Summary

King County Executive Dow Constantine launched a rewards program for residents and visitors as part of the “It’s a great day to ride Metro” transit ridership campaign. New riders can earn points and then redeem them for discounts on future trips, and bike- and scooter-share services.

Story

As public transportation ridership hits its highest levels in nearly three years, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced Transit GO Rewards - a new rewards program for residents and visitors. The county-wide program is part of Metro’s transit ridership campaign to let people know ‘it’s a great day to ride Metro’ and encourage them to take public transportation rather than driving alone.

Riders can participate by downloading the Transit GO Ticket app and, after signing up, will receive 800 reward points, which can be redeemed for a free King County Metro adult day pass. Taking future trips on transit allows riders to earn more rewards to get around – via transit, e-bike, or e-scooter.

Prior to this county-wide launch, Metro and the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) piloted Transit GO Rewards as part of the Flip Your Trip West Seattle program that successfully encouraged transit use during the closure of the West Seattle high bridge.

“Wherever you want to go, there’s never been a better time to use our award-winning transit network. This county-wide incentive will offer new riders the opportunity to see how reliable, safe, and stress-free transit is while giving current riders a chance to maximize their regular transit use," said Executive Constantine. "As more and more people get on board and earn Transit GO points, the biggest reward will be keeping cars off the road, and reducing emissions with every ride. This is important not only in our fight against climate change, but for the benefits offered to those riding – fast, safe, and reliable service, cost savings, and the opportunity to read a book, play a game, or catch up on work rather than staring at the car in front of you.”

Metro’s ridership has quickly climbed in recent weeks to more than 240,000 average weekday riders. The agency’s all-day, frequent network includes 11,000 daily bus trips as well as Access Paratransit, Community Van, the King County Water Taxi, on-demand services, Seattle Streetcar, Vanpool, and more.

New programs offered by Metro are also making transit even easier and accessible, including the recent launch of the Free Youth Transit Pass for all youth up to age 18, lowering the cost of its ORCA LIFT fare for customers with lower incomes from $1.50 to $1.00, and extending the King County Water Taxi midday and weekend sailing hours through the winter months.

Daily access to school, jobs, and activities isn’t the only benefit of riding with Metro. Sports events – such as baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey, and soccer – continue to draw large numbers of fans to transit, offering a hassle-free and accessible option for game days. The Seattle Kraken and the Seattle Storm, for example, provide free transit roundtrip passes through their ticketing app.

The agency is committed to converting to a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035 or sooner to meet King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan goals. Additionally, proposed funding in the Executive’s public safety plan includes $21 million for 140 additional Metro transit security officers and $5.1 million for connecting people in crisis on and near transit with resources and services.

To learn more and enroll in the program, visit the “Transit GO Rewards” page on Metro’s website.

Relevant links

• Transit GO Rewards
• King County Metro
• Free Youth Transit Pass
• Which ORCA Fare is right for you?

Quotes

Wherever you want to go, there’s never been a better time to use our award-winning transit network. This county-wide incentive will offer new riders the opportunity to see how reliable, safe, and stress-free transit is while giving current riders a chance to maximize their regular transit use. As more and more people get on board and earn Transit GO points, the biggest reward will be keeping cars off the road, and reducing emissions with every ride. This is important not only in our fight against climate change, but for the benefits offered to those riding – fast, safe, and reliable service, cost savings, and the opportunity to read a book, play a game, or catch up on work rather than staring at the car in front of you.

For more information, contact:

Chase Gallagher, Executive Office, 206-263-8537