What is this? This is the post that will eventually support an ORCA card reader – one of nine being installed at SLU Streetcar stations.
Wondering about the crews you’ve seen installing equipment at the South Lake Union (SLU) streetcar stations? The Seattle Department of Transportation and King County Metro Transit are working together to install and commission equipment for ORCA fare collection at the SLU station platforms. The ORCA card is all you need to pay your fare on buses and trains in the Puget Sound region. After you load E-purse electronic purse) value or a monthly pass on it, your ORCA card works like cash or a pass, automatically tracking the value of different fares and transfers so you don’t have to.
ORCA cards will be easy to use for the streetcar. Before you board the streetcar, tap your card at the yellow ORCA fare transaction processors found near the streetcar shelters. These are the same yellow devices found at Link Light Rail stations and Metro Rapid Ride stations. If you are asked to show proof of payment while riding the streetcar and you used your ORCA card, you will be asked to swipe it against a mobile fare transaction reader on board the streetcar to verify your payment.
The crews are setting up a total of nine ORCA readers at the SLU stations. Once installed, Metro will begin testing the equipment, with the goal of having it ready for service by the end of May. However, there could be some “bugs” to work out, so the schedule will be updated as we get closer to launching the system.
For all the details on the ORCA card please visit the King County Metro website.