The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Northern Illinois Board of Directors voted to enter into an intergovernmental agreement that will pave the way for an integrated day pass that will allow unlimited rides on all three of the Chicago region’s transit systems—Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra and Pace Suburban Bus—for the calendar day of purchase. The pass pilot will be launched this year on the Ventra App after the vendor completes development and testing.
The approved agreement sets the pricing parameters for the day pass for unlimited rides on CTA and Pace and on selected fare zones for Metra on weekdays, ranging between $10 and $16. There will be one systemwide price on the weekend days of $10. Riders will be able to purchase this pass using the Ventra App at a discounted price in comparison to purchasing two existing passes separately (the CTA/Pace 1-Day Pass and the Metra day pass). The fare revenue difference will be funded by the RTA of Northern Illinois and distributed to CTA, Metra and Pace.
“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 inter-connectivity between agency services,” said RTA of Northern Illinois Executive Director Leanne Redden. “The Regional Day Pass pilot follows significant fare policy changes since 2021, including combined and lower pass prices between CTA and Pace, launch of the Regional Connect Pass for monthly riders between three agencies and the overhaul of Metra’s fare structure. The ultimate long-term future of maintaining affordable fares, integrating fare products and delivering frequent service depends on sustainable additional funding from the state to cover the projected annual fiscal cliff of at least $730 million starting in 2026.”
The Metra Board of Directors approved the agreement at its June 12 meeting. The agreement is on the agenda for CTA’s Board of Directors meeting on June 25 and Pace’s on June 26.
The proposed pricing of the Regional Day Pass pilot can be found here.
