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A MOTION relating to public transportation, accepting the report and recommendations of the 2016 Regional Fare Forum.
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WHEREAS, public transportation agencies in the central Puget Sound region have a long history of successful regional coordination and cooperation, and
WHEREAS, board members from Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Pierce Transit and Sound Transit convened a regional fare forum in 1997, and recommended improved regional fare coordination based on a system of regional transit passes, transfer policies and fare revenue reconciliation, and
WHEREAS, in 1999, the governing boards of Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Pierce Transit and Sound Transit adopted the Puget Pass agreement for regional fare coordination based on the 1997 Regional Fare Forum recommendations, and
WHEREAS, board members from Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and the Washington State Ferry System convened a second regional fare forum in 2007, and recommended continued transit fare coordination with regional passes, E-purse transfers and fare revenue reconciliation using the ORCA smart card system, and
WHEREAS, in 2009, the governing boards of Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and the Washington State Ferries adopted the Amended and Restated Interlocal Cooperation Agreement for Design, Implementation, Operation and Maintenance of the Regional Fare Coordination System incorporating the regional pass, transfer and revenue reconciliation recommendations from the 2007 Regional Fare Forum, and
WHEREAS, regional fare coordination by the transit agencies in the central Puget Sound region remains a model nationwide, and
WHEREAS, board members from Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and the Washington State Ferry System convened a third regional fare forum in 2016, in anticipation of next generation ORCA system design, and
WHEREAS, the 2016 Regional Fare Forum acknowledged the increasing importance of transit fare coordination, and recommended that ORCA agency boards review their fare structures for the purpose of simplifying fares for customers on a timeline that would inform next generation ORCA system design;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
The council hereby accepts the Regional Fare Forum Summary Report, Attachment A to this motion, and:
A. Reaffirms King County's commitment to regional transit fare coordination; and
B. Commits to considering any fare changes to simplify fares for customers and
increase regional coordination recommended by the executive, and to acting on these recommendations by the end of 2017.