The public agency Sound Transit is planning to retrofit 14 of its busiest light rail stations with fare gates to make sure people pay before getting on the train.
For years, the light rail has operated on an honor system, with fare ambassadors only rarely getting on trains to check for proof of payment. Sound Transit estimates that 63% of riders pay their fares — a decrease from around 85% before the pandemic.
Waiting for a train at Stadium Station last week, Jonah Ohm, who lives in Seattle, said over the past five years he had not encountered fare enforcement officers…