The pandemic hit public transportation hard. Will Seattle transit be OK?

The pandemic has hit transit hard, while commuters have worked remotely or avoided public transportation. Sound Transit has seen gains from fares plummet and claims that it’s due in part to passengers who don’t pay.

Covid has downsized ridership on Sound Transit, but another culprit is also hurting revenues for the agency: the honor system.

A good number of folks aren’t paying their fares.

That's according to Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff. And he told the agency's board last week that something’s gotta give. The financial trajectory is unsustainable.

But the history of fare enforcement is not simple. It’s fraught with disproportionate ticketing of Black passengers.

Last September, the transit agency ushered in a new model – dispatching fare ambassadors to assist riders with transit services and provide information about subsidized passes.

Libby Denkmann spoke to Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff.