[NFBSea] FW: ST News Release: Sound Transit hosting online open house about potential changes to Link light rail fares and parking options

Wed Sep 27 08:57:06 UTC 2023

Passing on for your information

FW: ST News Release: Sound Transit hosting online open house about potential
changes to Link light rail fares and parking options

Hello accessibility stakeholders,

Forwarded below is a news release on opportunities to provide input on
potential changes to Link light rail fares and parking options.  More
information as well as surveys on both potential fare changes and parking
fees are available this web page
<https://soundtransitfaresandparking.infocommunity.org/> .

Please note that Sound Transit is not considering any fare changes for youth
18 and under, seniors, people with disabilities, or people who use ORCA LIFT
cards.  To my knowledge, there are also not plans to charge fees for ADA
parking. The online surveys and virtual open house are good opportunities to
express any concerns you may have about either.

Best regards,

Beth Hamby (she/her)

Senior Program Manager-Accessible Services

Passenger Experience

Desk: 206.717.9075

Email: beth.hamby at soundtransit.org <mailto:beth.hamby at soundtransit.org> 

Sound Transit

www.soundtransit.org <http://www.soundtransit.org/> 

Sent: Monday, September 25, 2023 1:35 PM
Subject: ST News Release: Sound Transit hosting online open house about
potential changes to Link light rail fares and parking options

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Sept. 25, 2023

Sound Transit hosting online open house about potential changes to Link
light rail fares and parking options

Agency invites the public to take a survey to provide feedback on proposals

Sound Transit has launched
<https://soundtransitfaresandparking.infocommunity.org/> an online open
house to inform the public and to ask for feedback about changes the agency
is considering to Link light rail fares and its parking program. The
website, which is available through October 22, includes detailed
information about the proposed changes and the potential impacts to riders. 

Sound Transit is considering two fare structures for Link light rail that it
would recommend to the agency's Board of Directors. Under one proposal,
fares would be based on distance traveled. Base fare increases of $0.25 or
$0.50 are under consideration, resulting in fare ranges of $2.50-$4.50 or
$2.75-$4.75 after light rail expands to Lynnwood, Redmond, and Federal Way.
Under the second proposal, flat fare rates of $3.00, $3.25, or $3.50 are
under consideration. 

The proposals may change as the agency learns more from community members.
Sound Transit last increased Link light rail fares eight years ago.
Currently, Sound Transit charges between $2.25 and $3.50 for adults
traveling one way based on distance. 

Sound Transit is also considering changes to its parking program. Prior to
the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency established a reserved permit parking area
at the busiest lots and issued free reserved carpool parking permits and
paid reserved single-occupant vehicle permits. Permit parking was suspended
in March 2020. Parking usage has been trending up in the last two years, and
free carpool permit parking was re-started at the Tukwila International
Boulevard and Northgate stations in 2022.

As Sound Transit prepares to open new Link light rail lines with 12 new and
expanded park-and-ride lots in the next few years, parking is expected to
regularly reach capacity. Now is the time to plan for efficient use of
parking areas, to ensure passengers have reliable access to parking, and to
recover agency costs associated with park-and-ride lots, as called for in
the voter-approved ST3 System Plan.

Sound Transit is considering a variety of tools, including adoption of daily
fees, at some or all park-and-ride lots. Monthly permits and daily user fees
can help Sound Transit manage the availability of parking,  so passengers
are more likely to find a space when they need one.

The online open house includes surveys where people can provide feedback on
the various fare and parking options.

The link for the online open house is
<https://soundtransitfaresandparking.infocommunity.org/>
https://soundtransitfaresandparking.infocommunity.org/.

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