May 24, 2018
Husky Habits | #14 – Tap Off When Using Light Rail
The Light Rail and other services that Sound Transit provides offer a cheap and sustainable way to get around the Seattle area. And with the U-Pass offering unlimited rides to cardholders, those trips offer a bigger bang for your buck. But have you ever wondered how you can do your part to keep quarterly rates low?
Each time you tap on the Light Rail, Sound Transit charges UW for your ride. For a trip from UW to Capitol Hill, UW is charged $2.25. What happens if you neglect to tap off though? Without tapping off at your destination, UW is charged for the longest possible ride. At $3.25 for a ride to Angle Lake Station, that ride costs UW a dollar more than it should. If everyone were to do this just once a quarter, this could ultimately raise rates for all riders.
Apart from increasing rates, failing to tap on or off also puts riders in risk of being charged a $124 fine for not paying for their ride. If you were to tap on when getting on the train, but forgot to tap off, and then tapped on the train later, this would register as an “off” tap. If a fare-enforcer were to check your U-Pass, it would register as unpaid and you would be liable to pay a fine.
Please do you part to keep rates low for all U-Pass holders and ensure that everyone has an affordable way to get around Seattle!