May 23, 2014 · Exit133

Free Ride to Continue on Tacoma's Link

Tacoma's Link light rail will now remain free to ride for two more years, thanks to the downtown BIA.

Last night Sound Transit unanimously approved the local group's offer to pay $29,000 a year for the next two years to cover the income the transit agency would have earned by beginning to collect $1 fares this September.

The Link will now remain free until September 2016, when it is now scheduled to begin collecting $1.5 for full-fare adult riders.

Thanks BIA!

Filed under: Downtown Tacoma, Transportation, Neighborhoods, Link, BIA

2 comments

Jesse May 23, 2014

Great news! The trick now is to fund the extension before the ride fares go into effect in September 2016. A new fare will cut a percent of riders giving Sound Transit a convenient reason to slow their roll on the extension and spend their resources elsewhere.
Terry May 24, 2014

I'm happy the BIA has tossed some money into the Link and it's going to stay free. Hopefully free forever, because the amount of money the $1.50 fare is supposed to generate is so little. The BIA bought off ST for less than 30K a year? Gosh, maybe the BIA kicks in another 10 grand and says "no thanks" to the Link extension? Money talks and we all know what walks......