UC Davis

The case study of two regional low-income transit discount programs, Clipper START in the San Francisco Bay Area, California and ORCA LIFT in Puget Sound region, Washington demonstrates the role of governance in transit discount provision. Income-based discounts are gaining prominence as a way to improve the equity of fare structures, but fragmentation of transit at the regional level means many regions have a proliferation of agencies with multiple fare structures, mechanisms, and organizational structures. Collaborative governance, a typology defined by partnerships between government agencies, community partners, and in some cases higher levels of government has been proposed as a solution to regional governance challenges such as transit discount integration. Conversely, multi-level governance or hierarchical governance is characterized by higher levels of government serving organizational or administrative roles for lower levels. The long history of collaboration between transit agencies in the Puget Sound region beginning with the creation of the regional transit coordinator (Sound Transit) created the necessary foundation for successful collaborative governance. In the Bay Area, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission is not a transit operator, but the regional government body and has historically been the initiator of regional fare integration policies. Comparing Clipper START, which was largely overseen by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Metropolitan Planning Organization of the region, with ORCA LIFT, administered primarily by King County Metro, one of the largest agencies in the Seattle metropolitan region, provides two examples of overcoming regional fragmentation to create a regional discount program. The analysis finds that collaborative governance more effectively incentivizes joint action by creating opportunities for more diverse and effective partnerships, which provides better outcomes for riders without sacrificing financial viability. However, in regions where a strong foundation for horizontal collaboration may not yet exist, hierarchical implementation by the MPO can also achieve efficient outcomes when agencies buy into the program. Describing the role of governance structures on provision of low-income transit rider discounts at the regional level provides insights for both agencies and MPOs looking to implement similar region-wide programs.