Sound Transit announcement.
Sound Transit’s Board of Directors voted unanimously today to institute fares for Tacoma’s T line. The fares, to commence when the new Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension opens next year, will be $2.00 Adult, $1.00 ORCA LIFT (per the current Board-approved pilot), $0 Youth and $1.00 Senior/Disabled. The $2 adult fare aligns with the current Pierce Transit bus fare.
The Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension project will extend the current line north from downtown Tacoma to the Stadium district, then turn southwest, terminating in the Hilltop neighborhood. This 2.4-mile extension will add an additional six stations and is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2023. Major destinations along the extension include MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital, Stadium High School and St. Joseph Medical Center.
Currently, the T Line operates fare free with service subsidized under an agreement with a downtown Tacoma business association. To mitigate the imposition of fares for low-income riders, Sound Transit will work with human service agencies in the Tacoma area to identify these riders and enroll them in the ORCA LIFT program.
Sound Transit will also provide free ORCA cards to new riders for fare payment and transfers enabled by ORCA. Sound Transit will distribute these cards through outreach events in the T Line area during the first weeks of expanded service as the new fare is implemented.
