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Regional Fare Forum Summary Report <br /> 1. Executive Summary <br /> The existing ORCA regional fare collection system, implemented in 2009, is approaching the end of its useful <br /> life. In 2015,the ORCA Joint Board initiated Next Generation ORCA, a regional program to replace the <br /> existing system's aging and obsolete technology.This program will build upon the success of the existing <br /> ORCA system and implement a scalable, modern solution to improve customer experience, prepare for <br /> expected regional transit growth, and provide flexibility to adapt to emerging transportation possibilities. <br /> As the ORCA agencies embark on the development of a new fare system, it is an opportune time to evaluate <br /> the region's fare structure, so that any potential changes can be incorporated into the new system design. <br /> Recognizing this opportunity,the ORCA Joint Board called for a Regional Fare Forum ("Forum") in 2016 to <br /> discuss and provide recommendations on regional fare structure and fare simplification.The Joint Board <br /> nominated Forum Representatives from the governing bodies of each of the ORCA agencies to participate. <br /> Based on the work of fare experts within the ORCA agencies,three options for fare structure changes were <br /> presented to the Representatives.Through the course of three Forum meetings, consensus <br /> recommendations were achieved for all three options. <br /> The first Forum recommendation was to simplify the regional fare structure by eliminating zone-based fares. <br /> The benefits of this change are expected to include reduced customer confusion and operator interactions, <br /> decreased boarding times, and simplified system design and lower development costs for the Next <br /> Generation ORCA system. Agencies directly impacted by this change would be Community Transit, King <br /> County Metro and Sound Transit. <br /> The second Forum recommendation was to simplify the fare structure by eliminating trip-based peak fares. <br /> The benefit of this change are expected to include a more consistent fare structure across the region, as well <br /> as a simplified system design and lower development costs for the Next Generation ORCA system. King <br /> County Metro is the only agency that currently uses a peak fare structure. <br /> The third Forum recommendation was not to pursue a new structure of fare capping in the near term. <br /> Representatives considered this new "pay-as-you-go" concept that would replace current ORCA period <br /> passes (e.g., monthly) with gradual E-purse payments that would be "capped" at a pre-defined limit. After <br /> further investigation and comparisons with peers,this change was determined to be too confusing for <br /> customers, likely to limit the number of vendors who could demonstrate experience with such strategies, <br /> and too costly to pursue, given the current fare complexity in the region. However,the Forum Participants <br /> recommended the system not preclude this type of innovation from being implemented down the road. <br /> This Regional Fare Forum Summary Report explains each of these consensus recommendations and provides <br /> a brief background on the work that was done through the course of the 2016 Forum meetings. <br /> Regional Fare Forum Summary Report 3/21/2017 Page 11 <br />