PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) – Admitting the Port Authority fare system isn’t equitable for all riders, CEO Katharine Kelleman is supporting a top to bottom review of the authority’s fares. The board has voted to hire a consultant, Four Nines Technologies, at a cost not to exceed $210,000, for three years to recommend changes and new technology.
Kelleman says they will look at things like free transfers and fare capping.
“Someone pays $2.75 for the first trip, and then a dollar (to transfer), then their next trip is $2.75 and they pay that much coming home. We are then a barrier to use,” said Kelleman.
However, she wants a clear idea of how much these changes would cost the authority.
“We have an obligation to get our hands around that cost. I anticipate folks will be paying less out of pocket. That means less revenue to us. We need to be able to lay out a plan of how we move forward with the fare improvements,” she said.
The fare review and possibility of fare capping is supported by the riders group Pittsburghers for Public Transit. Several members told the board they hope it doesn’t take three years to implement a new fare system. They also thought the work could be done in-house and not by a paid consultant.
In other action the board voted to buy the systems first two fully electric buses at a cost of more than $1 million each. The buses should be on the street before the end of the year.