The Transit Incentives Program is just what it sounds like—a program that offers eight free rides on King County Metro. If you ride during peak hours within the city, that’s a value of $20. All you have to do is renew your vehicle license tabs, and the order form will come in the mail with the chance to order your bus tickets.
King County residents have already been receiving these free tickets since June 2012, and the program will continue through May 2014. It’s a simple and free way to find out if commuting by bus is for you. Or, of course the tickets are good to use any time, so are a great tool to use in experiments in getting around King County on any day. Leave the car at home and avoid parking stress when heading to a game, to Pike Place Market or a Farmer’s Market, or even a favorite park across town.
If you are already a converted bus rider (good for you!), you can donate the tickets to King County’s Human Services ticket program by checking a box on the form. This program is especially important to help those in need get around, since the Ride Free Area downtown was also eliminated in 2012, and more and more families and individuals are choosing to ride public transit by necessity, as fuel prices rise.
You probably noticed that also beginning in June 2012, a $20 “congestion reduction charge” was added to your vehicle registration fee. This was intended to help fund Metro Transit due to a shortfall in Metro’s income, caused by the economy and lower than usual revenue from sales taxes. Without this charge, huge cuts to service would have been necessary. Offering an incentive such as these free tickets is a great way to build awareness around these issues and around how important a strong transit system is to the county.
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