Chicago: CTA set to put all fares under Ventra

[marmar]

from the Chicago Tribune:


Take heed, CTA and Pace riders. An announcement is coming by the end of March on plans to make Ventra those transit agencies' sole fare-payment system, a move that has been delayed for months by numerous technical glitches and bumpy customer service.

The move away from non-Ventra payment options will occur in phases, officials said. First, riders will no longer be able to reload value onto the old fare cards, then the sale of magnetic stripe cards will be halted, and lastly, none of the old-style cards will be accepted on buses or trains, the CTA said. A deadline for transferring remaining value from the old cards to Ventra cards will also be set.

"Some final details are being worked out on setting up informational events and the mail-in program so customers can transfer balances from their old cards to Ventra, but we're pretty sure an announcement will be made by month's end," CTA spokesman Brian Steele said Friday.

CTA officials first hit the reset button late last year. At the time, they expected to reschedule the phaseout of the trusty magnetic stripe card, Chicago Card and Chicago Card Plus from the original mid-December target to late February or early March. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-getting-around-cta-ventra-met-0310-20140310,0,5794524.column

[Agschmid]

1. Very cool.

In Mass E-Pass will be the only was in a few years... I know it is a highway so it is different but similar idea.