8 replies to this topic

[CNJRoss]

CTA-Metra-Pace joint news release, 11/13:

 

CTA, Metra and Pace Announce New Ventra App Will Launch Next Week

First-of-its-kind transit app will allow customers to ride CTA, Metra and Pace 

 

 

(November 13, 2015) The Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace today announced that the new Ventra App will be available to the public on Thursday, November 19.

 

The Ventra App is the first ever to allow customers to pay for rides on all three transit systems –CTA, Metra and Pace – with a few taps on their mobile devices, transforming the way Chicagoans take transit each day.

 

The free Ventra App, which was developed jointly by CTA, Metra and Pace and funded by the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA)’s Innovation, Coordination, and Enhancement (ICE) program, will provide a “one-stop shopping” experience that essentially puts a Ventra vending machine as well as a Metra ticket vending machine in customers’ pockets. It will be available for use on Apple and Android smartphone and tablet devices via the App Store and Google Play.

 

The app will offer customers a wide range of functionality – including some never before available on phones – including account management, loading of transit value/passes, account notifications and integrated mobile ticketing on Metra. It will also provide access to real-time transit tracker information for CTA, Metra and Pace all in one place. Future phases will offer additional services and conveniences.

 

“Whether you ride CTA, Metra, Pace or all of them, this app will put new options in your pocket when traveling around Chicago,” said CTA President Dorval Carter, Jr. “For the first time ever, customers will be able to use their smartphones to manage their accounts and purchase fares across all of Chicago’s transit agencies. We’re excited to have transit customers to use the app and let us know about their experiences, which will shape updates to the app going forward.”

 

The Ventra App will allow Metra customers to use a smartphone to buy any type of Metra ticket with a credit or debit card or a Ventra account. Metra mobile tickets are stored on the smartphone and customers will activate them when boarding the train and display them on their phones’ screens when the train conductor checks for tickets. If a Metra customer wishes to create a Ventra account in the app, they can then buy Metra mobile tickets more quickly and recover them if the phone is lost, stolen, damaged or replaced.

 

The transit agencies determined the first version of the Ventra App was ready for public launch now after several months of exhaustive testing by more than 700 individuals who ride CTA, Metra and Pace. Among the testers were dozens who tried out the app as part of the Smart Chicago Collaborative’s Civic User Testing Group, a highly regarded program that maintains a pool of Chicago residents to road-test new apps under development, as well as customers with disabilities to make sure the app is accessible to customers with visual disabilities.

 

“This new app will dramatically change the way our customers use Metra because it will allow them to buy their train tickets anytime and anywhere,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno. “This is a tremendous step forward for our agency and we are more committed than ever to leveraging the latest technologies to enhance customer service.”

 

“From the beginning, Ventra has been developed with the foundation of maximizing convenience for customers, and the Ventra App is yet another way of achieving that,” said Pace Executive Director T.J. Ross.

 

“Providing the means for people to use the same fare media to ride Pace, Metra and CTA is a significant step forward and an example of our shared commitment to work together for the benefit of our customers.”

 

“The RTA is a proud partner in the launch of this app, as it takes yet another step forward in providing seamless transit services throughout our region,” said Leanne Redden, RTA Executive Director. “This launch represents an important example of collaboration between the Services Boards and the RTA.  These partnerships are critical to continuing to providing riders with a world-class transit system.” 

 

Beginning Thursday, customers will be able to use Ventra account funds, pre-tax transit benefits provided by employers, and/or credit and debit cards to purchase transit to ride CTA, Metra and Pace. This initial version of the app will allow customers to:

• Add transit value and purchase 1-day, 3-day, 7-day and 30-day unlimited ride passes to ride CTA and Pace
• Buy Metra mobile tickets using either a personal bank card or using funds in a registered Ventra account – eliminating the need to purchase paper tickets from Metra ticket windows or vending machines, or from conductors on the train
• Set up autoload with a bank account or credit card to automatically replenish Ventra account funds
• Check transit value balance/see passes and expiration dates in their account
• See transit purchase and travel history
• Manage accounts anywhere
• Get account notifications and alerts for account balance, low balance, expiring passes
• Get transit tracker information for CTA, Metra and Pace by rail station and bus stop

Later phases  will provide additional account management features (e.g. card ordering, replacing a lost/stolen card) and regional door-to-door trip planner with service information for CTA, Metra and Pace that allows customers to navigate the region from door to door using all three transit systems.

 

Also in a later phase, the app will allow customers to download a virtual Ventra card onto their Near Field Communication-compatible mobile devices, which will allow them to access their Ventra transit accounts to pay for rides on CTA trains and CTA and Pace buses directly from the Ventra app by touching the phone or device to a Ventra reader.

