Drafter
Clerk 02/27/2012
Title
A MOTION regarding increasing access to the One Regional Card for All, which is also known as ORCA, regional fare media for public transportation.
Body
WHEREAS, Ordinance 17169 established a two-year, twenty dollar congestion reduction charge on vehicle registration renewals in order to develop long-term sustainable transit funding while maintaining current levels of transit service hours, and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 17169 required the implementation of a concurrent congestion reduction transit incentives program, and
WHEREAS, studies published by the Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Research Board indicate that a significant barrier to increased transit ridership is discomfort with paying for transit, and
WHEREAS, the King County transit division has implemented a variety of tools including free or discounted fare media for the purpose of attracting new ridership, relieving congestion, developing market strategies and implementing other special transit programs or promotions focused on increasing access to transit service, and
WHEREAS, King County is an active participant and supporter of the Puget Sound area's regional transit fare media, One Regional Card for All, which is commonly referred to as ORCA, and
WHEREAS, the ORCA system uses a memory chip embedded card for paying transit fares, requiring that potential users pay a fee to receive the card. This increased cost can have the effect of discouraging some potential riders from accessing transit, and
WHEREAS, based on the transit division's experience, increasing the number of people who have an ORCA card will lead to increased access to transit and thereby increased transit ridership and decreased auto dependence;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
A. The executive should review and analyze increasing access to ORCA card distribution though the expansion of the ORCA distribution pilot project implementing strategies and actions to increase access to ORCA fare media to local residents and low-income transit riders including on-site registrations for ORCA cards and senior/disabled and youth regional reduced fare permits, at neighborhood service centers, human services agencies and other locations approved via Ordinance 17259 to areas beyond southeast Seattle; and
B. The executive should transmit a report detailing the costs, benefits, concerns and any issues associated with expanding the ORCA distribution pilot project, as potential mechanisms of increasing access to and distribution of ORCA cards. Additionally, the executive should identify additional potential opportunities for increasing access to and distribution of ORCA cards. This report should be transmitted by April 19, 2012 , in the form of a paper original and an electronic copy with the clerk of the council, who shall retain the original and provide an electronic copy to all
councilmembers, the council chief of staff and the lead staff for the transportation, economy and environment committee.
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