Last year, Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services had little trouble finding about 14,000 Pittsburgh Regional Transit riders to take part in a pilot program testing a proposed reduced or free fare program for low-income riders.
For the pilot, the riders were divided into three groups — full fare, half fare and free rides. The results showed that riders with reduced fares rode four times as much as those who paid full fares, so the county agreed to extend the program by offering reduced fares to anyone who participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
It launched the formal Allegheny Go program June 3 with a potential for 134,000 people to pay half the regular rate to ride anywhere on the PRT system. Despite extensive advertising and outreach by DHS and others, the program only has 5,708 riders approved so far — including those in the pilot — and only 62% of those have used their reduced fare privilege.
So what’s the problem?
The transit agency says it’s early and the program will grow late next year when it switches to a new payment system to replace the ConnectCard program. Right now, riders need to use a smartphone to participate in the program rather than the ConnectCard used in the pilot.
Human Services officials, who have set aside as much as $2 million to fund the program each year, say they are satisfied with current enrollment but admit they have space for many more participants.
Advocates for riders say the current system is too complicated for many riders to use and they will push PRT to develop an interim system until the new card is ready because many needy riders are missing out on reduced-cost trips for work, food and medical appointments.
“I think this illuminates how important it is to have a card program,” said Laura Wiens, executive director of Pittsburghers for Public Transit. “The program can’t just be available to people who can use the app-based version.”
Erin Dalton, county human services director, said the agency has made a strong effort to push the program: more than 100,000 text messages to SNAP-eligible families, 42 live events, flyers included with food kitchen distributions and distributed at Allegheny County Housing Authority communities and local churches.
“We agree with the advocates,” Dalton said. “We have room for a lot more people. It’s hard to get the word out. We want to get as many people enrolled as possible.”
Another problem is adding money to the Ready2Ride mobile account. Nichole Gallagher, an advocate with Latino welcome center Casa San Jose, told the authority’s board last month that it’s difficult to pay the half-fare price of $48.75 for a 31-day pass because the system only takes certain increments of payment.
“The app is very difficult to navigate,” she said, and requires low-income riders to add $60 to the pass they first time they buy it. The extra money stays in the account for their next purchase, but it can be hard for low-income riders to come up with the initial payment, she said.
Jeffrey Devlin, PRT’s chief information officer, said he thinks it is easy to put $50 on the card with two transactions, resulting in a minor overpayment.
For the overall program, Devlin said through September 3,236 individual riders have participated in the program. They have taken 225,111 rides and saved $205,829.
“I think any criticism of the program is early,” said PRT spokesman Adam Brandolph. “You have to give people time to find out about it and get approved. It’s premature.”
Devlin acknowledged the pilot was easier for riders because DHS could buy ConnectCards for participants, but the permanent program requires a smartphone or other payment method. The agency is in the process of changing to a different version of the ConnectCard that will work the same as a smartphone, but technical problems have pushed back implementation of that change from early next year to closer to the end of the year.
“We’re in the process of changing from the old system to the new system,” Devlin said. “We recognize [the reduced-fare program] isn’t robust, but we are making all the tools available that we can.”
Right now, ConnectCards have their own limitations because money added to them often isn’t available for up to three days. When the new system is in place, money will be available immediately.
“Thirteen years ago, the [ConnectCard] system we had worked,” Brandolph said. “This will be by far a change to a modern fare system.”
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.