Sound Transit removes ORCA card readers from platforms
Sep 13, 2022, 2:27 PM | Updated: 2:28 pm
Light Rail train at the UW Station. (Photo courtesy of Sound Transit via Flickr Creative Commons)
(Photo courtesy of Sound Transit via Flickr Creative Commons)
Starting Monday, some Sound Transit Light Rail downtown stations will be removing ORCA card readers from their lower train platforms.
This will bring the downtown stations to more closely resemble the newer stations, with a Fare Paid Zone at the entrances with new signage and markings indicating where visitors can pay.
Floor tiles will also be added to mark crossing the Fare Paid Zone threshold to make it clear when entering the zone, especially for limited-visibility riders using Sound Transit.
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“We know this will be a big change for many, so we encourage riders to start getting in the habit of tapping on and off prior to reaching the station platform,” a blog post on the Sound Transit website reads in part. “We will also be posting new signs, and we’ll have audio messages reminding you that readers are not on the platforms anymore.”
The changes come as a part of Sound Transit’s fare engagement reforms, which started at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when it stopped enforcing fares.
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