 

In the future, the CTA, Metra and Pace also intend to explore offering advertising on the app, which could include promotional content that customers would voluntarily select to receive – similar to other apps. Any in-app advertising or promotional functionality would only be launched with the approval of CTA, Metra and Pace consistent with agency policies including advertising guidelines.

 

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.

[CNJRoss]

Chicago Business Journal, 11/13:

 

Chicago Transit Authority rolling out an app next Thursday

 

The Chicago Transit Authority said today it hopes to significantly upgrade its Ventra payment system on the city's public transportation system with the debut of a Ventra app on Nov. 19.

 

The new app will allow customers to pay for rides not only on the CTA transportation system, but two of the region's other major transit systems, Metra and Pace.

 

Developed jointly by the three transit systems, the Ventra app will, the CTA promises, be the equivalent of a Ventra vending machine and a Metra vending machine in each customer's pockets. The app will be usable on Apple and Android smartphones and tablet devices via the App Store and Google Play.

 

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[CNJRoss]

Chicago Tribune, 11/13:

 

New Ventra mobile ticket app for CTA, Metra, Pace to launch Thursday

 

Starting next week, a long-awaited Ventra app will allow transit users to use their mobile devices to pay for fares and passes and, in Metra's case, use them as actual tickets.

 

While hardly the seamless "universal" fare card that transportation experts have been envisioning for years, the free app represents perhaps the most significant technological step Chicago transit users have seen since the rollout of the Ventra card in 2013.

 

It also marks the advent of paperless ticketing for Metra's 150,000 daily riders.

 

Metra, CTA, Pace and Regional Transportation Authority officials announced Friday that transit users will be able to download the app starting Thursday. That's the day before Metra will put its December monthly passes on sale.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

CTA-Metra-Pace joint news release:

 

CTA, Metra and Pace Release New Ventra App to the Public

11/19/2015
 

First-of-its-kind transit app now available for free download on Android and iOS mobile devices

 

 

The Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace today launched the new Ventra App, making the free app now available for download and use on Apple and Android smartphone and tablet devices via www.ventrachicago.com, the App Store and Google Play.

 

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, transforming the way people across Chicago take transit each day. Developed jointly by CTA, Metra and Pace, and funded by the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA)’s Innovation, Coordination, and Enhancement (ICE) program, the app provides riders with a “one-stop shopping” experience that essentially puts both a Ventra vending machine and a Metra ticket vending machine in customers’ pockets.

 

The app offers customers a wide range of functionality – including some never before available on phones – including account management, loading of transit value/passes, account notifications and integrated mobile ticketing on Metra. It also provides access to real-time transit tracker information for CTA, Metra and Pace all in one place. Future phases will offer additional services and conveniences.

 

“CTA, Metra and Pace have worked together closely to bring this app to life and we’re very pleased with the result,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. “With this new app, customers for the first time ever have access to a one-stop shopping experience for transportation across the Chicago area through their mobile devices. As customers use the app, we look forward to hearing about their experiences, which will shape updates to the app going forward.” 

 

The Ventra App allows Metra customers who use a smartphone to buy any type of Metra ticket with a credit or debit card or a Ventra account. The Metra mobile ticket is stored on the smartphone and customers can activate it when boarding the train and display it on the phone’s screen when the train conductor checks for tickets. If a Metra customer wishes to create a Ventra account in the app, they can buy Metra mobile tickets more quickly and recover them if the phone is lost, stolen, damaged or replaced.

Extensive app testing

The transit agencies determined the first version of the Ventra App was ready for public launch now after several months of exhaustive testing by more than 700 individuals who ride CTA, Metra and Pace. Among the testers were dozens who tried out the app as part of the Smart Chicago Collaborative’s Civic User Testing Group, a highly regarded program that maintains a pool of Chicago residents to road-test new apps under development, as well as customers with disabilities to make sure the app is accessible to customers with visual disabilities.

 

“We have created a truly regional app that will be incredibly handy not only for Metra’s customers but also for customers of CTA and Pace,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno. “With this app, our customers will be able to quickly and easily buy any kind of Metra ticket, anytime and anywhere.”

 

“In the past, providing the infrastructure to sell Pace passes throughout our six-county service area was nearly impossible, but by creating the ability to add passes and transit value to one’s Ventra account online, by phone, a greatly expanded suburban retail network, new Ventra vending machines and now the Ventra App, we’re providing better access than ever before to money-saving passes,” said Pace Executive Director T.J. Ross. “We’re excited about the many conveniences that the Ventra App features for customers, particularly the ability to quickly and easily buy fares and passes for all three service boards in one place.”

