Commuter Services

U-PASS/Transit

The UW Bothell Universal U-PASS program starts in Fall 2025,most UW Bothell students will automatically receive the U-PASS benefit at a cost of $45 per quarter. Most paid UW employees already receive a fully subsidized U-PASS as part of their employment benefits.

The U-PASS is a bus pass and more. Loaded right onto the Husky Card, the U-PASS provides members with unlimited rides on regional buses, commuter trains, light rail and water taxis, as well as full fare coverage on vanpools.

Benefits and Eligibility

Benefits

Your U-PASS gives you these benefits with a tap of your Husky Card:

The U-PASS does not cover travel on Washington State Ferries.

Exclusions:

The U-PASS function on your Husky Card does not have “Electronic Purse” capabilities.

Eligibility & Activation

U-PASS for Students

Student Eligibility

In most cases, your tuition statement includes a mandatory U-PASS fee. If you pay the fee, you are eligible for U-PASS benefits which should automatically activate on your Husky ID Card. There are some cases where the U-PASS fee is not included, such as some graduate-level programs and courses that do not include standard tuition.

Programs that do not include the U-PASS fee in their tuition:

  • Study abroad courses
  • MCL – Master of Cybersecurity and Leadership
  • MSACC – Master of Accounting
  • GCSD – Graduate Certificate in Software Design

If the U-PASS fee is not included in your tuition, you may purchase a temporary U-PASS card. These cards cost $127 and are valid for 3 calendar months. For more information, please see the section titled “Purchase a 3-month Temp U-PASS Card.”

Activation & Maintaining Benefits

There’s no need to sign up or activate your benefits – they will start and stop working automatically according to the calendar below UPASS Activation Dates.

Replacement Husky Card

If your Husky Card is lost, stolen or damaged, your U-PASS will be electronically transferred to your replacement Husky Card. Your U-PASS will be available for use on transit 12 to 24 hours after your replacement Husky Card is issued.

TEMP U-PASS Card for Students

Purchase a 3-month Temp U-PASS Card

Students who are enrolled in courses that do not include the U-PASS fee in their tuition are eligible to purchase a Temp U-PASS for $127 per quarter. To obtain a temporary U-PASS, Temp/Hourly employees should request their supervisor to complete the designated online form on their behalf. Students may submit the same online form directly. After submitting the form, both Temp/Hourly employees and students must wait 48 hours before purchasing their temporary U-PASS at the Cashier’s Office in Husky Hall. To complete the purchase, please contact the Cashier’s Office to schedule an appointment.

Temp U-PASS Valid Dates

These temporary cards have predetermined start and end dates, which do not follow the academic quarter schedule. Please pay attention to this as they cannot be changed.

Not eligible for a Temp U-PASS? Get an ORCA Card

Anyone can get an ORCA card and load funds on it as needed. Learn more about the ORCA card. The ORCA card has several options for reduced fares for qualified riders!

  • Children age 5 and younger ride free with a paying adult passenger
  • Riders ages 6 – 18 ride free (show your school ID or get a Youth ORCA card)
  • Low-income households can get reduced fares with ORCA Lift
  • Riders age 65 and over, as well as qualified disabled and Medicare customers, can get reduced fares with the Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP)
  • Residents of King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties who are at or below 80% of the federal poverty level and are enrolled in one of six state benefit programs can obtain a subsidized annual pass valid for travel on King County Metro and Sound Transit services

U-PASS for Staff & Faculty

Employee Eligibility

As of July 1, 2022, all paid University of Washington employees receive a fully subsidized U-PASS as part of their employment benefits.

This does not include:

  • student hourly employees
  • academic student employees
  • unpaid academics or affiliates
  • other appointees who are not paid

Activation

There’s no need to sign up or activate your benefits – they will start working automatically. Your U-PASS will activate within 12 to 24 hours of receiving your Husky Card

Replacement Husky Card

If your Husky Card is lost, stolen or damaged, your U-PASS will be electronically transferred to your replacement Husky Card. Your U-PASS will be available for use on transit 12 to 24 hours after your replacement Husky Card is printed.

Using your U-PASS

Just tap your Husky Card on an ORCA card reader (found at the front of buses or mounted on a wall or pole at Link, Sounder or Swift stations) to use your U-PASS.

  • RapidRide stations: tap on the ORCA reader (don’t forget to wait for the green light) at the station OR on the bus as you enter
  • Buses: tap on the ORCA reader when you board the bus
  • Rail (Link & Sounder): tap the ORCA reader once before entering the train

Terms of use

U-PASS members are expected to review the U-PASS terms of use.

Your U-PASS is for your personal transportation only. It is non-transferable, meaning you may not give or sell your Husky Card or your U-PASS to any other person. Bus drivers and fare inspectors can confiscate a Husky Card that does not belong to you.

All U-PASS members are bound by the U-PASS policy as stated in Administrative Policy Statement 53.4. Misuse of the U-PASS is subject to sanctions and may subject the parties to possible action under the General Conduct Code (Chapter 478–124 WAC) or the Student Conduct Code (Chapter 478–121 WAC).

Troubleshooting

If you tap your U-PASS on an ORCA card reader and you don’t get a happy beep and green light, try again, making sure to tap your card on the ORCA logo at the center of the card reader and hold it there for several seconds. Also make sure you separate your Husky Card from any other cards you may have that include RFID technology (ie: UWMC badge).

If you still do not get a positive response, log into your MyUW account with your phone and click on the Accounts tab. You can show that your U-PASS membership is current/active and use it as a “flash pass” for the driver.

Also, contact Commuter Services at 425-352-3369 or uwbpark@uw.edu as soon as you are able to discuss your U-PASS issues. Please provide the following:

  • Your name and UW employee or student ID number
  • Name of the transit agency you were taking
  • The route number
  • Destination
  • The time you boarded the bus or train
  • Bus vehicle number (found inside the bus above the bus windshield, as well as on the sides, front and rear of the bus)

Keep your Husky Card healthy: Your Husky Card contains an antenna. If you cut, scratch, bend, or punch a hole in the card, you will damage the antenna, and your card will not function properly.

Lost or stolen cards

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.

Students

You must inform the Husky Card Office at once if you believe your Husky Card has been lost or stolen. The best way to report a lost or stolen Husky Card is through the Husky Card Online Office, where you can suspend activity on your Husky Card Account until the Husky Card is found or replaced. You may also contact the Husky Card Office at 206-543-7222 or by email at huskycrd@uw.edu. There is a $25 replacement fee for your Husky Card, but no additional fee to replace the U-PASS. Once the Husky Card Office issues a new card, your U-PASS will be transferred electronically and will be available for use 12 to 24 hours after card replacement.
To replace a Temp Pass, please email uwbpark@uw.edu for options.

Understanding U-PASS and ORCA

ORCA is the fare payment system for Puget Sound area transit systems. When you use your U-PASS, the smart chip inside your Husky Card interacts with the ORCA system. So while you can use your Husky Card in many similar ways to a standard ORCA card, it’s important to know how they are different as well:

  • You cannot register your Husky Card with the ORCA system.
  • You cannot load funds into an ORCA E-Purse using your Husky Card.
  • You could technically load a PugetPass or Washington State Ferries pass onto a Husky Card, but we don’t advise it as the pass will be lost if your card is lost, stolen or damaged.

To purchase a standard ORCA Card and take advantage of the E-purse, card registration, autoload or other ORCA program features, please go to the ORCA website.

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

Commuter services links