Regional day passes available now for CTA, Metra and Pace
CTA, Metra and Pace riders can now purchase day passes that cover unlimited rides on all three transit systems, the agencies announced Friday.
The regional day pass costs between $10 and $16 on weekdays depending on the length of the Metra trip. Weekend day passes cost $9.50.
The passes are priced to cost $2.50 more than a Metra day pass while giving riders full access to rides on CTA and Pace. That means that riders who, for instance, take a CTA train to and from a Metra station could save $2.50 by using the pass, because the cost of a CTA day pass is $5.00.
Passes are available for purchase in the latest version of the Ventra app. The program is a pilot that is set to last at least six months.
The day pass announcement comes after state lawmakers last month failed to pass transit reform legislation — or find funding to avert a looming $771 million fiscal cliff — during their spring legislative session.
Legislation introduced in Springfield last month would have overhauled the structure and governance of the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees CTA, Metra and Pace, by replacing it with a new oversight body called the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. The legislation, had it passed, would have given NITA broad authority to set fares and schedules and specifically called for the creation of an integrated fare system by 2030.
Leanne Redden, RTA's executive director, referenced the failed governance and funding negotiations in Springfield in a statement about the day pass pilot.
'This pass is another step in our shared effort to make transit more seamless and rider-friendly across the region,' Redden said.
'To build a truly connected transit system, we need both reform and support, including increased operating funding and action on proposed legislative changes that would centralize and make fare integration easier to implement and sustain,' Redden added.
The agencies could continue the pilot program permanently next year — 'depending on funding availability,' they said.
The qualifier hints at the fact that the CTA, Metra and Pace are planning for the possibility of making drastic 40% service cuts next year if lawmakers don't allocate more funding in the coming months.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
12 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Regional day passes available now for CTA, Metra and Pace
CTA, Metra and Pace riders can now purchase day passes that cover unlimited rides on all three transit systems, the agencies announced Friday. The regional day pass costs between $10 and $16 on weekdays depending on the length of the Metra trip. Weekend day passes cost $9.50. The passes are priced to cost $2.50 more than a Metra day pass while giving riders full access to rides on CTA and Pace. That means that riders who, for instance, take a CTA train to and from a Metra station could save $2.50 by using the pass, because the cost of a CTA day pass is $5.00. Passes are available for purchase in the latest version of the Ventra app. The program is a pilot that is set to last at least six months. The day pass announcement comes after state lawmakers last month failed to pass transit reform legislation — or find funding to avert a looming $771 million fiscal cliff — during their spring legislative session. Legislation introduced in Springfield last month would have overhauled the structure and governance of the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees CTA, Metra and Pace, by replacing it with a new oversight body called the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. The legislation, had it passed, would have given NITA broad authority to set fares and schedules and specifically called for the creation of an integrated fare system by 2030. Leanne Redden, RTA's executive director, referenced the failed governance and funding negotiations in Springfield in a statement about the day pass pilot. 'This pass is another step in our shared effort to make transit more seamless and rider-friendly across the region,' Redden said. 'To build a truly connected transit system, we need both reform and support, including increased operating funding and action on proposed legislative changes that would centralize and make fare integration easier to implement and sustain,' Redden added. The agencies could continue the pilot program permanently next year — 'depending on funding availability,' they said. The qualifier hints at the fact that the CTA, Metra and Pace are planning for the possibility of making drastic 40% service cuts next year if lawmakers don't allocate more funding in the coming months.
CBS News
21 hours ago
- CBS News
New pass allows unlimited access to Metra, CTA, Pace
A new pass is now available for CTA, Pace, and Metra riders. The "Regional Day Pass" is unlimited and offers single and multiple-day options on the Ventra app. This pass costs $2.50 more than the usual Metra day pass. Weekday prices include: $10 in Metra's single zone travel area ($6 for reduced fare card holders) $13.50 in Metra's two-zone travel area ($8 for reduced fare card holders) $16 in Metra's three-zone travel area ($9 for reduced fare card holders) All weekend, "Regional Day Passes" will cost $9.50.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Waymo has set its robotaxi sights on NYC
Waymo said Wednesday it has applied for a permit to test its autonomous vehicles in New York City, the Alphabet company's first step in a sticky regulatory process to bring its robotaxis to U.S.'s largest city. Waymo applied for a permit with the New York City Department of Transportation to operate its self-driving Jaguar I-Pace vehicles with a human safety operator behind the wheel in Manhattan. New York's autonomous vehicle demonstration or testing permit requires a human driver to be able to take over; a $5 million insurance policy; and every test vehicle operator must be adequately trained in the safe operation of the test vehicle. New York law is especially prohibitive of autonomous vehicles. While securing a permit would be notable, Waymo is far from being able to launch commercial operations in the city — or even test without a human safety operator behind the wheel. Still, Waymo is pressing forward and said it's advocating for a change in state law that would allow for operating a vehicle with no human behind the wheel. The company is also trying to build goodwill in NYC and the state by working with several organizations such as MADD NY, YAI, National Federation of the Blind, and the Bronx Community College. Waymo told TechCrunch it has had positive conversations with lawmakers this year and hopes to keep making progress on regulatory changes. New York law states that any person operating a motor vehicle must have at least one hand (or prosthetic) on the steering mechanism at all times. Changing that wording will be key to Waymo eventually being able to deploy driverless vehicles. Other companies have tried to test in NYC before, including Mobileye. But these efforts never materialized beyond a few demonstrations or pilots. Waymo has eyed the massive market of NYC for years. In 2021, the company deployed its now retired Chrysler Pacifica minivans — the first self-driving vehicles in its testing fleet — to manually drive and map Manhattan. The company said at the time that each vehicle would have two people, one to drive and another in the passenger seat to help direct the activity of the driver, monitor the software on the vehicle in real time, evaluate the performance, and log comments. Those vehicles were never operated in autonomous mode even though they were all equipped with fifth-generation Waymo Driver, which was its most current and advanced self-driving system at the time. Over the past four years, Waymo has scaled in numerous other places. The company provides more than 250,000 fully autonomous paid trips each week in several U.S. markets, including Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco.
