Free youth, regional reduced-fare permit (senior, disabled), and ORCA LIFT cards will all be available at the ORCA and Transit for All Event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 8.
The cards will be available in the Peter Kirk Room at Kirkland City Hall, 123 Fifth Ave.
At ORCA and Transit for All, Kirkland community members will have the opportunity to access reduced-fare ORCA cards for youth, seniors, and low-income individuals as well as individuals with disabilities. Typically reduced-fare cards can only be requested by mail or in person at the King Street Customer Information Office in Seattle.
During the event, King County will be providing free youth cards (while supplies last) with a $10 pre-loaded credit to youth ages 14-18. Youth ages 6-13 can purchase a reduced-fair ORCA card for $5 at the event. To be eligible for a youth or senior (65 and older senior, 6-19 youth) discount ORCA card riders must provide proof of age, such as a birth certificate or government issued ID card or passport.
To be eligible for an ORCA LIFT card (low-income, ages 19-64) riders must provide government issued photo ID and proof of enrollment in a low-income program, such as Apple Health, Medicaid, etc., or their last few paystubs, or unemployment documentation.
This event is possible because of a partnership between the city of Kirkland, King County Metro and Hopelink.
“The city of Kirkland wanted to provide a convenient option for individuals in our community that qualify for reduced-fare ORCA cards to receive those cards without having to hassle with mail or making the trip to Seattle,” said councilmember Jon Pascal. “We hope that the ORCA and Transit for All event will help to encourage all of our community members to consider transit for their transportation needs.”
In addition to accessing ORCA card services, there will also be a bus with bike racks parked right in front of south-end entrance of City Hall for kids and families to try loading and unloading their bikes on the bus or just to have fun getting on and off the bus. Small business owners can also learn about a program called Small Business Transit Subsidy, which offers incentivized ORCA cards for small businesses, with less than 99 employees, on the Eastside. Business owners can apply at the event to get their business approved for this program.
For more information about the event contact Armaghan Baghoori, transportation program coordinator, at abaghoori@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3924.
More information on regional reduced fare permits can be found at tinyurl.com/ybnfldx8.
