Port Authority to begin mobile ticketing pilot program

Allegheny County — The Port Authority of Allegheny County is accepting submissions to participate in the agency’s new touchless mobile ticketing pilot program.

The pilot will begin in early February and last at least three months. The program is open to the first 400 bus riders who have an Apple or Android mobile device and a debit or credit card.

“I think riders are going to find the new mobile ticketing app to be fast, convenient and reliable, and it’s an exciting step toward modernizing the way our customers pay their fare,” said Port Authority CEO Katharine Kelleman. “And although we began planning for this well before the pandemic, providing our riders with a touchless payment system in addition to our ConnectCard is a tremendous benefit for obvious reasons.”

The free app called Ready2Ride will allow riders to purchase fare payment products -- from single trip tickets to monthly passes -- from their mobile device and use them immediately. The app then displays a digital ticket on the phone’s screen, eliminating the need for hard surface contact at the farebox.

The application relies on a mobile ticketing platform called Justride, created by London-based Masabi LLC. Port Authority’s board approved the contract with Masabi in May 2019. Masabi has also deployed its Justride application in cities like London, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Denver.

To apply to participate in the mobile ticketing pilot, riders should visit www.portauthority.org/mobilepilot.

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