Transit breakthrough at hand with pass that works on Metra, Pace and CTA
After years of riders requesting a no-worries transition between Metra, the CTA and Pace, a fix is near.
The three agencies and the Regional Transportation Authority are set to debut a Regional Day Pass for a six-month trial period.
The pass, which will be activated through the Ventra app, offers unlimited rides any single day on Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority. It will “make regional transit trips seamless,” officials said.
“This agreement is a major step forward for integrating fare policies and products between the region’s transit agencies as we look toward a post-pandemic future of changing travel patterns and more interconnectivity between agency services,” RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden said.
The new pass will go live in the next few months once tests are complete on the Ventra app.
Metra directors approved an intergovernmental agreement with the other agencies at a Wednesday meeting. The RTA board will vote on the plan June 20 with CTA and Pace scheduled to decide June 25 and 26, respectively.
“As we continue to address changing travel patterns and improve inter-connectivity between agency services, pass options like the Regional Day Pass will make public transportation more convenient and affordable for all,” Pace spokeswoman Maggie Daly Skogsbakken said.
On weekdays, a Regional Day Pass will cost from $10 to $16. Riders going between Metra Zones 1 and 4 would pay $16, or $13.50 to travel between Zones 1 and 3. Those going within Zone 1, between Zones 1 and 2, or between Zones 2, 3 and 4 would pay $10. All CTA and Pace trips are included.
Riders qualifying for reduced fares would pay between $6 and $9.
On Saturdays and Sundays, passes will cost $10.
Combining the various fares means commuters get a bargain and the agencies will lose some revenues, which the RTA will subsidize by up to $1 million.
The pilot is part of an ongoing effort since 2021 to streamline and lower fares, Redden said.
Transit agencies face a looming $730 million shortfall in 2026 and “the ultimate long-term future of maintaining affordable fares, integrating fare products, and delivering frequent service depends on sustainable additional funding from the state,” Redden noted.
It also comes as some state lawmakers are considering a controversial plan to merge the four agencies they believe will produce efficiencies, such as a universal fare.