares, thirty-two percent of respondents indicated they found Metro's fares confusing, or very confusing.

7. An extensive public outreach program conducted by Metro in spring of 2017 found considerable public support for replacing Metro's current fare structure with a single regular adult fare of $2.75 regardless of time of day and without zone boundaries.

8.  As part of Metro's public engagement effort, more than six thousand four hundred people participated in an online survey about two fare simplification options (one a flat fare of $2.75 applicable regardless of time of day or zone and the other a variable fare of $2.50 for off-peak periods and $3.00 for peak periods).  Eighty percent of respondents liked the option of a single, regular adult fare of $2.75.

                     BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:

                     SECTION 1.  Ordinance 13480, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 4A.700.010 are hereby amended to read as follows:

                     A.  Except as may otherwise be provided by ordinance, the following fare

categories and rates are established for regularly scheduled county public transportation service on buses, trolleys, transit vans, dial-a-ride vehicles and streetcars:

                     The fare categories and rates are subject to, and defined by, the following:

                       1.  ((The descriptions of transit zones are set forth in K.C.C. 28.94.030;

                       2.  The time-of-day limitations for peak period trips and off-peak period trips are in K.C.C. 28.92.115 and 28.92.100 except as to streetcar services, which may be priced at peak fares;

                       3.))  The child fare is available to persons up to six years old when accompanied by a responsible person paying the proper fare as set forth in this chapter.  Up to four children may ride with each responsible person;

                      ((4.)) 2.  The youth fare is available to persons from six through eighteen years old and persons over eighteen years old who receive student passes under K.C.C. 4A.700.450;

                       ((5.)) 3.  The senior and persons with disabilities fare is available to persons who apply for and receive a regional reduced fare permit.  The permits are available to persons at least sixty-five years old and persons with disabilities as provided in the regional reduced fare permit program authorized under K.C.C. 28.94.255;

                       ((6.)) 4.  A person with a disability who has been issued an "attendant ride free" permit by the department may be accompanied by an attendant, who is not required to pay a fare; and

                       ((7.)) 5.  The low-income fare is available to persons who apply for and are determined to meet the threshold eligibility requirements for the low-income transit fare program authorized under K.C.C. 4A.700.490 and receive a valid low-income transit fare product.

                     B.  A fare in subsection A. of this section is paid when a person pays the appropriate amount in cash or presents an appropriate pass, transfer or other fare payment media established under and used in accordance with this chapter.

                     C.1.  Regional and institutional passes, in various single-trip value denominations and for various effective periods, may be issued and sold in accordance with the terms of an agreement approved by the council and entered into with other public transportation providers in the region.  Institutions include employers, groups of employers, educational institutions, transportation management associations and other organizations.  The effective periods, single-trip values and prices for the regional and institutional passes shall be established by the agreement.  A valid regional or institutional pass may be presented an unlimited number of times during its effective period as full or partial payment of the applicable fare.  To the extent the single trip value of the regional pass is not sufficient to cover the applicable fare, the rider shall pay the difference in cash or from an electronic stored value product, such as e purse.

                     2.  For institutions entering into an annual institutional pass agreement, the following schedule of calculations shall determine the cost of the annual agreement for King County Metro's portion of the agreement:

                     For purposes of this formula, "added trips" means those trips taken during the prior twelve months, determined either from surveys or electronic counting of actual institutional pass use, that exceed the number of baseline trips established at the execution of the institutional pass agreement.  Electronic counts of one month or more will be annualized and used in lieu of survey results if available.

                     For purposes of this formula, "baseline trips" means the estimated number of transit trips taken by the contracting party's covered population of students, employees or others, or any combination thereof, in the twelve months preceding execution of the institutional pass agreement. Baseline trips may be adjusted on an annual basis to account for changes in the number of eligible employees.

                     For purposes of this formula, in the event a party terminates or does not renew an institutional pass agreement, any subsequent institutional pass agreement entered into with that party shall be priced as if in the "fourth twelve months and thereafter" category.

                     For purposes of this formula, "trip revenue" or "TR" means the weighted average fare per trip determined by the department.

                     D.  The rate of fare for paratransit service shall be $1.75 per trip and $63.00 for a monthly pass.

                     E.  The rate of fare for customized bus service to residents of Center Park, a facility of the Seattle Housing Authority located at 2121 - 26th Avenue South, Seattle, is equal to the paratransit fares specified in subsection D. of this section.

                     SECTION 2.  Ordinance 12643, Section 11, as amended, and K.C.C. 4A.700.050 are hereby amended to read as follows:

                     The following procedure and rate of fare shall be used for animals riding on coaches.  For small animals that do not occupy space other than the lap of the person accompanying the animal and for assistive animals, there shall be no fare charged.  For all other animals, a fare equivalent to the fare paid by the individual accompanying the animal shall be charged and a transfer issued upon request ((except that no zone fare shall be charged)).  Animals riding on coaches shall be leashed or otherwise restrained and shall not pose a problem of health, injury to property or persons or disturbance to other passengers.

                     SECTION 3.  Ordinance 12643, Section 9, as amended, and K.C.C. 4A.700.090 is hereby amended to read as follows:

                     The director is authorized to establish rates of fare for limited service to special or seasonal activities or events, but only if the rates of fare and any contributions are established at a level reasonably estimated to recover at least twenty-five percent of the marginal cost for the service hours provided.  In addition, the rates of fare for limited service shall be established at a level at least equal to the rates of fare for equivalent regularly scheduled service.  If, however, the limited service is not equivalent to any regular service, then the rates of fare shall be no less than one-half of the ((one-zone, off-peak full)) regular fare set forth in this chapter.  The limited services shall be on an individual fare-paying basis and be scheduled according to such routes, schedules and

dates as are determined by the director.

                     SECTION 4.  This ordinance takes effect July 1, 2018.