 

“The RTA is a proud partner in the launch of this app, as it takes yet another step forward in providing seamless transit services throughout our region,” said Leanne Redden, RTA Executive Director. “We provided funding for development of this app and we look forward to hearing of its success now that it’s being rolled out.”   

Convenience of multiple functions

After downloading the app, customers can use Ventra account funds, pre-tax transit benefits provided by employers and/or credit and debit cards to purchase transit to ride CTA, Metra and Pace. The initial version available today allows customers to:

• Add transit value and purchase multi-day unlimited ride passes to ride CTA and Pace
• Buy Metra mobile tickets with personal bank cards or using a registered Ventra Card’s transit value or transit benefit value balance – eliminating the need to purchase paper tickets from Metra ticket windows or vending machines, or from conductors on the train
• Set up autoload with a bank account or credit card to automatically replenish Ventra account funds
• Check transit value balance/see passes and expiration dates in their account
• See transit purchase and travel history
• Manage accounts anywhere
• Get account notifications and alerts for account balance, low balance and expiring passes
• Get transit tracker information for CTA, Metra and Pace by rail station and bus stop

 

More enhancements to come

Later phases planned for 2016 will provide additional account management features (e.g. card ordering, replacing a lost/stolen card) and a door-to-door trip planner with service information for CTA, Metra and Pace that allows customers to navigate the region from door to door using all three transit systems.

 

Also in a later phase, the app will allow customers to download a virtual Ventra card onto their Near Field Communication-compatible mobile devices, which will allow them to access their Ventra transit accounts to pay for rides on CTA trains and CTA and Pace buses directly from the Ventra App by touching the phone or device to a Ventra reader.

 

In the future, the CTA, Metra and Pace also intend to explore offering advertising on the app, which could include customized promotional content that customers would voluntarily select to receive – similar to other apps. Any in-app advertising or promotional functionality would only be launched with the approval of CTA, Metra and Pace consistent with agency policies including advertising guidelines.

Getting started

To fully use all of the functions of the Ventra app, customers will need to have a Ventra online account and have their Ventra cards registered with a user name and password.

 

Customers can easily create an account and register the card in their wallet, if they haven't already, or online at ventrachicago.com.

If they’re not sure if they have an account, they can check at ventrachicago.com by entering their email address after clicking “Forgot username” or by contacting Ventra Customer Service. Customers who do not wish to create an account username and password can still use the app to buy Metra tickets, check the balance of their card and view real-time transit tracker info.

 

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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[CNJRoss]

Metra On the Bi-Level special issue - Ventra Launch

[CNJRoss]

Chicago Sun-Times, 11/19:

 

CTA, Metra, Pace debut new Ventra app

 

The days of waiting in a winding line to use a Ventra machine or paying a fee for buying a Metra ticket aboard a train are mostly over.

 

The CTA, Metra and Pace on Thursday announced a new free Ventra app that lets commuters buy tickets, keep track of passes and plan trips.

 

The app is available for Apple and Android devices.

 

For Metra riders, the app turns their cellphone into a paperless ticket. The CTA plans to add that feature for bus and train riders.

 

The Ventra app was downloaded 20,000 times before the evening rush Thursday, the CTA said. More than 1,300 Metra orders were completed via the app, representing over 9,600 Metra rides which the CTA is calling a “strong response.”

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

CTA news release:

 

Chicago Transit Authority Wins 2016 APTA Innovation Award for Ventra App

7/29/2016
 

First-of-its-kind transit app that allows customers to pay for rides across CTA, Metra and Pace wins national industry award

 

 

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announced today that it will be awarded the 2016 American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Innovation Award, the top industry award for distinguished innovation among North American transit systems, for the Ventra transit app.

 

The Ventra app, developed with Metra, the Chicago area’s commuter rail system and Pace, the suburban bus system, is the first of its kind in the nation because it allows customers to pay for rides on multiple transit systems with just one app, providing riders with a “one-stop shopping” experience that essentially puts both a Ventra vending machine and a Metra ticket vending machine in customers’ pockets.

 

The CTA developed and owns the modern Ventra open fare, account-based payment system, which it launched in 2014. Following the installation of Ventra, the CTA was joined by Metra, and Pace in developing the multi-transit system app, which launched in November 2015.

 

“Leveraging technology to further improve the customer experience is a top priority at CTA and the Ventra app was developed with both Metra and Pace with that goal in mind,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. “We thank APTA for its recognition of CTA’s efforts to create a modern fare payment system that subsequently allowed our partners at Metra and Pace to join us in creating greater convenience for Chicago transit riders. This award further proves the importance that technology plays in a 21^st Century transit system and we look forward to the continued development and benefits of the app in future phases to come.”

