Politics & Government

Ventra Card Debuts in August with Fewer Fees for Riders

The Chicago Transit Authority announced the official start date to their new payment system Tuesday.

A new CTA payment system will combine transit cards with debit cards and widen access to Pace and suburban buses.

That system—called Ventra—is set to debut in August, CTA officials announced Tuesday. After launch, it will become the largest transit open fare payment system in the country.

Chicago Card Plus, registered Chicago card and students can transition to Ventra in August, with all CTA passes available in September. Plus Cardholders can expect their few Ventra cards in the mail, CTA officials said.

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Ventra will completely replace the current Chicago Card system, but those cards will still be accepted until the end of the year. 

Weekend passes, pay-per-ride and unlimited use cards are available for the same price, but the cash cost for the train will rise to $3.

Find out what's happening in Lakeviewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The new system incorporates a debit card function and can be found at more than 2,000 CTA stations and neighborhood retailers.

Initially, Ventra incorporated numerous fees, such as $5 to sign up for a card.

After protests from citizens and lawkmakers, the CTA waived the fee if riders sign up this year.

A $2.95 fee to reload the card online and a $2 charge to speak to Ventra customer service representative were also eliminated.  


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