Butler Transit Authority not only wants to ferry customers to Pittsburgh by mid-2018, they want commuters to be able to hop on a Port Authority bus without having to get a second transit pass.

Alongside work to develop its Pittsburgh route, the authority’s long-term plans include a push to increase the availability and acceptance of transit passes by integrating their system with other regional authorities.

Executive director John Paul said the Authority plans to make upgrades to its website in the future to allow people to purchase and refill transit passes online. That comes alongside an effort to regionalize the passes and use the same connect card as Pittsburgh’s Port Authority, Paul said — though he added there’s not yet a clear timetable for that move. The county authority is ready to move forward and integrate the passes, Paul said, but is currently waiting on other authorities in the region to complete work on their own end.

The hope. Paul said, is that integrating the transit passes and making them useful in places like Pittsburgh and Westmorland County will increase commuter support for the Authority’s forthcoming service to Pittsburgh.