U-PASS/Transit
New campus transit riders can find useful guidance in How to Ride Community Transit Buses.
Purchase/cancel U-PASS
Students
Purchase or cancel a U-PASS online prior to the 7th calendar day of each academic quarter following the directions below:
- Log into your MyUW account
- Click on “Register using SNL codes”
- Click on “Insurance/Optional Charges”
- Then Opt-in or Opt-out to the U-PASS – “I want the benefits of the U-PASS” or “I do not want the benefits of the U-PASS”
The $127.00 fee will be added to or removed from the tuition bill.
If purchasing after the 7th calendar day of the quarter, email the Cashier’s Office with UW Net ID email to request for activation.
Temp/Hourly
In order to receive the temp U-PASS, the Temp/Hourly employee should contact their supervisor so they can complete the online form on behalf of the employee.
Fully subsidized U-PASS employee benefit
Effective July 1, 2022, all personnel who are paid by the University of Washington will be eligible for a fully subsidized U-PASS. If you previously were paying for an annual or quarterly U-PASS, you do not have to take any action to stop payments. They will stop automatically with the pay period ending June 30, 2022. If you have questions about eligibility for the fully subsidized U-PASS, visit the UWHR’s U-PASS benefit web page.
Protect your new fully subsidized U-PASS
It is important to protect your Husky Card and the U-PASS RFID chip from damage. We encourage you to follow these tips to protect your Husky Card and U-PASS:
- Do not bend your Husky Card.
- Do not punch a hole anywhere in your Husky Card.
- Keep your Husky Card in a protective holder. Scratches to the magnetic strip and RFID chip can damage your card. Accessories to protect your card can be purchased at the Husky Card Account & ID Center.
- Keep your Husky Card away from all magnets and cell phones.
What the U-PASS covers
Unlimited rides on King County Metro Transit, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Kitsap Transit, Everett Transit and Sound Transit, which includes regional buses, Link light rail and Sounder trains
- Full fare coverage on King County Water Taxis and Kitsap Fast Ferries
- Full fare coverage on Seattle Streetcar and Seattle Monorail
- Full fare coverage on regional paratransit services for eligible members
- Full fare coverage on King County Metro’s on-demand ride service Via to Transit.
- Vanpool and Vanshare fare credits, and low membership rate for Zipcar
- Emergency Ride Home
- Discounts and special offers on transportation-related products
The U-PASS does not cover travel on Washington State Ferries.
How to use your U-PASS
Your new U-PASS will ready for use within 12 to 24 hours after you purchase it or a week before the quarter starts. Students, please see the academic calendar for more specifics.
To use your U-PASS on a transit service, tap it on an ORCA card reader. These readers are found at the front of buses or mounted on a wall or pole at Link, Sounder or Swift stations. At RapidRide stations you have the option to tap on the ORCA reader at the station or on the bus as you enter. After tapping, wait for the green light to indicate your card was accepted.
On a bus, you tap the reader just once, when you board. For Sound Transit’s Link light rail and Sounder commuter trains, tap the reader once before entering the train for proof of payment and tap again at your destination station as you leave.
Service Termination
Your fully subsidized U-PASS will become inactive in one of the following scenarios:
- You changed jobs and your new job classification is not eligible for a fully subsidized U-PASS.
- You are leaving the University.
In the event that you are still at the University and have become ineligible for the U-PASS (scenario 1), you can still purchase the service by filling out the Faculty/Staff U-PASS form online.
U-PASS activation
Employees: For fully-subsidized or opt-in U-PASS holders, the U-PASS will activate within 12-24 hours of receiving their Husky Card (fully-subsidized employees) or purchasing a U-PASS.
Students: The U-PASS will continue to activate eight days before the quarter starts (for students registered by the registration deadline). Please see the academic calendar for specific dates.
New U-PASS holders no longer need to tap their cards within 60 days for card activation.
Reactivating U-PASS
If your card becomes inactive, you can reactivate it online.
Returning your U-PASS
The U-PASS is the property of UW Bothell, and may not be loaned, sold, or transferred in any manner to another person. Misuse of the U-PASS will result in confiscation by the University, King County Metro, Sound Transit, or Community Transit.
To reclaim a confiscated card, contact the Husky Card Office at UW Seattle.
Lost U-PASS
Visit the information desk located in Husky Hall during their open office hours to obtain a new card. For additional information you can email uwbinfo@uw.edu. The cost of replacing a lost Husky Card is $25.
