About a third of Link light rail riders don't pay a fare.

Five-second answer

True. In 2025, 39% of Link boardings had no fare record; netting out youth who ride free leaves about a third. Sound Transit's automated count of boardings matched to an ORCA tap or ticket shows 61% with fare media in 2024 and 2025 (86% in 2019), the agency's own budget documents and its fare-gate case rest on that figure, and youth riding free account for only about 6 points of the 39% gap; spot checks by Fare Ambassadors find far less non-payment, which is why confidence is moderate.

One-minute summary

The evidence

The conclusion rests on the combined record. Expand each item to see its role and limitations.

Common questions

Conclusion

Sound Transit's own data support the claim that about a third of Link riders do not pay. In 2025, 14.6 million of 37.9 million Link boardings, 39%, had no record of an ORCA tap, ticket-machine ticket or mobile ticket. Youth, who ride free and are not required to tap, were about 6% of boardings before free youth fares began, so roughly 32-33% of boardings are neither paid nor youth. Sound Transit itself describes the problem in these terms: it told KUOW that about a third of light rail riders skip the fare, it budgets on this measure, and its December 2025 fare-gate study puts the cost at about $15 million a year in 2024, rising to $30 million or more as the system grows. FactHub's own estimate from the fare reports is $12-16 million for 2024 and $15-20 million for 2025. The strongest counter-evidence is the Fare Ambassador inspections. Of the 986,304 fares they checked in 2025, only 7.8% were neither valid nor youth. But inspectors checked only about 2.5% of riders, not the 10% Sound Transit aims for, and not at random: riders who are not paying can avoid them, and crowded trains are hard to check. When Fare Ambassadors stand at station entrances instead, compliance improves while they are there, which fits the idea that some riders avoid on-train checks. The automated count has its own weakness: in 2019, when inspections found only 2.4% evasion, 14% of boardings still had no fare media, so the count includes some boardings that are not evasion (pass holders who did not tap, children under six, attendants, police, counter error). That is why confidence is moderate rather than high: the true unpaid share could be somewhat below a third, though the jump from 14% to 39% without fare media since 2019 is far larger than those factors can explain, and Sound Transit has not argued otherwise. The stronger version of the claim, that most Link riders don't pay, is not supported for any year with data. The low point was 56% of boardings with fare media in 2022 and 2023. The widely shared figure that 70% ride without paying came from the top of a 40-70% range Sound Transit gave for 2020-2021, during the pandemic, when citations were suspended and ridership had collapsed. Since enforcement resumed in November 2023, payment has improved to 61%, still far below the 75% Sound Transit's financial plan assumes by 2029. Critics of Sound Transit also sometimes treat fare evasion as the reason Link fares now cover only 12% of operating costs, against 34% in 2019 and the agency's own 17% minimum. The data show that is mostly a cost story. From 2019 to 2025 Link boardings rose 53% and fare revenue 18%, while operating costs rose 219%. Had Link kept its 2019 payment rate, 2025 fares would have covered about 16-17% of costs, roughly the new minimum, not the 34% of 2019. Fare evasion is a real and growing loss, but cost growth from the system's expansion explains most of the fall in farebox recovery. What remains unknown is the exact split of the 39% between deliberate non-payment, youth, pass holders who did not tap, and counting error. Sound Transit has not published that breakdown, and it has not reconciled its two measures publicly. Its fare-gate pilot, planned for up to 14 stations from 2029-2030, should produce a cleaner measure.

How we checked

1. Defined the claim as: about a third of Link light rail boardings are taken without paying a fare, measured by Sound Transit's own data for the most recent full year (2025), after setting aside youth who ride free legally. Also tested the stronger claim that most riders do not pay, for every year with data.
2. Compiled Link boardings, boardings without fare media, fare revenue, operating expenses and farebox recovery from Sound Transit's Fare Revenue Reports for 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024 and 2025 into a FactHub dataset, with a build script that recomputes every derived figure.
3. Compared the automated count with Fare Ambassador inspection results and pre-pandemic inspection-based evasion rates, the main independent check.
4. Estimated youth riding from Sound Transit's 2019 youth boardings and its own statement that youth were about 6% of riders, and computed the revenue Link would have collected at its 2019 payment rate with and without that adjustment, checking the result against Sound Transit's own $15 million estimate.
5. Traced the '70%' figure to a 2022 news report of a Sound Transit board presentation, and reviewed Sound Transit's farebox policy, budget assumptions and fare-gate study.
6. Recorded the limits of each measure, including that boardings without fare media are not all unpaid and that inspections are not a random sample.

