The Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) Transportation Wallet: Access for All program offers people and households living on low-incomes a package of FREE transportation options like transit, e-bike or e-scooter-share, and ride-share (Uber/Lyft) or taxis. The Transportation Wallet: Access For All program (formerly known as the Transportation Wallet for Affordable Housing pilot project) focuses on reducing barriers to using transportation options, like cost, technology access, credit/debit card requirements, and low-income verification processes for different providers.
The Transportation Wallet: Access for All has launched through selected partner organizations. Eligible participants receive registration links directly from their partner organization.
About Transportation Wallet: Access for All
Multiple options are available to meet your unique transportation needs
Transportation Wallet: Access for All allows you to choose the wallet package that works best for you. Read below to learn about each option:
Opciones para Transportation Wallet (Spanish)
Tùy chọn cho Transportation Wallet (Vietnamese)
Setting Up Your Wallet: Access for All
Option 1: TriMet Honored Citizen 1-year pass
This option is available for Access for All participants who either already have or plan to apply for TriMet's reduced-fare Honored Citizen Hop card.
Get your Honored Citizen Hop card - Visit TriMet's website to apply. There are a number of ways you may qualify:
- Based on Income
- As a senior 65 years old or older
- As a person with a disability
- As active-duty military or a veteran
If you selected Option 1, PBOT will load your 1-year pass onto your Honored Citizen Hop card and notify you (or your partner organization if you don’t have an email address) when your pass is ready to use.
Option 2: Value loaded onto TriMet Hop card
This Transportation Wallet package comes with $200 loaded onto your Hop card and will be loaded by PBOT staff. If you don't have a Hop card, staff will load and provide a new Hop card.
Option 3: Value loaded onto multiple household TriMet Hop cards
This Transportation Wallet package comes with set amounts of transit fare depending on your household size. This amount can be spilt onto different Hop cards for your household. If you or members of your household need a Hop card, staff will load and provide you with new Hop cards.
Option 2 and 3: Prepaid Visa Card
Access for All participants who choose Transportation Wallet Option 2 or 3 will be provided a prepaid Visa card to use for transportation services.
Activating your prepaid Visa card - Upon receiving your prepaid Visa card, follow the instructions in the envelope to activate it. You will need the date of birth that you used to sign up for your Transportation Wallet to activate your Visa card.
Important notes about your prepaid Visa card
- The prepaid Visa card will not work for purchases that are not transportation related.
- We recommend using your prepaid Visa card at least once a month to avoid inactivity fees. Activated Visa cards are subject to inactivity fees being deducted from the card's existing balance, and multiple inactivity fees may be subject to cancellation of the card. Please note that Visa card inactivity fees are not applied beyond the depletion of the card's existing balance.
Using your prepaid card on Transportation Services
You can use your prepaid Visa card on transportation services like e-scooters, taxis and ride-hailing (Uber/Lyft), parking, BIKETOWN (bike-share), and TriMet. Read below to learn how to link your prepaid Visa card to the various transportation services.
E-Scooters
1) Download the e-scooter app of your choice to your smartphone
Each company has their own app that you will use to unlock e-scooters and pay for rides. Use the links below to get the apps that work with your device.
- Lime: Apple App Store Google Play
- BIKETOWN scooters (operated by Lyft): Apple App store Google Play
2) Add your prepaid Visa card as the payment method for each app.
3) Consider signing up for reduced-fare equity programs to make your Wallet funds last longer. Learn more and sign up through e-scooter companies directly:
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
You may add your prepaid Visa card as the payment method for the Uber and Lyft apps as well as any taxi service apps you use. Not all taxi services have apps. If this is the case with your favorite taxi company, just use your prepaid Visa card to pay your driver directly.
1) Download the ride-hailing app of your choice to your smartphone
Each company has their own app that you will use. Use the links below to get the apps that work with your device's operating system.
- Lyft: Apple App Store Google Play
- Uber: Apple App Store Google Play
- Taxis: Check with your preferred vendor to see if they have an app.
2) Add your prepaid Visa card as the payment method for each app. Below are step-by-step instructions for adding your prepaid Visa card to the Lyft and/ or Uber mobile apps. Note that you will be using Lyft Cash or Uber Cash.
Parking
You may use your prepaid Visa card to pay for on-street parking at parking meters or via the Parking Kitty app. You may also use your card to pay for parking in SmartPark garages.
- Parking meters: Use the instructions posted on each parking meter.
- SmartPark garages: Follow the instructions on SmartPark pay stations.
- Parking Kitty: Apple App Store Google Play
BIKETOWN for All and Adaptive BIKETOWN Benefits
Option 2 and 3 Access for All Wallets include a BIKETOWN for All and Adaptive BIKETOWN benefit. While Option 1 Wallets don’t include a BIKETOWN for All benefit, you are still eligible for BIKETOWN for All and can sign up directly via the BIKETOWN for All webpage.
BIKETOWN for All is Portland's bike-share program for income-qualified individuals and high school students ages 16+. You will receive a monthly $10 credit for rides (5 cents per minute) and to cover out of station parking fees ($1 per instance).
More basics of BIKETOWN for All:
- $0/ month annual membership.
- Free to unlock a bike, then 5¢ per minute to ride.
- Members receive $10 in ride credit each month (unused credit does not carry over to next month).
- If $10 monthly ride credit and Bike Angels ride credit is depleted, 5¢ per minute ride rate and $1 out of station parking fees are to be covered by the user.
- Monthly credit does NOT cover $5 fine for ending a ride outside the service area or in a park nor does it cover fines for leaving the bike unlocked at the end of a trip.
- Bikes available 24/7 year-round throughout the service area.
Click here to learn how to activate and make the most of your BIKETOWN for All membership.
Adaptive BIKETOWN offers an unlimited number of free, 1-hour rides to anyone living with a disability or who cannot ride a traditional two-wheeled bicycle.
Pick up your helmet - Helmets can be collected at Adaptive BIKETOWN (1945 SE Water Ave) on the Eastbank Esplanade during normal operating hours and at the Portland Building (1120 SW Fifth Ave.) - please call 311 ahead of time to arrange for pickup at the Portland Building.
Transportation Wallet: Access For All Program History and Program Development
2023 Transportation Wallet: Access for All Annual Report
Click here to download the 2023 Transportation Wallet: Access for All annual report.
2023 Transportation Wallet: Access for All Partner Organizations
In the fall of 2022, PBOT released a Letter of Interest to recruit partner organizations for a two-year Transportation Wallet: Access for All partnership. Eighteen organizations were selected through this process. PBOT staff worked with each organization to register participants for Wallets. Program budget allowed for a limited number of Transportation Wallets per organization, therefore PBOT staff worked with each organization on a distribution plan.
Information on completed pilot phases
What was the Transportation Wallet for Affordable Housing Pilot?:
The Transportation Wallet for Residents of Affordable Housing was a pilot program managed by PBOT in partnership with select affordable housing sites to offer a package of FREE transportation options, like transit passes, bike or scooter-share ride credit, and rideshare (Uber/ Lyft) or taxi ride credit.
PBOT ran two phases of the pilot in 2019-2020 and 2021-2022.
Pilot Program Goals:
- Deliver Transportation Wallets to partnering affordable housing sites.
- Reduce barriers to using transportation options, like cost, technology access, credit/debit card requirements, and low-income verification processes for different providers.
- Allow residents to access transportation and have the flexibility to use transportation options that fit their needs.
- Provide resources to services and community events.
- Communicate climate and equity benefits of transit and bike improvements in the City and promote investments in economic, physical, and community health.