Port Authority Begins Issuing Photo ConnectCards to Senior Citizens for Free Rides

The Pennsylvania Port Authority has started issuing thousands of photo ID ConnectCards to seniors so they can take advantage of free public transit rides beginning next year, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Port Authority spokesperson Adam Brandolph said state rules will no longer let seniors get free rides using Medicare cards after Jan. 1, 2020. The ConnectCards are good for four years and expire on the holder's birthday. "We will be rolling out a big marketing campaign over the summer and everybody will have plenty of time to get the new card," Brandolph promised. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) said the cards are designed to deter fraud from non-senior riders who use a Medicare or PennDOT card to get free rides unlawfully. "These cards . . . have passenger's photos on them, and agencies can turn off the fare portion if it is reported lost or stolen," noted PennDOT spokesperson Alexis Campbell.