Port Authority will meet with groups over fare enforcement

Representatives of a coalition of groups told the Port Authority board Friday that they have a “profound disagreement” with plans to use armed police officers to enforce fare payment and urged the agency to consider other options.

The authority said it would meet with the coalition but the board chairman said he’s satisfied with the policy announced last week and doesn’t foresee any changes.

The coalition, which includes Pittsburghers for Public Transit, Casa San Jose and the Thomas Merton Center, is concerned about the policy, which involves having armed police officers checking whether riders have paid fares when the light-rail system goes cashless this summer. If they haven't, they will be issued a criminal citation and officers will run a records check to see whether riders have any outstanding criminal warrants against them.

The coalition wants the agency to consider a civil process that would go to a bill collector if the fare isn't paid rather than a criminal process that could send someone to jail or lead to deportation if

the rider is an undocumented immigrant. San Francisco, among other transit systems, uses civilian fare checkers to issue civil fines.

Gabe McMorland, incoming director of the Thomas Merton Center, said he sharply disagrees with the Port Authority’s policy. “I would certainly hope there are no plans to expand it to other parts of the system. This does not sound like a plan to increase ridership.”

Molly Nichols of Pittsburghers for Public Transit suggested the agency use a system similar to what the Pennsylvania Turnpike does — drivers who use the EZPass lanes without a transponder receive a bill in the mail. If the bills aren’t paid, they go to a collection agency.

Authority Chairman Jeffrey Letwin said he doesn’t anticipate changes to the policy. “We'll sit and listen to them and see what they have to say,” he said. “I think as things stand right now we've put together a good program.”

A meeting has not been scheduled.

Light-rail riders will pay at a station terminal using a pre-paid ConnectCard or by buying a ticket at the station. The authority will assign 10 officers to periodically check all riders waiting in a designated paid area at stations or all riders on a light-rail vehicle to make sure they have paid.

The authority also plans to go to a cashless system on buses but that hasn’t been scheduled yet.