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Limited-edition ORCA Cards

Jovita Mercado, Yasiman Ahsani, Rey Daoed

RapidRide

Artist-designed transit cards celebrate community histories and cultures.

Yasiman Ahsani and Rey Daoed. Limited-edition ORCA cards, 2023. King County Public Art Collection. Photo: joefreemanjunior.com

Every tap of a transit card can be a small but meaningful art experience, something personal woven into the comings and goings of daily life.

After 4Culture commissioned the art plan for King County Metro’s RapidRide Expansion Program, authors Elisheba Johnson and Kristen Ramirez detailed a wide range of recommendations for potential public art opportunities—including the transit cards themselves. Metro cards, which are used on buses, light rail, ferries, and more, are known as ORCA cards.

Three emerging regional artists were selected to create distinct card designs that highlighted the diverse communities served by RapidRide’s G, H, and I lines. Jovita Mercado focused on the H Line, which began service in 2023 and connects Delridge, White Center, and Burien. Yasiman Ahsani focused on the G Line, which launched in 2024 and connects Madison Valley, First Hill, and downtown Seattle. Rey Daoed focused on the I Line, which is expected to start running in 2026, serving Renton, Kent, and Auburn. Experienced public artists Angelina Villalobos and Jesse Brown provided mentorship and guidance throughout the design process.

Approximately 9,000 custom ORCA cards were distributed at community events and made available at the King Street Center Pass Sales Office throughout 2023 and 2024.

“Pictures and sketches of passengers made while riding the bus informed my design. I was influenced by the distinctive RapidRide color scheme too. By flipping the image vertically, it became unexpected and special—a perfect way to celebrate this new route.” —Rey Daoed

Ahsani is a Seattle-based Iranian-American artist and game designer whose paintings, digital illustrations, and traditional prints feature bold colors, shapes, and patterns inspired by her Middle-Eastern culture. Mercado, originally from Yakima and currently based in Vancouver, WA, is a Chicana whose practice is driven by questions about history, gender, ethnicity, identity, colonization, and exploitation. Samammish-based Fareyza Daoed—often called Rey by his family and friends—is diagnosed with autism and apraxia of speech, and prefers to communicate through typing, handwriting, and text-to-speech apps. After he began painting in 2015, the medium become an important secondary means of connection.

Rey Daoed. Limited-edition ORCA card, 2023. King County Public Art Collection
Yasiman Ahsani. Limited-edition ORCA card, 2023. King County Public Art Collection
Jovita Mercado. Limited-edition ORCA card, 2023. King County Public Art Collection

About the Location

RapidRide

Launched in 2009 with the creation of the A Line, RapidRide is King County Metro’s premier transit service, a network of limited-stop bus routes that provide frequent trips in six major transit corridors covering 64 miles across the county—with additional lines scheduled to debut in the years ahead. Different from standard bus service, RapidRide lines…

Read more about the art and artists at RapidRide. More >