In Pittsburgh, Transit Passes Come With Bike-Share Access at No Extra Charge

Two holy grails of bike-share service are increasing access to people without credit card accounts and integration with the local transit fare system. In Pittsburgh, local bike-share operator Healthy Rides is doing both simultaneously.

People who have a ConnectCard, the Pittsburgh region's RFID-based transit farecard, now have access to unlimited bike-share trips of 15 minutes or less, reports Stephani Cox at Better Bike Share.

Cox spoke to Healthy Rides Executive Director David White about how the ConnectCard integration works "without requiring any registration on the customer’s part":

At 50 stations, Pittsburgh's bike-share system is still pretty small, however, which limits its usefulness for first- and last-mile connections to transit. But Cox reports that the city is preparing to add 20 stations in lower-income areas that are underserved by transit.

More recommended reading today: Architect This City reports that the Trump administration's proposed changes to the mortgage interest deduction would leave it in place for the wealthiest homeowners. And Darin Givens at Atlanta the City says local residents need to hold politicians accountable if children aren't even safe walking on streets close to home.