Pittsburgh Transit Discounts: Half Fares on PRT With SNAP, Free Rides at 65
Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) doesn't have one "low-income fare." It has several discounts, and each one has its own card, its own office and its own rules. If someone in your home gets SNAP, if you're 65 or older, if you have a disability or if you have kids between 6 and 11, you may be paying more than you need to.
AT A GLANCE
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Which discount fits you
Start here. Most riders fit only one row. Allegheny Go's FAQ says you "may not qualify" if you already get a fare discount through another program.
Your situation | Program | Discount | Who runs it |
|---|---|---|---|
You're 12 to 64, live in Allegheny County, and someone in your household gets SNAP | Allegheny Go | 50% off | Allegheny County DHS checks eligibility. PRT handles the card and app |
You're 65 or older | Senior Citizen ConnectCard (statewide free transit) | Free | PRT, paid for by the Pennsylvania Lottery |
You have a permanent or temporary disability, or a Medicare card and you're under 65 | Reduced Fare card | Half fare | PRT Downtown Service Center |
Child age 5 or under | None needed | Free | PRT |
Child age 6 to 11 | Kids ConnectCard | Half fare ($1.35) | PRT |
If your household has a working adult on SNAP, a grandparent over 65 and a 9-year-old, each person may use a different program. That's normal.
What you'd actually pay
These are PRT's published prices. The reduced price in the second column applies to Allegheny Go, the Reduced Fare card and the Kids card.
Fare product | Full fare | Reduced fare | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
3-Hour Pass | $2.75 | $1.35 | 3 hours after activation |
7-Day Pass | $25 | $12.50 | 7 days after activation |
31-Day Pass | $97.50 | $48.75 | 31 days after activation |
Day Pass | $7 | No reduced price listed | The whole service day |
Annual Pass | $1,072.50 | No reduced price listed | 365 days after activation |
On a 31-Day Pass, a reduced fare saves $48.75 a month, or $585 over 12 months (our math from PRT's prices). Transfers are free for three hours when you pay with a card or a mobile ticket. A replacement card costs $1.
"You and your family can ride PRT buses, light rail and more for 50% off with Allegheny Go!" (Allegheny County Department of Human Services)
Allegheny Go: the SNAP discount
Allegheny Go is a county program, not a PRT program. The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) runs the application and checks eligibility. PRT provides the fare card and the app. The county pays for it.
Who qualifies
You live in Allegheny County.
You're between 12 and 64 years old.
Somebody in your household currently receives SNAP.
Every eligible household member between 12 and 64 can get the discount. If you don't get SNAP yourself but a child in your home does, you can still qualify. Apply using the Social Security number or EBT card number of a child who receives SNAP.
How to apply
Pick how you want to pay. You can get the discount on a physical fare card, or through PRT's Ready2Ride mobile app.
Fill out the online application on the Allegheny Go website. If you want the app, choose "Enroll using the Ready2Ride app" on the form and download the Ready2Ride app and create an account.
If you chose a card, PRT will mail you a ConnectCard and then a ReadyFare card. The 50% discount applies when you buy fares at ConnectCard machines, the Downtown Service Center, online or at participating retailers.
If you chose the app, open Ready2Ride, tap "Buy Tickets," choose "Half Fares," and pick your pass.
No internet? Email Allegheny Go or call DHS at 412-244-3558 and ask for a paper application by mail. Interpreters are available.
DHS staff sometimes run registration events around the county. When we checked, the events page said no events were scheduled, so check back or call.
If you think your application was wrongly denied, Allegheny Go says to email ACDHS. For eligibility questions, call DHS at 412-244-3558. For help with the app, your card or buying tickets, call PRT Customer Service at 412-442-2000.
Seniors 65 and older: ride free
Pennsylvania's free transit program for seniors is paid for by the Pennsylvania Lottery. On PRT, you show or tap a Senior Citizen ConnectCard. It never needs money or a pass loaded on it.
Where to apply: PRT's Downtown Service Center, or one of several state legislators' offices in Allegheny County. Call Customer Service at 412-442-2000 to find the sign-up location nearest you.
