Port Authority surveys its riders about safety

With Port Authority expecting to redeploy some service for the first time in two months next week, the agency is conducting a $10,000 survey to find out how much previous riders expect to use public transit as COVID-19 restrictions are reduced.

The online survey, conducted by Pittsburgh-based Campos, was sent to riders who have used the authority’s prepaid ConnectCards, the online service center, or the TrueTime vehicle arrival app in the past six months, spokesman Adam Brandolph said Wednesday. A series of questions asks riders whether they are aware of safety precautions the agency has taken, whether they expect to return to work soon and how often they expect to use transit.

The agency cut service by about 25% in mid-March because of a drop in ridership of more than 75% due to Gov. Tom Wolf’s stay-athome order. Mr. Wolf is easing those coronavirusrelated restrictions Friday in 13 counties in the western part of the state, including Allegheny, and Port Authority has proposed plans to return full service on neighborhood routes beginning Sunday.

“The survey gauges how people feel as we move [to less restrictions],” Mr. Brandolph said. “We need some of these insights to be aware of our riders.

“The global pandemic has thrown everything we’ve known about our riders into the unknown and we wanted to make sure we can make changes with the needs of our riders. Obviously, things have changed drastically in the last two months.”

Mr. Brandolph said the agency doesn’t know what to expect next week because Mr. Wolf’s order still encourages anyone who can work at home to continue to do so. That, combined with high unemployment and possible uneasiness among the public, makes it hard to predict what will happen with transit ridership.

The agency wants to find out whether people who normally ride public transit are aware the agency is sanitizing all vehicles daily as well as having riders wear masks, enter from the rear of buses and stay six feet away from other riders.

“If they’re not aware of the things we’re doing, we have to change our messaging,” he said. “We want to know what will make their riding experience better.”

The authority’s proposal for increasing service is under review by the Amalgamated Transit Union and the Allegheny County Health Department. Mr. Brandolph said he expects changes before the final plan is announced, likely on Friday.