{"id":828461,"date":"2026-08-28T08:34:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T08:34:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/828461\/"},"modified":"2026-08-28T08:34:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T08:34:20","slug":"sound-transit-approves-fare-gate-pilot-at-up-to-14-link-stations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/828461\/","title":{"rendered":"Sound Transit approves fare gate pilot at up to 14 Link stations"},"content":{"rendered":"

SEATTLE \u2014 Sound Transit\u2019s board approved a pilot program Thursday to install and test fare gates at up to 14 stations on the Link 1 and 2 Lines,<\/a> with installation preparation underway with plans to launch in 2029-2030. <\/p>\n

The program is intended to improve fare compliance and increase farebox recovery as the light rail network expands, the agency said. <\/p>\n

RELATED | Sound Transit considers fare gates at busiest light rail stations to boost fare collection <\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Link\u2019s proof-of-payment system has operated without gates or turnstiles since the system opened. <\/p>\n

The agency now operates more than 60 miles of light rail and 50 stations, with 39 additional stations planned through Sound Transit 3 expansions to West Seattle, Everett, Tacoma, Ballard and Issaquah.<\/p>\n

The list of stations where fare gates will go up<\/a> includes nine stations in the system\u2019s core serving both the 1 and 2 Lines: International District\/Chinatown, Pioneer Square, Symphony, Westlake, Capitol Hill, University of Washington, U District, Roosevelt, and Northgate stations.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

An image of the list of stations where fare gates will be installed. (Sound Transit)<\/p>\n

It also includes line terminus stations Lynnwood City Center, Downtown Redmond, and Federal Way Downtown, plus SeaTac\/Airport Station and Bellevue Downtown Station.<\/p>\n

Sound Transit said earlier studies found that the cost of installing gates would exceed potential revenue gains when the system was smaller and served more street-level stations.<\/p>\n

A study published earlier this year found that fare gates could reach a financial breakeven point about two to three years after installation, Sound Transit said. <\/p>\n

The agency\u2019s preliminary assessment estimated the gates could increase net fare revenue by between $32.8 million and $82.7 million annually.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A look at the Sound Transit Link light rail 2 Line station in Bellevue on April 29, 2024, two days after the grand opening. (KOMO News)<\/p>\n

Sound Transit\u2019s policy calls for Link fare revenue to cover 22% of operating costs. <\/p>\n

The agency said meeting that target is important amid continuing cost pressures.<\/p>\n

The pilot will also examine whether gates improve passenger experience through increased safety and cleanliness, clearer wayfinding and crowd control during large events. <\/p>\n

Sound Transit cited fare gate programs at SEPTA, BART, LA Metro and New York\u2019s Metropolitan Transportation Authority.<\/p>\n

The agency will begin contracting to manufacture, deliver and install the gates. It also plans public engagement and technology work ahead of the rollout.<\/p>\n

Staff is expected to present a fare gate pilot evaluation framework, including goals and metrics, to the board for approval by the end of 2027.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SEATTLE \u2014 Sound Transit\u2019s board approved a pilot program Thursday to install and test fare gates at up…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":828462,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[28],"class_list":["post-828461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/828461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=828461"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/828461\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/828462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=828461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=828461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=828461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}