Seattle to present away 2,000 free ORCA playing cards to meals and grocery staff

The city of Seattle announced Wednesday that it will provide 2,000 free ORCA cards to workers in the hardest-hit communities this month as part of the city’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The six-month program is designed to help people get back to work in the areas they need most. With Seattle recently vaccinated 70% of eligible residents – a national high for major cities – city guides are focused on getting employees back to work safely.

The first wave of the program is aimed at people in Little Saigon, Chinatown / International District, Japantown, and Pioneer Square who work in the food or hospitality sector.

“Thanks to the heroic efforts of the people in our community, Seattle is the most vaccinated place in the country, and now we want to build an equitable and robust recovery from COVID,” Mayor Jenny Durkan said in a news release. “As part of our recovery effort, it is critical that we give employees in the communities hardest hit by COVID-19 the ability to get back to work cheaply and efficiently. Thanks to the voters in Seattle, the ORCA Recovery Card program is available now one of many. ” Steps that we as a city are taking to work towards a just and equitable transport network and to recover from the pandemic. “

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will be distributing these cards to employees and business owners June 21-30.

“Transit is essential to our recovery, especially in communities that have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic,” said Lorena Gonzalez, president of Seattle city council. “I am pleased about this pilot project of the ORCA program to support Little Saigon, Chinatown / International District, Japantown service employees who were also affected by racist attitudes towards the COVID-19 virus. The transit for workers in these neighborhoods will help bring back the vibrancy and bring us closer to a multimodal city that is essential to recreation and our climate goals now and in the future. “

In addition, King County Metro made changes to the bus system to ensure the health and safety of passengers and drivers, including daily disinfection protocols.

The ORCA card program is fully subsidized by Proposition 1, which the public voted for in November 2020. The cards are valid for unlimited travel through December 31 of this year and are valued at USD 100 per month.