Orca Card
Encyclopedia
The ORCA Card is a contactless, stored value smart card
used for payment of public transport
fares in the Puget Sound
region. ORCA was introduced on a limited basis on April 20, 2009, to be followed by an extensive public launch in late 2009.
conducted a separate test for integrating ORCA with the Husky Card and U-PASS during the same period.
of Sound Transit and King County Metro. The system is centrally managed by ERG.
through a function called the electronic purse (E-purse). The E-purse holds value that can be used like cash to pay fare. The minimum value that can be added to an E-purse is $5. The maximum value that can be stored in an E-purse is $300.
. Examples of autoloads are adding value to an E-purse when its balance falls below a certain amount and recurring purchases of monthly passes.
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
used for payment of public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
fares in the Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
region. ORCA was introduced on a limited basis on April 20, 2009, to be followed by an extensive public launch in late 2009.
History
Central Puget Sound transit agencies have collaborated in a region-wide fare system since 1991 with the introduction of U-PASS and later FlexPass. In 1996, voters approved Sound Move, which called for an integrated regional fare policy for a "one-ticket ride." That goal led to the creation of the PugetPass in 1999, which allowed transit riders to use a single pass for five transit agencies. On April 29, 2003 an agreement to implement a smart card system between the seven agencies in the Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination Project (Sound Transit, King County Metro, Community Transit, Everett Transit, Pierce Transit, Kitsap Transit and Washington State Ferries) was signed along with a $43 million contract awarded to ERG Transit Systems as the vendor of the project. The ORCA card was originally anticipated to be operational in 2006.Introduction phase
On Friday, April 17, 2009, ORCA announced the limited rollout of the regional smart card beginning April 20, 2009. The limited rollout allowed remaining technical issues in the system to be resolved. An extensive rollout and public outreach campaign followed in June 2009. Blank cards were available at no charge during the introductory period, but as of March 1, 2010, the card costs $5 ($3 for reduced fare permit holders). Users of PugetPasses, FlexPasses, and other passes will be gradually transitioned to ORCA.Launch timeline
The ORCA launch press kit gave a launch timeline as follows:- April 17, 2009 - Press release announcing launch of ORCA
- April 20, 2009 - Orcacard.com and 1-888-988-ORCA call center launches. Customer Service Offices begin ORCA card distribution
- May 2009 - Sounder Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) begin ORCA card distribution. "ORCA is Here" inserts and posters appear in Customer Service Offices and on board buses, trains, and ferries. Begin switch of Reduced Fare customers and Business Accounts to ORCA (continues into 2010)
- June 2009 - "ORCA is Here!" radio and print ads and bus billboards appear. Public outreach campaign with blank card distribution.
- July 2009 - Link light rail service begins and Link TVMs begin ORCA card distribution.
- Jan 1, 2010 - Elimination of intersystem paper transfers
- Fall 2010 - The planned replacement of University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
student and employee ID cards with ORCA-integrated photo ID cards was delayed until sometime in 2011. The U-PASS and the King County employee passes will be dual purpose passes and will include the ORCA chip.
Public beta test
Between November 9 and December 22, 2006 as many as 6,000 transit riders were asked to participate in a live test of the smart card system. The test was conducted on selected routes of the seven participating agencies. The University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
conducted a separate test for integrating ORCA with the Husky Card and U-PASS during the same period.
Technology
The card uses RFID, specifically ISO/IEC 14443.Agencies
The ORCA project is jointly managed by staffEmployment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
of Sound Transit and King County Metro. The system is centrally managed by ERG.
Current
The ORCA Card is currently accepted on:- Community Transit
- Everett TransitEverett TransitEverett Transit is the public transit authority of Everett, Washington, the only city in Snohomish County not to belong to Community Transit. As of 2010, Everett Transit operates 49 buses within Everett on 18 routes...
- King County Ferry DistrictKing County Ferry DistrictThe King County Ferry District is a special-purpose district in King County, Washington that owns and operates passenger ferry services. Its governing board of directors is composed of all nine members of the Metropolitan King County Council...
(West Seattle and Vashon Island lines) - King County Metro
- Kitsap TransitKitsap TransitKitsap Transit is a public transportation agency serving Kitsap County, Washington, USA. The system is based in Bremerton, Washington and is overseen by a nine-member board composed of the three county commissioners, the mayors of the four incorporated cities in Kitsap County and two Bremerton City...
(Buses and Foot Ferries) - Pierce TransitPierce TransitPierce Transit, in full the Pierce County Public Transportation Benefit Area Corporation, is the public transit authority of Pierce County, Washington. Based in Lakewood, Washington, it was founded in 1979...
- Sound TransitSound TransitSound Transit has been the popular name of Washington state's Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority since September 19, 1999. It was formed in 1996 by the Snohomish, King, and Pierce County Councils...