Editorial note: Scope: This article checks whether about a third of Sound Transit's Link light rail riders ride without paying, using Sound Transit's own data from 2019 to 2025, and addresses the stronger claim that most riders do not pay. It does not cover Sounder, ST Express, Tacoma Link or King County Metro, and it does not judge whether fare gates or the Fare Ambassador program are worth their cost. Reframing: The claim as often heard is that most Link riders do not pay. No year of Sound Transit data supports a majority, so this check rates the claim the data can settle, about a third, and explains in Common questions where the stronger version goes too far. External review: No external specialist review has been recorded. To verify yourself: (1) open the FactHub dataset and rerun its build script; (2) check the Link boardings table ('Boardings without Fare Media') in Sound Transit's 2023 and 2025 Fare Revenue Reports; (3) compare the farebox recovery tables on page 11 of the 2025 report; (4) read the fare-gate study slide on unrealized revenue; (5) compare with the Fare Ambassador inspection figures in the May 2026 committee update. Challenge this fact-check: Identify the specific conclusion you dispute and provide verifiable evidence that could change it. Credible challenges deserve review and a visible response through FactHub's challenge submission process.

Sources

Sources are labeled by kind, with what this fact check takes from each, so readers can check the evidence independently.

1. Government Sound Transit. 2025 Fare Revenue Report

   Sound Transit's annual report to its Board on 2025 fare revenue, ridership by payment type, fare-media use and farebox recovery, with 2023-2024 comparisons.

   Reliability: Speaks against its own interest. Sound Transit reports on its own fare collection; the figures show the agency missing its own payment and farebox goals. Fare-media counts come from ORCA, ticket-machine and mobile-ticket records compared with automatic passenger counters.

   • Only 61% of 2025 Link boardings had a record of fare media, down from 86% in 2019.

     What the source says

     The boardings with fare media rate on Link was 61% in 2025 down from 86% in 2019, which indicates there are more passengers who did not tap ORCA cards, did not purchase a paper or mobile ticket or use other fare media.

     Farebox recovery section, p. 10

   • Qualifies: Youth are not required to use fare media, so some boardings without it are legal youth rides.

     What the source says

     While youth are encouraged to use fare media, they are not required when riding Sound Transit.

     Farebox recovery section, p. 10

   • Qualifies: Boardings without fare media include youth, children, attendants, free tickets and police as well as fare evasion.

     What the source says

     Boardings without fare media, including children and youth ages 18 and under, Personal Care Attendants for riders with disabilities, free ride tickets, police officers or estimated fare evasion

     Non-ORCA products, 'Other', p. 14

   • Link fares covered 12% of operating costs in 2024 and 2025, below the 17% minimum, against 34% in 2019.

     What the source says

     Link farebox revenue was 12% of operating costs in 2025, the same as in 2024; this remains lower than the 17% minimum policy threshold. Pre-pandemic, 2019 farebox recovery was 34%.

     Farebox recovery section, p. 10

   • Qualifies: Since 2019 Link operating costs have grown far faster than fare revenue.

     What the source says

     Link fare revenue in 2025 was up 18% from 2019, Link operating costs in 2025 were up 219% from 2019.

     Farebox recovery section, p. 10
2. Government Sound Transit. 2024 Financial Plan and Proposed Budget

   Sound Transit's financial plan and proposed 2024 budget (Fall 2023 update), including fare revenue assumptions and risks.

   Reliability: Speaks against its own interest. The agency's own long-range financial plan; it cut projected fare revenue because fewer boardings used fare media.

   • Sound Transit said fare-media use had been only 55% for two years, against 80% assumed before the pandemic.

