University Times

Pitt and the Port Authority of Allegheny County renewed their agreement for ride-for-free service on public transportation for Pittsburgh campus employees and students with valid I.D. cards.

The two sides settled on a one-year extension to a contract that has been in effect since 1997.

According to Judi McNeil of the Port Authority, Pitt signed the agreement during the week prior to the contract’s expiration date of Aug. 1. The new deal runs through July 31, 2004.

“Pitt will be paying the Port Authority $2.92 million over the next year, which is about a $400,000 increase over last year,” McNeil said. Port Authority data indicate that Pitt ridership averages about 450,000 rides per month.

Pitt’s payment to the Port Authority is subsidized in part by the $75 per term security, safety and transportation fee that Pittsburgh campus students pay. The balance comes from the auxiliary operations budget of the Office of Parking, Transportation and Services.

—Peter Hart