Tacoma Link riders will soon have to pay. When will fares start and how much will it be?
Most riders of Tacoma’s T line will have to pay when the Link extension opens next year.
The fares will be $2 for adults, $1 for those with ORCA LIFT, $1 for seniors and those who are disabled and free for youth.
The Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension will open in the first quarter of 2023. The 2.4-mile extension project will connect downtown Tacoma with the Stadium District and Hilltop neighborhood and add six stations. The extension includes MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital, Stadium High School and St. Joseph Medical Center as major destinations.
The Link extension construction began November 2018 and was set to be completed in May and cost $217 million, but due to supply problems, additional work and pricier parts, the extension will now cost $282 million.
Currently, the T line operates fare free with service subsidized through an agreement with a downtown Tacoma business association. Sound Transit will work with human services agencies in the Tacoma area to mitigate the costs for low-income riders and help enroll them in the ORCA LIFT program.
The $2 adult fare aligns with the current Pierce Transit bus fare.
Sound Transit will provide free ORCA cards to new riders for fare payment and transfers enabled by ORCA. Sound Transit will distribute these cards through outreach events in the T Line area during the first weeks of expanded service as the new fare is implemented.
Sound Transit’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the fares Thursday.