First-of-its-kind transit app is being heavily used by Metra, CTA and Pace riders
Metra customers have now taken more than 1 million rides using mobile tickets on the new Ventra App, Metra announced today.
The 1 millionth ride was taken Tuesday, exactly two months after the app was launched by Metra, CTA and Pace. The free app is now available for download and use on Apple and Android smartphone and tablet devices via the App Store and Google Play. Since it debuted on Nov. 19, the app has been downloaded by more than 250,000 people.
The Ventra App is the first of its kind to allow customers to pay for rides on all three transit systems – CTA, Metra and Pace – from their mobile devices. The app offers customers a wide range of functionality, including Metra mobile tickets, Ventra account management, loading of transit value/passes, account notifications and real-time transit tracker information for CTA, Metra and Pace all in one place.
“We’re extremely happy with the way our customers have adopted mobile ticketing on the Ventra App,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno. “More and more riders every day are discovering that this new app is convenient, handy and very easy to use – and not just for Metra customers, but for CTA and Pace customers as well.”
“Transit customers have been quick to adopt the Ventra app and the response from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “The Ventra app has made commuting in Chicago easier, and we look forward to developing new features and making updates that improve the ease and convenience that the app provides to customers daily.”
“Customers always respond favorably when we can make public transit more convenient and easier to use, whether it’s through improved service or new technology,” said Pace Executive Director T.J. Ross. “We partnered with CTA and Metra to develop the Ventra App so that customers can buy passes or transit value and manage their account on the go and the response has been outstanding.”
The app has so far been used to buy 221,000 Metra tickets, and those mobile tickets have now been used to pay for 1 million rides. That includes 131,000 one-way tickets, 47,300 10-ride tickets, 20,000 monthly passes, 11,500 weekend passes and the rest special event or reduced fare tickets.
The app has also been used to purchase more than 240,000 fare products for use on CTA and Pace, including 1-, 3-, 7- and 30-day unlimited pass products and includes transactions that added transit value to Ventra accounts of varying dollar amounts.
A few other facts about the use of the app:
- Total sales November 18 through January 19 were $10.6 million from more than 429,000 purchases.
- Purchases made in the app were about 44 percent Metra, 56 percent CTA/Pace.
- Value of purchases made in the app was about 63 percent Metra/37 percent CTA/Pace.
Learn more about Ventra at ventrachicago.com. Customers can also interact with Ventra via Twitter (@VentraChicago) and on Ventra Chicago’s Facebook page. Information is also available on CTA, Metra and Pace websites at www.transitchicago.com, metrarail.com and www.pacebus.com.
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