12/14/1998
CTA's new 30-Day and 7-Day Passes go on sale for the first time Tuesday, December 15. The 30-Day Pass costs only $75 and will replace CTA's current full-fare $88 Monthly Pass. The 7-Day Pass costs only $20. Both passes are valid for unlimited riding for the appropriate number of days involved.
Both passes also provide customers with the freedom to start using the pass at their own convenience instead of during a particular calendar period. The validity of the 30-Day Pass, for instance, starts the first time it is used, whether it is the first day of a month or the 15th, and ends 30 days later. The same applies to the 7-Day Pass.
The expiration date and time are automatically printed on the back of the pass the first time it is used. Both 30-Day and 7-Day Passes are valid for rides on CTA and Pace (surcharges apply to Pace express routes).
A Reduced Fare Pass for $35 will replace the $44 Senior Monthly Pass and the $35 Accommodation Pass. This pass is for seniors 65 and older and riders with disabilities, and is to be used in conjunction with the RTA Reduced Fare Permit.
The new 30-Day Pass, Reduced-Fare Pass and 7-Day Pass are part of an improved and simpler CTA fare system that was approved by the Chicago Transit Board on October 9, 1998. The new system offers CTA customers more savings, facilitates purchase of Transit Cards, and offers a wider range of options to suit different needs.
"We have simplified our fares and we are offering more options to our customers," said CTA President Frank Kruesi. "This is one more step we are taking to attract riders back to the CTA. This year, for the first time in years, we are seeing increases in both bus and rail ridership. We think these new, customer-friendly fares can help us continue that upward trend."
The new fare structure has been implemented in a step by step process with new products being offered in phases. The first phase started November 1, when the CTA reduced the minimum purchase price of a transit card from $3.00 to $1.50 and established a new bonus system for sales from transit card vending machines. The final phase will begin January 1 with the sale of new 10-card Transit Card Packs and the Monthly Pass for Paratransit customers. Also effective January 1, the CTA will no longer sell tokens. Token sales have dropped dramatically since the transit card was introduced last year.
The new 30-Day Passes and 7-Day Passes can be purchased at currency exchanges, Jewel and Dominick's food stores, at the Customer Service window on the 7th floor of the Merchandise Mart, and on the Internet. For more information customers can call the CTA Customer Service Hotline at
1-(888)YOUR-CTA.
###