ORCA LIFT lifts off
ORCA LIFT, Metro’s groundbreaking reduced fare program, is growing steadily
Metro launched the ORCA LIFT reduced-fare program in March, which helped make transit more affordable for qualified riders in the Puget Sound. Riders who qualify have an income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
| Household Size | Maximum Income to Qualify |
|---|---|
| 1 | $23,540 |
| 2 | $31,860 |
| 3 | $40,180 |
| 4 | $48,500 |
ORCA LIFT cardholders can save as much as $1.75 per trip on Metro and Kitsap Transit buses, Sound Transit Link light rail, the King County Water Taxi and the Seattle Streetcar.
King County Metro partnered with Public Health–Seattle & King County and eight human service agencies to help spread the word about the new program. They have actively promoted ORCA LIFT using advertising, outreach at community events, and our ORCA-To-Go vans. The agencies are verifying applicants’ eligibility.
Since the program started, the number of enrollees has grown to more than 18,000 with about 60% of ORCA LIFT enrollees live in Seattle, and the remainder living in other parts of the county like Redmond.
ORCA LIFT cardholders took about 315,000 trips on Metro buses in September, or about 3% of total boardings.
Click here to find out more about the program and to see if you qualify
Where to enroll in the ORCA LIFT program (including Redmond locations)