Bring one proof of age, such as:
Photo driver's license or Pennsylvania ID card
Birth certificate or baptismal certificate
Passport or naturalization papers
Armed Forces discharge or separation papers
PACE ID
A statement of age from the Social Security Administration
At the Downtown Service Center, you get the card on the spot. At other locations, PRT mails the card to that office, and you pick it up after you get a letter. PRT also accepts the blue or yellow PA Senior Transit ID cards.
Seniors don't need to switch cards yet. PRT says Senior ConnectCard holders should keep using their card as a flash pass during the ReadyFare change. If the expiration date on your card is near or has passed, keep using it and disregard the date. PRT lists spring 2027 for the senior card change.
Riders with disabilities: the half-fare card
If you have a permanent or temporary disability, PRT's Reduced Fare card lets you pay half the regular fare. You can load cash value, a 7-day pass or a 31-day pass on it. If you pay the half fare in cash, you still need to tap the card when you board so the operator knows you qualify.
The Medicare shortcut
If you're under 65 and have a Medicare card, your doctor doesn't need to fill out anything. Bring your Medicare card and a photo ID to the Downtown Service Center and they'll process your application there.
Without a Medicare card
Get the Reduced Fare Application from PRT's website or the Downtown Service Center.
Fill out Part I yourself.
Have your treating doctor complete and sign Parts II and III. The form lists functional limits that qualify, such as trouble with stairs or with getting on and off a vehicle, being unable to stand in a moving vehicle without major support, needing a cane or crutches, or a vision or hearing impairment that can't be corrected.
Get a signed letter on the doctor's letterhead that names the same disability listed in Part III.
Turn everything in within 30 days of the dates on the application and the letter, by mail or in person, to Pittsburgh Regional Transit, 623 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. PRT accepts original documents only.
Wait for a notice in the mail. Then bring that notice and your photo ID to the Downtown Service Center to pick up your card.
Questions about the application go to 412-255-1356. The PDF form on PRT's site is an older version that still says "Port Authority of Allegheny County," the agency's former name. It's the form PRT links to now, so use it.
If you can't use buses or the T at all, ask about ACCESS, PRT's door-to-door shared-ride paratransit service. It mainly serves people with disabilities, clients of human service agencies and people 65 and older.
Kids 6 to 11
Children 5 and under ride free and don't need a card. Children ages 6 to 11 ride at half price, $1.35, with a Kids ConnectCard. Apply through PRT's Fares for Children page. At 12, a child in a SNAP household can move to Allegheny Go.
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The ReadyFare switch: don't get stuck
PRT is replacing ConnectCard with a new card called ReadyFare. By late 2026, fareboxes will stop accepting ConnectCards. After that, you'll need a ReadyFare card, the Ready2Ride app or cash. Here's what PRT says each discount group should expect:
Rider group | What happens | PRT's timing |
|---|---|---|
Reduced Fare (disability) | PRT mails a ReadyFare card to riders who request one. You'll get mail or email explaining how to request it | Summer 2026 |
Allegheny Go | PRT mails new cards to registered riders. Then you transfer any ConnectCard balance | Fall 2026 |
Kids ConnectCard | Families get mail explaining how to get a ReadyFare card and move the balance | Summer 2026 |
Senior ConnectCard | No action needed yet. Keep using your card | Spring 2027 |
Some of those dates have already passed. If you're on Reduced Fare, Allegheny Go or a Kids card and haven't gotten a ReadyFare card, call 412-442-2000 now. Don't wait for your ConnectCard to stop working. Any leftover ConnectCard balance can be moved to a ReadyFare card with PRT's online Fund Balance Transfer form.
Most retail stores don't handle ReadyFare yet. The Downtown Service Center does.
Before you call
☐ Your SNAP case info, or an EBT card number for the household member who gets SNAP (for Allegheny Go)
☐ A photo ID
☐ Proof of age, if you're 65 or older
☐ Your Medicare card, or the doctor-signed application and letter (originals), for a disability card
☐ Your current ConnectCard number, if you're moving a balance to ReadyFare
☐ An email address or smartphone, if you want to use Ready2Ride
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
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Official sources
Last checked: October 23, 2026. Fares, eligibility rules and ReadyFare timing come from PRT's and Allegheny County DHS's websites as of this date.
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