Order 2024-13 – SEA Public Transit Pilot Program Page 1 of 4
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PORT OF SEATTLE 4
Order No. 2024-13 5
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...to direct the Executive Director to expand alternative 7
transportation options for airport workers through the SEA Moves 8
transportation management association, including through a pilot 9
program to provide free or low-cost ORCA cards to a subset of 10
eligible employees at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and a 11
study of a dedicated SEA employee commuter bus program. 12
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PROPOSED 14
November 19, 2024 15
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INTRODUCTION 17
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Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is one of the largest employment sites in the State of 19
Washington, with tens of thousands of workers onsite every day. As the owner and operator of 20
SEA, the Port of Seattle has a goal to reduce the use of single-occupancy vehicle travel to and 21
from the airport in order to achieve a wide variety of goals – including operational efficiency, 22
environmental sustainability, worker recruitment and retention, and traffic congestion 23
reduction. 24
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The Port pursues this goal through numerous strategies, as described in Commission Resolution 26
3759 – the Ground Transportation Policy Directive; the Ground Transportation Access Plan 27
(GTAP); and the airport’s transportation management association (TMA) – now called SEA Moves. 28
In particular, a key initiative is encouraging the use of public transit and other alternative means 29
of commuting by SEA workers. 30
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This Order directs the Executive Director to take a number of steps to expand alternative transportation 32
options for airport workers through the SEA Moves transportation management association, that includes 33
a pilot program to provide free or low-cost ORCA cards to a subset of eligible employees at Seattle-Tacoma 34
International Airport and a study of dedicated SEA employee commuter bus program. Importantly, the 35
findings of these efforts will inform future updates to the Port’s overall ground transportation policies and 36
strategies through regular reporting and data analysis. 37
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Overall, the Port is striving to expand alternative transportation options for airport workers and 39
to strengthen public transit as a financially accessible option for SEA workers. Enhancing 40
alternative transportation options for SEA for workers has the potential to create a wide variety 41
of benefits – including reducing the high costs for the Port associated with operating, building and/or 42
purchasing parking infrastructure, improving worker recruitment and retention, creating a better 43
Item No. 10e_Order
Meeting Date: November 19, 2024
Order 2024-13 – SEA Public Transit Pilot Program Page 2 of 4
travel experience for passengers coming to and from the airport, improving customer experience for 44
airport users, enhancing environmental sustainability, and even possibly increasing regional 45
freight mobility by taking cars off the highways. These goals can only be achieved through an 46
impactful transportation management association program. 47
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The elements of this Order will be undertaken along with other commute program efforts to 49
improve the employee commute program at SEA and to reduce reliance on single driver 50
employee trips and on employee use of airport parking – as identified in the GTAP and led by SEA 51
Moves. 52
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TEXT OF THE ORDER 54
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The Port Commission hereby orders the Executive Director to complete the following tasks: 56
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1. Establish an ORCA Card Pilot Program: The Port of Seattle shall establish a pilot program (the 58
"Program") to provide free or low-cost ORCA cards covering the cost of transit to and from SEA 59
to a specifically identified subset of eligible workers at SEA. The program will examine how such 60
a program could not only impact commuting practices, but also how reducing single-occupancy 61
vehicle trips by SEA workers benefits the airport overall. Staff are directed to identify and collect 62
such data as needed to provide clear analysis of the impacts of this effort as part of the SEA 63
Moves programs. 64
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2. Employee Bus Study and Pilot: Port staff are directed to assess the feasibility and operational 66
requirements for launching a dedicated SEA employee commuter bus program, with the goal of 67
beginning a pilot program in 2026. A shuttle bus route dedicated to employees has the potential 68
to address several challenges with the existing airport commuting environment – including the 69
cost to park at the airport; early and late shift start and end times that do not coincide with 70
traditional transit schedules; and employee home locations that are not well-served by public 71
transportation. 72
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3. Negotiations with Transit Partners: Port staff are directed to negotiate with King 74
County Metro, Sound Transit, and any other relevant transportation providers who are part of the 75
ORCA card program to explore opportunities to enhance the availability of off-peak transit services 76
specifically tailored to the needs of SEA workers. 77
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4. State Policy Advocacy: Port staff shall evaluate whether the State of Washington’s current 79
commute trip reduction policies are fully inclusive of the needs of large, 24/7 job sites such as 80
SEA. In particular, the Port will advocate for state funding to support the enhancement of transit 81
and alternative transportation options that serve the airport and its workforce. 82
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Order 2024-13 – SEA Public Transit Pilot Program Page 3 of 4
5. Pilot Program Reporting and Commission Policy Update: Port staff shall update the 88
Commission regarding the progress toward these efforts as part of the regular Ground 89
Transportation Program Report. The evaluation shall consider specific benefits of a robust SEA 90
Moves program to the airport, to airport employers, to travelers, and to the surrounding 91
community. In addition, staff are directed to study the costs and benefits of a potential parking 92
cash out program for airport employees. The Commission will consider the findings of all of these 93
efforts in terms of any necessary updates to Resolution 3759 – the Ground Transportation Policy 94
Directive. 95
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STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE ORDER 97
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The Port of Seattle Commission has spent many years working to improve alternatives to single-99
occupancy vehicle travel to and from the airport. Besides the regional costs of such travel in terms 100
of air emissions and highway congestion, it is increasingly challenging for the Port’s parking 101
facilities to accommodate this demand. 102
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The Airport currently operates 4,100 parking spaces at an operational cost of approximately $4 104
million a year. Yet, despite this existing capacity, current demand exceeds supply, leading to 105
waiting lists that at times have been over a thousand employees. The Airport team is also bringing 106
forward an action for almost 7,000 additional parking slots at a cost of $6.7 million a year, plus 107
operating costs, as well as 1,500 new parking spaces at the SeaTac Office Center (STOC). The 108
costs to the airport to purchase and operate these systems are significant – not to mention the 109
impact on regional and airport traffic congestion – all of which leads to the obvious need for 110
increased usage of alternative transportation options. 111
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The Commission also believes that increasing alternative commuting options makes SEA a more 113
affordable and desirable place to work for the more than 20,000 employees who work at the 114
airport – strengthening recruitment and retention, which leads to more efficient airport 115
operations and improved customer experience for airport travelers. 116
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For all of these reasons, the Commission has taken multiple steps toward this goal, including the 118
establishment of SEA Moves. This Order is a logical next step in those efforts. 119
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The Port has long supported light rail and other public transportation modes as a means of 121
improving regional transportation and access for workers. Our participation in regional 122
transportation boards, the Port’s funding of major regional transportation infrastructure, and our 123
advocacy at the local, state and federal levels highlight our direct interest in supporting expanded 124
participation in regional light rail and bus services. Every transit trip reduces regional 125
congestion and improves our ability to operate the airport and to make it easier for workers to 126
reliably arrive on time – prepared to deliver high-quality service to the millions of passengers who 127
travel through the airport every year. 128
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Order 2024-13 – SEA Public Transit Pilot Program Page 4 of 4
The challenge of commute trip reduction is particularly difficult at a 24/7 facility like SEA, where 132
workers are travelling to and from the airport at off-peak commuting hours. Therefore, 133
innovation solutions like an ORCA card pilot program and a potential Employee commuter bus 134
program are required to identify all possible ways to achieve the goals of the Commission’s 135
Ground Transportation Policy Directive. 136
