Pittsburgh residents frustrated over ride share options being used carelessly

PITTSBURGH — Scooters and ride share services were a big focus of the previous administration. But Monday several Pittsburghers are pushing back, saying initiatives like these have left them stranded.

Pittsburgh resident Verna Johnson has two bad knees and feet and uses a cane to get around. She sees first hand how obstacles like scooters on the sidewalks, and walkways that are crumbling and covered in garbage make it difficult.

Verna says, “No one likes to be ignored especially when it comes with difficulties of how you’re going to travel, how you’re going to get across a surface that may be a road surface that’s nothing but crumbling sidewalk.”

Verna is also the board chair of the group Pittsburghers for Public Transit. The organization put out a new report last week that points out why initiatives that include bundling transit options like taking a port authority bus and then a scooter to your destination leaves many who rely on public transportation, stranded.

Executive director of the group, Laura Chu Wiens says, “We found that instead of expanding access to transportation and basic mobility, a lot of these transportation technology companies actually actively inhibited the ability for people with the highest level of need.”

This group hopes the new administration makes more of a concerted effort to invest in meeting those needs. And Verna has one suggestion too.

“If the mayor could put someone on that actually has or is experiencing disabilities they would have the insight to understand what it’s like for people who have permanent or temporary disabilities.”

We reached out to the mayor’s office and they said they would get back to us.

If you’d like to watch the Pittsburghers for Public Transit entire webinar on this report from last week, click here.

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