Drafter
Clerk 11/07/2007
Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to public transportation, and authorizing the executive to execute an amendment to the Regional Pass and Fare Reconciliation Program Agreement.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. King County and other transit agencies in the Central Puget Sound region have determined that regional fare coordination will, due to increased ease and convenience, promote the use of public transportation throughout the region.
B. K.C.C. 28.94.235 authorizes the executive, subject to approval by the council, to execute inter-jurisdictional trip agreements with other transit agencies to establish a system of fare payment for passengers transferring between systems or crossing jurisdictional boundaries.
C. To further the goal of increasing ridership by making it more convenient and less expensive for riders to use public transit systems in the region, King County and four other central Puget Sound transit agencies, including Sound Transit, Pierce Transit, Community Transit (Snohomish county), and Everett Transit (city of Everett), entered into an inter-jurisdictional trip agreement, the Regional Pass and Fare Reconciliation Program Agreement (the "Regional Fare Agreement," also known as the "Puget Pass Agreement"), dated January 1, 2002, that provides for a program of coordinated fares, a shared set of regional passes, and an associated fare reconciliation arrangement. The Regional Fare Agreement expires on December 31, 2007.
D. Also in furtherance of their shared goal of promoting the use of public transit by making it easier and more convenient for riders to use such services, King County and the other parties to the Regional Fare Agreement, together with the Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Ferries Division (Washington State Ferries) and the Kitsap County Public Transportation Benefit Area (Kitsap Transit), entered into an Interlocal Cooperation Agreement for Design, Implementation, Operation and Maintenance of the Regional Fare Coordination System, to develop and implement a regional "smart card" pass and electronic fare collection system. The new "ORCA" (One Regional Card for All) system is progressing but will not be fully operational for at least another year.
E. King County and the other participating transit agencies will be developing a new regional fare agreement to supersede the current Puget Pass Agreement that will apply to smart card media and that will govern fare revenue allocation among the agencies once the ORCA system becomes operational.
F. Extending the term of the current Regional Fare Agreement for up to three more years will allow for a new smart-card based regional fare agreement to be developed and will also allow for an orderly transition to the new ORCA electronic fare collection system.
SECTION 2. The executive is authorized to execute an amendment to the Regional Fare Agreement in substantially the same form as that provided for in Attachment A to this ordinance.