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Mayor Durkan promises free ORCA Cards for all Seattle Public High School students

SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan on Tuesday delivered her State of the City address and promised free ORCA transit passes to all Seattle public high school students.

Speaking at Rainier Beach High School, Durkan said, “By this fall, we will put a free, year-round ORCA pass in the hands of every one of our 15,000 Seattle Public high school students.”

In a statement, the mayor’s office said the move will mean “families with at least one student would save up to $540 for trips to school and more during the summer.”

Some current programs providing free youth ORCA passes are only for the school year or limited to students based on family income or how far they live from school.

"We're doing this so students can worry more about their grades and less about how they get places," Durkan said.

Durkan's office said the first year of the program will be funded with $3.8 million the city had already allocated for ORCA plus $1 million from King County Metro.

It is not clear how the program will be funded beyond the first year.

"I look forward to working with the City Council to make this a reality for our students for years to come," Durkan said.

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