Pittsburgh Launches Guaranteed Basic Mobility Pilot

A new “Guaranteed Basic Mobility” program will offer up to 50 Pittsburgh residents free access to the city’s shared mobility and public transit services, reports Danielle McLean in Smart Cities Dive. The year-long program is aimed at increasing access to jobs, education, and services for low-income residents in the Manchester and Chateau neighborhoods.

The program follows similar initiatives in Los Angeles, Oakland, and Portland. Tosh Chambers, senior program director with Pittsburgh’s Move PGH pilot, “hopes that the micromobility options offered under the program will be utilized as a first and last-mile connector to the light rail station located just outside of [Manchester].”

In addition to the 50 residents that will receive free transit benefits, a control group of 50 other residents will be compensated for participating in surveys. By including public transit, scooters, bike share, and car sharing in the program, the city hopes to answer a key question: “If someone has every type of transportation option available to them, what combination of modes will they rely on?”

The city plans to produce a report at the end of the pilot program with hopes that they can find funding for future expansion.