Chicago Transit Authority
Proposed Open Fare Media Fees
Notice is hereby given that the Chicago Transit Authority (“CTA”) desires public comment before it considers an ordinance to adopt proposed fees for certain fare media when the new open fare system goes into effect later this year. No changes are proposed for the prices of fares and passes. A public hearing will take place Monday, March 11, 2013 at 6:00 P.M., at Chicago Transit Authority headquarters located at 567 W. Lake Street, second floor conference room, Chicago, Illinois 60661. This facility is accessible to people with disabilities.
In 2013, the CTA is transitioning to an open fare payment system known as Ventra that customers can use throughout the Chicago region on public transportation provided by CTA and Pace. The open fare payment system will allow customers to pay for CTA transit services with the contactless reusable Reloadable Cards or with their own contactless personal credit/debit cards. The Reloadable Card can be used to add transit passes or other stored transit value. As a convenience, individual customers can also purchase a Limited Use Ticket, which is a contactless disposable ticket usable for a single ride or as a 1-Day Pass, but is not reloadable. Similarly, as a convenience, the CTA will make Limited Use Media that is not reloadable available for bulk sales in the single ride, 1-Day, 3-Day, 5-Day and 7-Day Pass format.
The following proposed fees will be applied:
1. Limited Use Media Fee
To offset production costs, a fee of $0.50 will be included in the purchase price of the disposable Limited Use Ticket for a single ride and for disposable tickets sold in bulk for single ride, 1-Day, 3-Day, 5-Day and 7-Day Passes.
2. Reloadable Card Purchase Price Refund
Similar to the Chicago Card (which will be phased out when the open fare system is implemented), there will be a one-time cost for purchase of the Reloadable Card of $5.00 plus the cost of any initial stored value or pass product. The $5.00 will be refunded immediately as stored value for transit use upon the customer’s registration of the Reloadable Card within ninety (90) days of purchase.
3. Dormancy Fee on Transit Account
After eighteen (18) months of inactivity, a $5.00 dormancy fee will be deducted each month from any stored transit value in a transit account, whether on a Reloadable Card or a personal credit/debit card. If a transit account includes an unused transit pass, the pass will be converted to stored value in an amount equal to the purchase price of the unused pass at this time. The dormancy fee will be deducted each month until the stored transit value is depleted. Any customer use of the stored transit balance, whether before or after a dormancy fee has been assessed, restarts the 18-month period before a dormancy fee will be assessed.
The CTA will host a public hearing for interested persons or agencies to provide comment with respect to social, economic, environmental and other related aspects of the proposed fees for select fare media used to access the open fare payment system.
Written and oral comments will be considered prior to implementation of the proposed fees. This input will be welcomed at the public hearing or by correspondence addressed to Chicago Transit Authority, Fare Revenue Programs Department, 567 W. Lake Street, Chicago, Illinois 60661. Input can also be sent via e-mail to: openfare@transitchicago.com. The deadline to submit written comments is Tuesday March 12, 2013 by 12:00 P.M.