Move PGH FAQs
+ Why is MovePGH necessary?
Move PGH is necessary because not everyone has a car. Roughly 20% of Pittsburgh residents live in “car-free” households – some by choice, others by circumstance. Over 65% of low-income households in the city do not have access to a private automobile. This can severely limit their ability to access job opportunities, fresh fruits and vegetables, or quality health care and education.
By combining “micromobility” (small shared mobility devices like shared bicycles or scooters) with transit, we can extend access to the frequent transit network and all the jobs and destinations it connects. Adding in car share and carpool services extends that network even further.
Move PGH is necessary because transportation should be easy. Although Pittsburgh is fortunate to have a number of different mobility services, not everyone knows about these options, where they are or how to combine services. Putting all the services together in a single mobile app and at physical mobility hubs makes planning a trip or finding a ride easy.
And Move PGH is also necessary because climate change is a real and urgent threat. Motor vehicle emissions are a major contributor to global climate change. Since the pandemic, motor vehicle use has soared even while we see climate emergencies across the country.
MovePGH supports low-emission, sustainable and low-cost transportation by providing human and electric-powered mobility options and higher occupancy shared travel.
+ What is novel about what Pittsburgh is doing?
Move PGH is creating a single digital platform. All modes will be available in a single place (Transit App).
In most other cities, each service requires its own application. At this moment, many services are visible on the Transit app but not yet fully connected.
In the summer of 2021, the Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) launched an easy-to-use system of mobile ticketing so you can buy tickets directly on your phone; In the Spring of 2022, POGOH (formerly Healthy Ride) converted their fleet to a mix of regular bikes and e-bikes;
All other modes are working to complete their “deep linkage” on the Transit app.
This means most services will not only be visible, but will be able to be booked and paid for all within a single app and (eventually) a single mobility wallet that may be reloaded at conventional parking meters throughout the city.
Mobility hubs. Physical mobility hubs provide a place to reliably access a diversity of services. Most hubs are located near to frequent transit stops and Healthy Ride stations and provide electric charging for e-scooters and real-time transit arrival information via dynamic TransitScreens. Several hubs provide additional amenities including nearby Zipcar carshare rentals, Scoobi moped parking, and pick-up/drop-off zones for carpool, rideshare and/or jitney service.
Universal Basic Mobility. Transportation mobility is fundamental to economic mobility – but too many Pittsburghers are mobility insecure. Pittsburgh believes that access to basic transportation is a right, not a privilege.
Move PGH, with support from philanthropic and non-profit partners, provides the opportunity to offer low-income workers a “basket of transportation goods” that provide the flexibility necessary to give them access to better paying jobs and the mobility stability to keep and excel in them. This resiliency and reliability can be difficult to achieve with just one mode, but is well supported in a multi-modal system of fixed and on-demand services.
+ Don’t [scooters, mopeds, bikes, etc.] compete with transit and reduce ridership?
No. While some transit patrons may opt, on occasion, to take an alternative mode for a particular trip, the “big fish” is making the integrated system more reliable and convenient and converting more predominant auto travelers to predominantly non-auto mobility. This increases the base of riders for all mobility services – transit foremost among them.
+ Is this for me?
New urban mobility is often seen as a service for affluent millennials. This is not so. Residents of all ages and income levels experience mobility gaps and require more resilient, reliable and affordable options.
Over the past year, Move PGH has partnered with a number of local Registered Community Organizations (RCOs) – particularly in communities of color – to ensure the system is designed “for us.” This includes expanding the program to include transit stop passenger amenities, sidewalk improvements, incorporation of jitney service, and business model exposure for budding entrepreneurs from our historically black neighborhoods.
Multiple members of the Pittsburgh Mobility Collective (Move PGH) have “street teams” or “ambassador” programs. Partners will continue to expand “ride coaching” activities to ensure that residents from all corners of the City have the opportunity to gain confidence in the system and take advantage of the many opportunities it opens up.
+ What is the cost of each transportation service?
- PRT (buses and trains)
- With Connect Card = $2.75 for a three hour pass or $97.50/month for unlimited rides
- POGOH bike share = $3.50/ 30 minute ride with $2 fee for e-bike rental or $120/year for unlimited 30-minute rides with $1 e-bike fee
- Spin e-scooter = $1 to unlock + ~$0.39/minute (50% off for low income)
- Waze Carpool = minimum $1/ride, maximum $0.58/mile (driver decides)
- Zipcar carshare = $7/month + $11.50/hr or $85/day
+ How will cash-users be able to use this new mobility system?
Cash fare payment has been a challenge for years. Thanks to an innovative pilot with the Pittsburgh Parking Authority (PPA), Pittsburghers may soon be able to turn the coins in their pocket into stored value on their ConnectCard simply by depositing them at one of many parking meters around the city. This cash deposit will immediately be available for transit rides ensuring that riders pay only the price of fare and no more.
Move PGH partners will explore opportunities to utilize this “stored value” function as a “mobility wallet” across multiple mobility services in the integrated system.
+ Do Move PGH services accommodate persons with disabilities and/or limited English proficiency?
Transit app provides language access in multiple languages. It also has options to accommodate the visually impaired. Through the language access program, users with limited English proficiency can access all Move PGH services.
Zipcar can accommodate users requiring a wheelchair accessible vehicle and/or hand controls if reservations are made in advance. Waze Carpool will match users requiring wheelchair accessible vehicles with drivers of such vehicles, if available.