Public transit in the Chicago area is about to get easier with a new pass-sharing program between the CTA and Pace systems.
Starting February 20, daily and multi-day passes purchased through CTA or Pace will work for both systems.
One-day and three-day passes for CTA buses and trains will now also work on Pace buses. The $5 surcharge on the CTA/Pace seven-day pass will be removed. Seven-day passes will now cost $20.
A $75 CTA/Pace monthly pass will be offered, although a $60 PACE monthly pass will remain available for purchase.
Unlimited passes cost $5 for one day and $15 for three days.
CTA/Pace passes can be purchased through the Ventra app.
“These changes improve access and provide customers with better fare payment options, flexibility and lower fares,” Melinda Metzger, executive director of Pace, said in a press release.
The changes fall under two intergovernmental agreements between Pace and CTA management approved by the two boards in December. In addition to allowing passes to be shared between the Pace and CTA systems, the agreements make it easier for Pace and CTA to share revenue generated from new passes.
CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. called the new system an “equalizer of equity” in a press release Tuesday. The change could encourage travel in the Chicago area by making transit branches in the outer suburbs more accessible, Carter said.
“It’s critical that we look for new opportunities to break down barriers to using public transit,” Carter said.
The Unlimited Passes are the latest in a series of transportation initiatives in Chicago aimed at making public transit more affordable.
CTA, Metra and Pace collaborated in 2022 on the Regional Connect Pass, offering a $30 CTA/Pace Unlimited Monthly Pass to Metra Monthly Pass holders.
Prior to that, CTA rolled out free transfers in the summer of 2021.
One to seven day passes purchased and activated before February 20 will not work on both CTA and Pace. Anyone who has purchased a one-, three-, or seven-day pass and has not activated it can convert the pass to transit value in their Ventra account, then reactivate it on February 20 to participate in the new system.
NBC Chicago
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