Seniors can still use blue, yellow transit cards for Port Authority rides

Port Authority of Allegheny County will continue to accept blue and yellow Pennsylvania Senior Transit Cards, state lawmakers announced Thursday.

The agency’s new Senior Citizen ConnectCards caused some confusion among senior citizens about whether the state transit cards would still be accepted, according to a trio of Republican state lawmakers.

“We’re aware of the confusion some people are experiencing as the Port Authority transitions its method of delivering free transportation to seniors,” state Reps. Natalie Mihalek of Upper St. Clair and Jason Ortitay of Cecil and House Speaker Mike Turzai of Bradford Woods said in a news release.

“We also want seniors using the blue or yellow paper cards to know that there’s nothing they need to do if they wish to continue enjoying free transportation,” the lawmakers said.

Seniors living in Allegheny County were able to obtain Senior Citizen ConnectCards beginning in July as an alternative to riding with their Medicare ID card. Seniors who use their Medicare ID to ride public transit for free were instructed to apply for the Senior ConnectCard by Dec. 31, 2019.

The new Senior ConnectCard works just like a ConnectCard but does not need to be loaded with stored value or a pass, legislators said.

For seniors who still use their Medicare ID card to ride, all three state representatives said their offices are prepared to help with the Senior ConnectCard application.