Community

City Council Passes Mayor Durkan’s Plan for Free ORCA Passes for Seattle High School Students

Mayor Durkan celebrated City Council’s passage of her legislation that would provide free ORCA cards to Seattle students through her ORCA Opportunity program and help meet growing demand for transit with new, creative solutions.

“Seattle’s young people – including the students of Rainier Beach High School – have advocated for access to affordable transit. Our students’ advocacy gave power to this idea that we are now able to make a reality. Expanding free ORCA to high school students and Seattle Promise scholars will help students get to school and their jobs safely while saving families money,” said Mayor Durkan. “We need to make transit safer, more reliable, and more accessible for all. As demand for transit in Seattle grows, we need to develop more innovative, flexible strategies to give more options for all Seattle residents. I am grateful to the City Council for supporting my plan, and particularly Councilmember Johnson and King County Executive Dow Constantine for their leadership on this issue.”

The legislation, which was passed on Monday, would expand the uses of the voter-approved Seattle Transportation Benefit District, which generates approximately $50 million each year to meet demand for transit. This expansion will fund the Mayor’s ORCA Opportunity program, which will provide free ORCA passes beginning this year to all Seattle Public School high school students, as well as Seattle Promise scholars.

You can find more information on the Mayor’s plan to meet growing demand for transit here.