King County Metro will resume fare inspection on March 31. Fare Enforcement Officers will ask riders for proof of payment. As a reminder, everyone—even riders with fully-subsidized transit benefits from an employer like King County—needs to tap their King County ID or use another payment method. As a reminder, you can use your King County ID to travel anywhere, at any time, for free on transit.

Tapping your card directly supports transit—and benefits you and Metro in other ways, too. For example, it lets Metro know how you ride public transportation so they can update service to meets the changing needs of riders. Tapping also lets Metro know how many people are taking Metro. The more people who ride, the more state and federal transit funding is directed to Metro and the other transit agencies you use.

As more employees commute to King County worksites more frequently, forgetting your badge can happen. If this happens, employees can coordinate with FMD/ID Access to receive a replacement or temporary badge.

Family, friends and visitors can get their own ORCA card or download the Transit GO Ticket mobile app to purchase digital tickets. And don’t forget, transit is always free for riders 18 and younger thanks to Move Ahead Washington, a statewide transportation funding package. We strongly encourage youth riders ages 6 to 18 to get a free Youth ORCA Card.

If you have any questions about your commuter benefits offered by King County, reach out to the King County Employee Transportation Program at ETP@kingcounty.gov.