Facing a nearly $35 billion funding gap, Sound Transit voted to pilot fare gates at 14 high-traffic stations after new modeling showed gates could pay back costs within a few years and boost annual net fare revenue.
Board approved $6 million to design and plan a fare-gate pilot at 14 busy Link stations, with installation targeted for late 2029–early 2030.
A new implementation study and preliminary scenarios estimate fare gates could raise net fare revenue by $32.8 million to $82.7 million per year and break even in two to three years.
# What happened Sound Transit's board voted on August 27 to move forward with design and planning for a fare-gate pilot at 14 of the system's busiest light rail stations. The decision funds $6 million for design work. Installation of gates is targeted between late 2029 and early 2030.
# Why the change now Sound Transit says a new implementation study shows fare gates make financial sense now that the Link system has grown beyond its initial, smaller network. Previously, studies found installation costs would exceed recoverable fare revenue. The recent assessment models three scenarios and projects net fare revenue increases of $32.8 million to $82.7 million per year, and estimates a breakeven point for capital and operating expenses around two to three years after gates are in service.
# Costs and next steps
# Fare evasion and system context Sound Transit reports that roughly one-third of passengers currently do not pay the $3 one-way fare under the system's proof-of-payment approach. The Link system opened in 2003 and has expanded substantially since. The agency argues the expansion changes the financial calculus for fare gates.
# Stated benefits beyond revenue Agency officials cite additional benefits tied to fare gates: improved perceptions of safety, lower maintenance costs, and reduced need for compliance actions that can escalate into conflicts and risk employee safety. The executive director of security and fare evasion framed gates as a tool to reduce confrontations linked to fare enforcement.
# Equity and access concerns Some board members, including King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, raised concerns that physical fare gates could create barriers for low-income riders and others who rely on the system. In response, Sound Transit indicated it will expand availability of reduced-benefit fare cards for riders who cannot afford full fares.
# What this means for riders If the pilot proceeds and full construction is approved, riders at the selected stations will face controlled entry via fare gates rather than the current honor system. The agency projects higher fare compliance and additional revenue that it plans to use to help fill a nearly $35 billion deficit tied to completing the regional system.
# Timeline snapshot
# Bottom line
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