     What the source says

     Pre-pandemic, the LRFP assumed that 80% of riders would board with fare media. However, over the past two years, this rate is only 55%.

     Ridership growth and fare revenues (financial plan risks)

   • The financial plan assumes fare-media use rises from 55% to 75% by 2029.

     What the source says

     The LRFP was updated to assume 55% of boardings occur with fare media in the short-term, a rate that will increase to 75% by 2029.

     Ridership growth and fare revenues (financial plan risks)

   • Qualifies: Riders who tap with a $0 fare, such as youth who tap, count as boardings with fare media.

     What the source says

     (Boardings with fare media refers to riders that board with an ORCA card, paper ticket, or other media (regardless of fare rate – even if valid fare rate is $0).

     Ridership growth and fare revenues (financial plan risks)
3. Government Sound Transit. Fare Gates Update: Implementation study and potential pilot (Board of Directors presentation, M2025-64, December 18, 2025)

   Staff presentation to the Sound Transit Board on fare-payment compliance, unrealized fare revenue and a fare-gate pilot.

   Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. Staff making the case for a fare-gate pilot, so the presentation has an interest in showing a large revenue loss. Its estimates are normalized for free youth fares and the flat fare.

   • Sound Transit estimates about $15 million a year in unrealized fare revenue compared with 2019 payment rates.

     What the source says

     Lower fare payment compliance represents ~$15M in annual unrealized fare revenue if rates had remained at 2019 levels

     Slide 4

   • The loss could reach $30 million or more a year as the system expands.

     What the source says

     This could increase to ~$30M+ annually as ridership grows with system expansion.

     Slide 4

   • Fare revenue fell from 2019 to 2024 even though ridership rose.

     What the source says

     Fare revenue declined $4M comparing 2019 to 2024, while ridership increased by 5M annual boardings.

     Slide 4

   • Qualifies: Sound Transit's 2019 evaluation found its fare enforcement had disproportionate impacts.

     What the source says

     Fare Enforcement Program evaluation identifies disproportionate impacts

     Slide 3, timeline (2019)
4. Government Sound Transit. Fare Engagement Program Update (Rider Experience and Operations Committee, May 7, 2026)

   Staff update on Fare Ambassador inspections, boardings with fare media 2022-2025 and a station-entrance inspection pilot.

   Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. The program's own report on its performance; it attributes improvement in fare-media use to its staffing.

   • Qualifies: Youth were about 6% of riders when free youth fares began in September 2022.

     What the source says

     Free Youth rides began Sep 2022, which was ~6% of ridership at the time.

     Slide 5, Boardings with fare media

   • Sound Transit links the recent rise in fare-media use to more Fare Ambassador staff.

     What the source says

     Fare media compliance improvement correlated with Fare Engagement program increased staffing levels

     Slide 5, Boardings with fare media
5. Government Sound Transit. 2019 Fare Revenue Report

   Sound Transit's pre-pandemic fare revenue report, including inspection-based fare evasion rates.

   Reliability: Pre-pandemic agency report; evasion was then measured from inspections of a target 10% of riders.

   • Qualifies: Before the pandemic, inspections found only 2.4% of Link riders without a valid fare.

     What the source says

     The fare evasion rate on Link in 2019 was 2.4%, below the targeted range of 3.0%.

     Link, Fare evasion

   • Qualifies: In 2019 Sound Transit aimed to inspect 10% of Link riders.

     What the source says

     Sound Transit attempts to conduct fare inspection on 10% of all Link riders.

     Link, Fare evasion
6. Government Sound Transit. Fare Strategy Briefing: Fare Policy Update (Executive Committee, May 2, 2024)

   Staff presentation of Resolution R2024-08, which replaced Link's 40% farebox recovery requirement with a minimum and target.

   Reliability: Presentation of the Board's fare policy change; the Board adopted it on May 23, 2024.

   • Link's farebox requirement changed from 40% to a 17% minimum and 22% target.

     What the source says

     17% minimum threshold and 22% target.

     Slide 5, Changes to farebox recovery section (Link: 40%)
7. News report Seattle Transit Blog. The Status of Fare Evasion in Washington State (May 21, 2026)

   Independent transit blog post summarising Sound Transit's May 2026 Fare Engagement Program update, including inspection results.