Students
$25 Husky Card replacement charge will be added to your student account.
Employees
For faculty/staff on payroll deduction, if you choose not to reactivate your U-PASS on your new Husky Card, report the loss and request payroll deduction cancellation immediately via email at uwbpark@uw.edu.
U-PASS refunds
Students
The U-PASS can be cancelled through the 7th calendar day of the quarter. The U-PASS will be deactivated and a 100-percent refund will be credited to your student account.
The U-PASS cannot be cancelled and no refund will be given after the 7th calendar day of the quarter.
Withdrawal Refund
Withdrawal refund deadlines are as follows:
- Withdrawing on or before the 7th calendar day of the quarter
- The U-PASS will be deactivated and 100% of the U-PASS fee will be credited to your student account.
- Withdrawing 8th through the 30th calendar day
- The U-PASS will be deactivated and 50% of the U-PASS fee will be credited to your student account.
- Withdrawing on or after 31st calendar day
- The U-PASS will be deactivated and the U-PASS fee will not be credited to your student account.
Employees (who are not eligible for the subsidized u-pass)
- Quarterly U-PASS purchased with cash, check, or Husky Debit
- No refund if terminating employment with UW Bothell
- U-PASS will remain active through remainder of quarter
- Quarterly or annual U-PASS purchased with payroll deduction
- Submit email to Commuter Services to have U-PASS deactivated and deductions cancelled before validity period ends.
Refunds will only be given for deductions that are erroneously taken after the final use deduction period as requested in the written request or those taken after the U-PASS has expired and has not been renewed. Without a written cancellation request the Faculty/staff member is responsible for the U-PASS fee even if they are no longer using their U-PASS through the validity period.
Your Husky Card is a U-PASS, not a standard ORCA Card
In order to provide the convenience of single-card access to all campus services, the UW decided to include the smart chip inside the new Husky Card instead of issuing standard ORCA cards. The transit portion of your U-PASS will use the ORCA system to process payment for transit, but will not provide access to the full range of ORCA services.
The card cannot be registered in the ORCA system and you will not be able to add E-purse Funds. If you choose to add other ORCA products and your card is lost, stolen, or damaged, neither the University nor the ORCA agencies will replace those products.
To receive the benefits associated with ORCA card registration and/or the ability to replace ORCA products if your card is lost, stolen, or damaged, please contact ORCA to purchase a standard ORCA Card.
For more information about Husky Cards, please visit UW Bothell Husky Card website.
Privacy issues and U-PASS
No personal information will be stored on the smart chip. The chip contains a number with instructions to activate or deactivate U-PASS membership. The University of Washington (UW) sends files which contain these numbers to the region’s ORCA system. No names of UW ID numbers are included in the files. Limited trip data is also stored on the chip for the purpose of processing transit transactions or payment, but it is not associated with names or UW ID numbers.
The UW Bothell Cashier’s Office will be the only office with information about who has a valid U-PASS and we will keep this information private in accordance with the UW privacy policy, UW Electronic Information Privacy Policy on Personally Identifiable Information. The UW Bothell Cashier’s Office will not have access to individually identifiable trip data from the ORCA system.
Service to UW Bothell / Cascadia College
Ten transit routes serve the UW Bothell and Cascadia College campus making over 400 stops each week day. Timetables are available at campus Transportation Centers in buildings UW1, UW2, the Library, and CC1. Most transit routes serving the campus operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays. For additional information, contact the transit agency operating the preferred route.
Fares & Zones
King County Metro, Community Transit, Sound Transit, Kitsap Transit, Everett Transit, Pierce Transit, the Sounder Commuter train, and Light Rail which currently operates between Seattle and Tukwila offer unlimited rides with the U-PASS for students, faculty, and staff at UW Bothell and Cascadia College.
Below, find detailed information on fares and routes:
Real Time Transit Information
Visit the One Bus Away webpage for real-time transit information.
Sound Transit
Phone: 1.888.889.6368
TTY: 1.888.713.6030
Sound Transit Website
Community Transit
Phone: 1.800.562.1375
TTY: 2425.778.2188
Community Transit Website
Metro Transit
Phone: 206.553.3000 or 1.800.542.7876
TTY: 206.684.1739
Metro Transit Website
Questions
For immediate questions regarding the U-PASS, email Commuter Services. Please enter “ORCA Question” in the subject line.
Campus Map
Download an accessible UW Bothell campus map