Half-price transit rides for SNAP households made permanent

Sherai Richardson saved a stray cat from 2017’s Hurricane Harvey in Austin, Texas, and named him Chorley. About five years later, she lost her apartment to a fire, so she relocated to Pittsburgh, where her daughter lives, and began a stay at a shelter. Because the shelter didn’t allow pets, she paid to board Chorley at a kennel, which ate about half of her income from disability.

She heard of a pilot program from Allegheny County offering free or half-discount Pittsburgh Regional Transit [PRT] fares for low-income residents and signed up to participate. She used her half-price rides to attend church, get food from a pantry, fulfill medical appointments and job search.

“It was a huge help when I got that,” Richardson said.

Now, at  51, Richardson is out of the shelter, has a job in food service and lives in the Hill District with Chorley.

“It’s just been going up for me, things have,” she said.

Now that the pilot has concluded, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services [ACDHS] is preparing to launch Allegheny Go, a permanent program offering half-off transit for households eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP] benefits.

“This is so vital, because, as Pittsburghers for Public Transit say, bus lines are lifelines,” County Executive Sara Innamorato said at a press conference in Wilkinsburg on Monday. “And they are incredibly important to working families.”

The program comes as welcome news to Pittsburghers for Public Transit, an advocacy group that has long sought to improve transit access for low-income riders.

“This is still such a unique and model program, where the Department of Human Services is funding PRT to have this program in place, because it is a win-win for all entities,” said PPT Executive Director Laura Wiens. “PRT has more ridership, they get dedicated revenue. [ACDHS] is paying a single, relatively-low cost to get benefits across this whole spectrum of human service needs, and of course for riders. We just hear stories from riders all the time about how life-changing this is.”

Beginning in early 2023, ACDHS gave about 14,000 people cards and split them into three roughly equal groups: those given no discount, a half-off discount, and unlimited free rides. After reviewing the findings, the country has opted to make the half-off discount permanent for those eligible for SNAP benefits with enrollment beginning June 3 .

“The county and PRT agreed to launch a half-discount program after observing the positive impacts of fare discounts on transportation affordability and ridership,” an ACDHS spokesperson wrote to PublicSource. “The county and PRT are committed to exploring a fully free program, including design and pricing options, to bolster the half-discount program.”

While Pittsburgh Regional Transit will administer the program, ACDHS funds it, using a mixture of grant and state funding sources.

In a report released online , the county shared that adult recipients of cards in the pilot program were 72% female and 59% Black. On average, participants made 10 trips a week.

Those given a half-off discount took trips between one and two times more than those given no discount, while those given free fares took around three times more trips than those with no discount, according to the report. On average, savings amounted to more than $17 per week for those with free fares, while those with a half-discount saved almost $9.

Why half-price, rather than free?

For years, PPT has advocated for a fully-free program for low-income riders, according to Wiens. The results of the pilot program have made the organization more resolute in its position.

“The zero-fare program was profoundly impactful on people’s lives, and the folks who … were part of that portion of the pilot talk about how they were able to get and retain jobs for the first time,” Wiens said. “That they were able to take their kids to museums and to libraries and to public events in the city where they hadn’t been able to before. … The half-fare program we know also was helpful, but to a lesser extent.”

The county estimates the program will cost $1.2 million per 10,000 riders who use it.

“The half fare, essentially, from the budgetary perspective, lets us help twice as many folks as going the full fare,” said PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman at a press conference. “So, using the numbers the county had, if they budgeted $1.2 million annually, that’s 10,000 riders at half or 5,000 at full fare.”

Wiens also has concerns that the reliance on the Ready2Ride smartphone app for use of the program will provide barriers to entry for some riders. An updated ConnectCard system coming next year will allow the program to function without smartphones, according to the county.

The new administration of Sara Innamorato , who ran on a progressive platform, has created a closer connection between the county and PPT, according to Wiens. PPT has collaborated with the county on the rollout of Allegheny Go, and at a county press conference, PPT joined Innamorato in announcing the program.  Teaira Collins, a PPT activist, spoke at the event and advocated for a future free program.

“We’ve definitely seen a change in our ability to connect directly with the county agencies and collaborate with them,” Wiens said.

Deanna Barlow, a 31-year-old Hill District resident, participated in the pilot program and received a card providing unlimited free fares. She has six children and said she found the free rides helpful for getting her and her oldest children for trips such as work, shopping and medical appointments.

“It’s helped greatly,” she said. “I’m able to get the older three children around better… ‘grab your bus passes, let’s go.’”

Barlow currently works as a supervisor in retail and said she’ll be okay with adjusting to a half-off discount instead of a fully free one.

“I’m more concerned about the people who are struggling,” she said, “who are still trying to keep their head above water.”

Richardson said that she does not expect to be receiving SNAP benefits for much longer, in which case she would no longer be eligible for the transit discount. She said she’s not worried about that, though, and has greatly appreciated the discount.

“They’ve helped me so much to this day that I’m comfortable to go off the half-fare,” Richardson said. “I really am, because that’s how much help they have provided for me to be able to reach goals.”

Matt Petras is an independent writer and adjunct professor based in the Pittsburgh area and can be reached at matt456p@gmail.com .

This story was fact-checked by Rich Lord.

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