   Reliability: A volunteer-run, pro-transit blog; it reports the inspection breakdown from Sound Transit's committee meeting and questions whether inspections sample riders fairly.

   • Sound Transit's preliminary 2025 figure was 63% of boardings with valid fare media; youth are among the rest.

     What the source says

     Notably, only 63% of boardings have valid fare media (i.e. paid), a rate somewhat higher than the 56% in 2022. Youth (and those attesting to be youth) are included in the 37% of riders that do not pay.

     Sound Transit section

   • Contradicts: Of fares checked in 2025, 7.8% were neither valid nor youth.

     What the source says

     Of those checked by Fare Ambassadors in 2025, 15% did not have a valid fare. 7.5% were youth legally riding free. 7.8% were not youth and did not have a valid fare

     Sound Transit section

   • Qualifies: The automated count and inspection results disagree, suggesting inspections do not reach a representative sample.

     What the source says

     It is difficult to reconcile the discrepancy between only 63% of riders having paid but 85% of riders checked by Fare Ambassadors having a valid fare.

     Sound Transit section
8. News report KUOW. Fare gates coming to 14 Seattle-area light rail stations (August 27, 2026)

   Public radio report on the Sound Transit Board's approval of a fare-gate pilot.

   Reliability: Seattle public radio news report; the one-third figure is attributed to Sound Transit.

   • Sound Transit says about a third of light rail riders skip the fare.

     What the source says

     The problem, the agency says, is that about a third of all light rail riders are skipping the fare and riding for free.

     Paragraph 2
9. News report KIRO 7. Sound Transit mulls aggressive fare enforcement with revenue forecasts in 'wrong direction' (March 18, 2022)

   Television news report on a 2022 Sound Transit board briefing, the origin of the widely repeated 70% figure.

   Reliability: Local TV news report of figures in a Sound Transit board presentation; the original slides were not located.

   • Qualifies: For 2020-2021, Sound Transit estimated non-fare boarding at 40-70%, a wide range during the pandemic.

     What the source says

     Between 2020 and 2021, fare evasion was 10-30%; non-fare boarding estimates were 40-70%.

     Body
10. Government Sound Transit. Fare gates pilot program

    Sound Transit's page on the fare-gate pilot the Board authorized in August 2026.

    Reliability: Has a stake in this finding. The agency describing its own pilot; revenue figures are its projections.

    • Qualifies: The fare-gate pilot is estimated to cost about $87 million.

      What the source says

      Sound Transit estimates the entire cost of the pilot, including the construction, to be about $87 million.

      What will the pilot program cost?

    • Sound Transit projects fare gates could raise net fare revenue by $32.8-82.7 million a year.

      What the source says

      fare gates can ultimately increase net revenues from fares by $32.8 million to $82.7 million per year

      What will the pilot program cost?
11. FactHub record FactHub. Sound Transit Link light rail: boardings with fare media, fare revenue and farebox recovery, 2017-2025 (dataset version 1)

    FactHub's compilation of Sound Transit's Fare Revenue Report figures, with the build script and saved analyses behind every number in this article.

    • Boardings with fare media: 86% (2019), 59% (2021), 56% (2022, 2023), 61% (2024, 2025).

    • At the 2019 payment rate Link would have collected $12-16 million more in 2024 and $15-20 million more in 2025.

    • Qualifies: At the 2019 payment rate, 2025 farebox recovery would have been about 16-17%, not 34%.

12. FactHub dataset Sound Transit Link light rail: boardings with fare media, fare revenue and farebox recovery, 2017-2025

    • Tables: link-annual

      Saved analysis link-fare-media-share

    • Tables: link-annual

      Saved analysis link-farebox-recovery

    • Tables: link-annual

      Saved analysis link-unrealized-fare-revenue

13. FactHub chart link-fare-media-share
14. FactHub chart link-farebox-recovery

Update history

1. October 18, 2026 Initial version, with a FactHub dataset and two charts. Main image: ORCA card reader at Northgate Station (Oran Viriyincy, CC BY 2.0).