The Port Authority of Allegheny County does not intend to let the light-rail T's free fare zone from Downtown to the North Shore go away, a spokesman said, but key sponsors have not agreed to put up the money to pay for it.

A three-year agreement with the Steelers, Rivers Casino, Alco Parking and the Sports & Exhibition Authority that supports the free fare zone expires at the end of March.

The Port Authority is contacting the groups to begin discussions, spokesman Jim Ritchie said.

He said Port Authority has talked with three of the four sponsors and plans to approach Rivers representatives soon.

Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten declined to say whether the organization will commit to another deal.

“We look forward to having conversations with the Port Authority after the 2014 season on the future of the free ride service to the North Shore,” he said.

Lauten called the North Shore Connector a success and said it continues to be popular on game days and non-game days.

The most recent Port Authority figures from May show an average weekday ridership of 28,944 riders, up from 24,651 average weekday riders in May 2011, before the connector opened.

Craig Clark, general manager of Rivers Casino, said the free fare zone benefits gamblers and other casino visitors. He did not commit to a new deal.

“Rivers Casino has been proud to support the T free fare zone, which is a great convenience for guests visiting the North Shore. There have been no discussions yet about the possibility of continued sponsorship,” Clark said.

SEA officials did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Alco President Merrill Stabile said he “definitely” wants to renew, noting the North Shore Connector has been good for parking and boosted property values on the North Shore. He said he talked with Port Authority officials about a renewal.

“My goal is to make a long-term agreement. The value is there. It's worth it to maintain as long as possible,” Stabile said. “We've both agreed that we want to come to some sort of agreement, but no specifics yet. I realize it will cost more. It's just a question of how much more and for how long.”

The sponsors contributed a total of $380,000 in the final year of the deal.

A spokesman for the Pirates, which is not part of the agreement funding the free fare zone, did not return a message seeking comment about sponsorship.

“We have the next seven months to figure out whether we want to extend the existing free fare sponsorships for another year or two, or whether we want to explore other options that exist,” Ritchie said.

The agreement allows for one- or two-year extensions, he said.

Port Authority could court new sponsors.

“There's quite a bit of interest, locally and nationally, regarding the free fare zone naming rights,” Ritchie said, though he declined to identify entities that have expressed interest or how much money Port Authority is seeking.

Bobby Kerlik is a Trib Total Media staff writer. Reach him at 412-320-7886 or bkerlik@tribweb.com.

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---