Sound Transit to expand reduced fare program to commuter-rail routes

Sound Transit will offer reduced fares to low-income riders on its commuter-rail lines starting March 1.

The move is an expansion of the ORCA Lift program, which provides cheaper fares for low-income riders on Sound Transit's Link light-rail routes.

Qualifying riders will pay $2.50 to $4.25 depending on the length of their trips on the Sounder commuter-rail system, agency officials said in a press release. ORCA Lift fares on Link trains will remain $1.50.

The agency kicked off its reduced fare program for low-income riders on the Link system in March 2015.

The reduced fares will be available to adult riders with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which is about $23,500 in annual income for an individual or $48,500 for a family of four.

Riders who qualify must use the Lift card and cannot pay with cash.

Almost 23,000 riders signed up for the Lift program in 2015, and nearly 350,000 trips were taken using ORCA Lift cards in December 2015 alone, Sound Transit officials said.