(ST Express buses, Link Light RailLink Light RailSound Transit Link Light Rail is a rapid transit project in the Greater Seattle region, originally approved by a ballot measure in November 1996. Two lines are currently operating as of 2009: Tacoma Link, which uses 3 vehicles built by Škoda, and Central Link, which uses 35 vehicles built by Kinki...
, and Sounder Commuter Rail) - Washington State FerriesWashington State FerriesWashington State Ferries is a passenger and automobile ferry service owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation that serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the most used ferry system in the world and the largest passenger and automobile...
(single passenger fare only)
Future
- Intercity TransitIntercity TransitIntercity Transit is a public transportation service organized as a municipal corporation that services Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, and Yelm, Washington, an area of approximately...
of Thurston County, Washington will accept ORCA cards only on Olympia Express buses from Tacoma beginning January 2010. - A Community Transit official said that the Whatcom Transportation AuthorityWhatcom Transportation AuthorityThe Whatcom Transportation Authority , also called the Whatcom Transit Authority, is the public transit provider for Whatcom County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It operates buses, paratransit, vanpools, and several Park & Rides.-Buses:Whatcom Transit operates...
, along with Intercity Transit, will probably be the next system to join ORCA. He also said that in the future, other transit agencies from all over Washington, Oregon, and even Idaho could join the system. - ORCA readers have not yet been installed on the South Lake Union StreetcarSouth Lake Union StreetcarThe Seattle Streetcar—South Lake Union Line is a streetcar line connecting the South Lake Union neighborhood to Downtown Seattle, United States. Service began on December 12, 2007...
. Seattle transportation officials are investigating ways to bring ORCA to the streetcar, but do not yet have a timeline for implementation. In the meantime, ORCA cardholders can show their cards to ticket inspectors as proof of payment on the Streetcar.
E-purse
An ORCA card can be used as a stored-value cardStored-value card
A stored-value card refers to monetary value on a card not in an externally recorded account and differs from prepaid cards where money is on deposit with the issuer similar to a debit card...
through a function called the electronic purse (E-purse). The E-purse holds value that can be used like cash to pay fare. The minimum value that can be added to an E-purse is $5. The maximum value that can be stored in an E-purse is $300.
E-voucher
Funds can be added to an ORCA card by the card user's business under the ORCA Business Choice program which allows businesses to add funds to employee ORCA cards on a monthly basis. Employees can apply the E-voucher funds to the purchase of a monthly pass or the funds can be converted to an E-purse. Any unused E-voucher amount at the end of the month is removed from the employee ORCA cards and refunded to the business.Regional pass
The regional pass, similar to a PugetPass, allows unlimited travel on transit services in the region, except Washington State Ferries, for a specified period of time. Regional passes are valid for payment of fares up to the value of the pass. Pass values available range from 50¢ to $4.75.Agency pass
An agency pass covers rides on a specific transit agency's service. Examples include Washington State Ferries' monthly passes, Metro ACCESS paratransit passes, and Metro vanpool passes.Transfers
ORCA cards allow a two-hour transfer from the time fare is paid. If an E-purse or regional pass was used to pay fare, transfers are allowed on any bus or rail system in the region. If an agency pass was used, transfers are allowed only on services within that agency. Transfers are stored on the card and automatically calculated for the user. Transfers are not given or accepted on Washington State Ferries.Fare preset
ORCA card users paying with an E-purse can set their zone preference for King County Metro and Sound Transit services where zone-based fares are used. For example, a person who regularly travels one zone on a two-zone bus can preset their zone to avoid having to tell the driver to change the zone preset on the reader.Balance protection
Balance protection protects the user from losing any value on the card when it is lost or stolen. A replacement card is issued with its value restored for the cost of a new card if the card is registered.Autoload
An Autoload automatically adds transportation products to an ORCA card on a regular basis using a Visa or MasterCardMasterCard
Mastercard Incorporated or MasterCard Worldwide is an American multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States...
. Examples of autoloads are adding value to an E-purse when its balance falls below a certain amount and recurring purchases of monthly passes.
My ORCA account
A My ORCA account can be created on the ORCA website to monitor and manage ORCA cards. The account lets the user view transportation products stored on their card (E-purse balance, validity period of passes), transaction history, purchase additional ORCA cards for others, setup an Autoload, set fare presets, and report lost, stolen, or damaged cards.Privacy concerns
The ORCA card, especially subidized ones may be used to track users. Information regarding the trips of a card's user's trips may be released to third parties including employers who subsidize the cards. Many other parties may also obtain detailed trip information.External links
- FAQ about ORCA by University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
graduate students. - Information on ORCA from Metro Transit
- ORCA Fact Sheet from Kitsap Transit
- Fact Sheet from ERG (archived page)
- Official ORCA Website