My name is Xavier Albertson and I am a sophomore at Ingraham High School in Seattle. I rely on the E line in order to get to and from school, as do many of my friends and classmates. I use an ORCA card, provided by the City of Seattle and the ORCA Opportunity program, to pay for the E line. Public transportation has always played a large role in my life. Whether I am riding a bus to go meet up with a friend or riding the ferries with my family for a day trip, I have always been impressed by just how vast and useful the public transportation system in Seattle is.
My ORCA card helps me get anywhere in the city, including to school, without having to put excessive stress on myself or my family. Having the convenience of being able to hop on the E line and get to school without having to worry about driving or parking a car is absolutely amazing. I have never been late to school this year, and this is mainly due to the consistency of the E-line- I can always catch it at the same time every day. Getting to downtown Seattle for a Mariners game or to meet up with friends is also a breeze, I don’t have to worry about paying for the bus or light rail. That isn’t to say that Metro is perfect- sometimes the bus is late or it is very full and hard to find a seat, but all in all, having a free ORCA card still strongly outweighs the occasional cons of public transportation.
All in all, my ORCA card has positively affected both my academic and personal lives. Having the convenience of being able to ride public transportation for free is wonderful, and I am glad that the City of Seattle has budgeted money for the ORCA opportunities program. I hope that this program continues for years to come, so that future students can also experience free public transportation in our great city.
This guest post was written by Xavier Albertson, an Ingraham High School sophomore who recently received a free ORCA card as a part of Mayor Jenny’s ORCA Opportunity program.