WASHINGTON — Federal employees in at least three Washington counties will be able to ride their county’s transit systems for free as the government shutdown persists.
Transit agencies that serve Pierce, Kitsap and Mason Counties say that someone who presents their government-issued employment ID can take transit for free during the shutdown.
The temporary fare waiver takes effect starting Friday, October 24, 2025.
This includes:
• Kitsap Transit: Routed, Worker/Driver, Dial-A-Ride/On-Demand, ACCESS buses; Local Foot Ferry; Fast Ferry; and vanpools.
• Pierce Transit: Bus, SHUTTLE paratransit, Runner, and Rideshare.
• Mason Transit: Worker/Driver. Other services are already fare-free
The federal government is the largest employer in Kitsap and Pierce counties, with Naval Base Kitsap and Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) collectively employing about 100,000 people.
Many of them commute to their work sites on public transit, and their fares are covered by the federal government in normal times.
“We recognize that many federal government employees in our community are essential and still on duty but may face loss of pay or commuting benefits during the shutdown,” said John Clauson, Executive Director of Kitsap Transit. “Supporting the federal workforce is the right thing to do, and we believe this provides some relief to workers and their families.”
When the shutdown ends, the transit agencies plan to resume collecting fares from federal employees.
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