Are King County Metro’s Fare Policies Just? An Examination of Racial Bias in Fare Enforcement

Abstract

In 2019, King County Metro auditors found that fare enforcement disproportionately impacts people experiencing houselessness and housing insatiable riders. These findings resulted in a policy change in an attempt to make fare enforcement for equitable. King County Metro lowered the cost of a citation to provide more affordability, and provided alternatives to a monetary infraction. When looking at this policy, one finds themself asking “is this enough?”. In order to answer the questions, On King County Metro RapidRide busses, is the frequency and severity of fare enforcement infractions higher for Black riders than White riders, and did a recent policy change implemented by King County Metro make the fare enforcement policy more equitable?, this thesis uses a chi-squared analysis on data before and after the policy implementation to explore the relationship-- if any-- between race and face enforcement infractions. The results show that there is a relationship between race and the frequency and severity of fare enforcement, leaving Black riders more likely to receive a monetary fine. Drawing on Michele Foucault, David Harvey, and public goods theory, the proposed solution of free fare as an alternative to fare enforcement is explored. Issues of race, equity, and accessibility through affordability are examined within this thesis to argue for the importance of a free fare model.