Deep Discount Group Pass Programs: A Case Study of the Port Authority of Allegheny County

摘要

Public transit agencies in cities across the US have experimented in recent years with aninnovative form of financing that offers fare discounts to groups of people affiliated with largeinstitutions. “Deep discount group passes,” as they are known, are negotiated between transitagencies and public and private universities, municipal governments, and other types of privateand non-profit organizations and employers. Such agreements provide greater revenue stabilityfor transit agencies, offer low cost transit services to individuals, and help avoid highertransportation-related costs, such as parking lot construction and maintenance, for largeinstitutions. The Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC), the public transit agency for thecity of Pittsburgh and its surrounding suburbs, provides an intriguing example of this approach.The PAAC has negotiated agreements with not one, but three, local universities and has thepotential to expand its service to other area universities and large employers located inPittsburgh’s central business district. This paper provides a detailed account of the developmentof deep discount group pass programs in Pittsburgh and highlights the opportunities suchprograms have for benefiting transit agencies and organizations working to providetransportation choices and promote sustainable communities.