Pittsburgh agency considers charging fee for smart cards

PITTSBURGH — The Port Authority of Allegheny County’s consideration of a one-time fee for issuing its ConnectCards smart card system will be followed by an extensive review of the agency’s fare policies, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

An authority committee approved a 30-day public comment period starting June 1 on the subject of a fee for ConnectCards, which currently are issued for free. The amount of the fee was not specified but could be in the $3 to $5 range. Existing cardholders would not be charged, and if the agency adopts a fee, those without ConnectCards would be encouraged to obtain them before the fee takes effect. For the full story, click here.