 | This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. (April 2024) |
 | |
| Location | Puget Sound region, Washington, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Launched | April 20, 2009 (v1)[1] May 16, 2022 (v2)[2] |
| Technology |
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| Operator |
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| Manager | Regional ORCA Operations Team |
| Currency | United States dollar ($5 minimum load, $400[5] maximum load) |
| Stored-value | E-purse |
| Credit expiry | None |
| Auto recharge | Yes |
| Validity | |
| Retailed |
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| Variants |
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| Website | myORCA.com |
The ORCA card (standing for One Regional Card for All) is a contactless, stored-value smart card system for public transit in the Puget Sound region of Washington, United States. The card is valid on most transit systems in the Seattle metropolitan area, including Sound Transit, local bus agencies, Washington State Ferries, the King County Water Taxi, and Kitsap Fast Ferries. It was launched in 2009 and is managed by the Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination Project, a board composed of local transit agencies.
The card is able to be loaded with "e-purse" value, similar to a debit card, and monthly passes. Cards are sold and reloaded at participating grocery stores, customer service centers, and ticket vending machines at transit stations. ORCA cards offer free transfers between transit systems within a two-hour window.
In 2018, the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) contracted INIT (Innovations in Transportation, Inc.) to replace the legacy ORCA system with an account-based, open architecture system known as "next generation ORCA". The next-generation ORCA system will offer new payment options including mobile ticketing, maintain customer data security, and provide real-time account management and fare processing so customers can instantly add value to their account at any time.[6] The new system is set to roll out in phases, which began with a new website and app in May 2022.[7][8]
- ^ King County News Center, ORCA smart card limited rollout gets underway
- ^ New ORCA card system begins on May 16 - myORCA
- ^ Intro to ORCA/Husky Card Presentation. UW SocTech, Spring 2007
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Times-NextGenwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "ORCA cards". King County Metro. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- ^ "PR 2018 INIT to Deliver Next Generation ORCA Fare Collection System". www.initse.com. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
- ^ "next generation ORCA". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
- ^ "New ORCA system for regional transit launched". myORCA. 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2022-05-17.