According to Metro, at least one-third of riders don’t pay fares. Rider fares generated about $73 million in revenue in 2024, covering 8.8% of operating costs. However, Metro aims for fares to account for at least 25%.
“Metro relies on fares to provide safe, clean and reliable transit service,” Metro’s chief safety officer, Rebecca Frankhouser, said in March. “By restarting fare enforcement, we’re confident that many of our riders will return to their habits of tapping their ORCA cards or paying at the farebox.”