💳 Your bus now accepts credit cards

Tap To Pay Officially Launches Today in Seattle

Everyone say, “thank you World Cup” because it seems like the impending arrival of thousands of international visitors for the big event this summer has finally given our city a reason to adopt Tap to Pay. This means that instead of paying with cash or a pre-purchased ORCA card, you can now just tap your credit/debit card or your phone to pay for transit. [Sound Transit]

• King County Executive Girmay Zahilay says that Tap to Pay is a major milestone and that “it brings our system into the modern era and makes everyday trips more convenient.” We could not agree more. In fact, I might hop on a bus today just to see if it works!
• Don’t worry, if you love your ORCA card, you can continue to use it. For now, contactless payments will not be accepted on the Seattle Monorail or WA State Ferries, among others. To see the full list and to find answers to any other questions you may have, visit My ORCA.
• Another way our city is preparing for the World Cup is through installing bike and scooter corrals to better keep them off the sidewalks. SDOT recently revealed its corral plans for Pioneer Square, but so far, it has not gone over well with the preservation board or some of the local businesses in the area.

Another Elevator Reform Bill Is Going Up 🛗

Elevators are crucial to building up in our city. The U.S. is pretty behind the rest of the world in creating policy that makes that easier, but our state currently has a bill in play to address this. Contributor Ryan Packer explains 🎧 why paving the way for smaller, less expensive elevators was just approved by the Washington State Senate and how that brings renewed hope for a nation-leading proposal to get rid of restrictive standards for elevators that increase building costs and lead to fewer elevators being built. [The Urbanist]

Why Is Muralist Henry’s Art Suddenly Everywhere? 🖌️

Muralist Ryan Henry Ward paints brightly-colored, cartoon-style murals well known throughout Seattle, but lately they’ve been popping up with greater frequency. The Stranger even ran a segment about it in their complaints issue titled ‘The Public Artist Has Gone Too Far.’ Today on the podcast, we discuss Henry’s lore and what makes good public art with the Downtown Seattle Association’s Seth Geiser. Plus, we suggest other artists to check out. And this article about muralist Billy King highlights another Seattle staple worth knowing. [Seattle Times]

Where To Find the Best Cheap Eats in the City 🍜

Seattle is an extremely expensive city, both to live in and to visit. As locals, we’re feeling the pinch of extra fees and higher prices, but we still want to be able to support local businesses and treat ourselves to a meal that we didn’t have to cook. So, we’ve been searching for some of the best deals around town to help you (and us!) save some money the next time you want to eat out. [City Cast Seattle]