 

“Innovation, collaboration and teamwork are the keys to success,” said Valarie J. McCall, APTA Chair and board member of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. “The work of Chicago’s three public transit systems, with funding from the Regional Transportation Authority, has led to a great customer-friendly product that is a model for other cities with multiple transit systems.”

 

"The 2016 Innovation Award is being given to the CTA for its lead role in creating the Ventra app with Pace, Metra, and the Regional Transportation Authority," said APTA Acting President and CEO Richard A. White. “Thanks to this innovative public transit fare app, which provides greater convenience and customer service, riders are able to purchase fares and more easily move between Chicago’s three public transit systems.”

 

“With its mobile ticketing and train tracker functions and its integration with the CTA’s and Pace’s fare payment systems, the Ventra app has proven to be immensely popular with Metra customers,” said Metra Executive Director CEO Don Orseno. “We are excited and proud that APTA shares our view that this customer amenity is truly innovative, convenient and beneficial for the Chicago region’s public transportation customers.”

 

“Pace is proud to be a part of the team that collaborated on the Ventra app,” said Pace Chairman Richard A. Kwasneski. “By putting the customer first, we’ve created easy access to a smarter, more affordable commute. This mobile platform meets the evolving needs of our region’s commuters and helps public transit legitimately compete against other travel modes. We look forward to future enhancements to the Ventra app and tip our hats to everyone who contributed to this success.”

 

Since its launch, the app has been downloaded more than 700,000 times and customers have used it to purchase more than $55 million in fares across CTA, Metra and Pace.

 

The app offers customers a wide range of functionality – including some never before available on phones – including account management, loading of transit value/passes, account notifications and integrated mobile ticketing on Metra. It also provides access to real-time transit tracker information for CTA, Metra and Pace all in one place. Future phases will offer additional services and conveniences.

 

The Regional Transportation Authority’s Innovation, Coordination and Enhancement (ICE) provided funding for the app’s development.

 

"We are proud to have partnered with the CTA, Metra and Pace on the Ventra App and we congratulate CTA on winning this award,” said Regional Transportation Authority Executive Director Leanne Redden. “In our role as the regional transit oversight agency, we were pleased to allocate much of the funding for this innovative project, tying technology to transit, allowing riders to purchase transit fares, access a transit tracker and manage their regional transit accounts from their smart phones or tablets.”

 

The win marks the second year in a row that CTA has taken home a national award from APTA. In October 2015, APTA honored the CTA with its highest honor for creative excellence, the “Grand Award” of APTA’s AdWheel Awards for CTA’s popular 2015 Courtesy Campaign. The campaign, created in-house by CTA staff, was developed to promote more courteous behavior among CTA customers by encouraging dialogue and consideration among fellow riders.

 

The free Ventra app is available for download and use on Apple and Android smartphone and tablet devices via www.ventrachicago.com, the App Store and Google Play.

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[CNJRoss]

Metra news release:

 

Ventra App update streamlines use of multiple tickets on single phone

 

(October 17, 2016) - Metra customers who use the Ventra App will now be able to display multiple tickets at the same time on a single phone as part of an update available today.

 

The new feature eliminates the need to go through the steps of selecting and launching a ticket for each person using a ticket in the app on a single phone. Instead, customers will be able to select the tickets needed and launch them to be displayed all at once. You can update the app by going to the App Store or Google Play.

 

“We recognized the need for our customers to have an easier way to use one phone for their ticketing needs when they are traveling with others,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno. “This update simplifies the process for our customers and will ultimately save time for conductors when they are checking tickets.”

 

To launch more than one ticket, customers should go to the My Metra Tickets page of the Ventra App. Select the “multiple riders” tab and select the type and number of tickets to launch. After confirming the number of tickets the customer would like to launch, the app will display the number of tickets being used in the center of the animated ticket display.

 

There are some guidelines customers should keep in mind when using the multiple riders feature. One-Way and 10-Ride tickets can only be launched in multiples when they have the same fare-zone pair. A Monthly pass can be launched with any ticket type, including special event or weekend tickets. Special event and weekend passes can also be launched with One-Way and 10-Ride tickets.

 

Launched in 2015, 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. The free app is available for download and use on Apple and Android smartphone and tablet devices via the App Store and Google Play. 

 

Since its debut, the app has been downloaded more than 1 million times and has been used by Chicago transit users to purchase more than $110 million in fares.

 

 

[CNJRoss]

Metra news release:

 

Ventra App Surpasses 2 Million Downloads  

 

 

(August 11, 2017) - Less than two years after being launched, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra and Pace announced that the Ventra transit app has been downloaded more than 2 million times and used to purchase nearly $250 million in fares.

 

Providing transit riders with a convenient “one-stop shopping” experience, the Ventra app is the first transit app in the nation allowing customers to pay for rides on multiple transit systems. The free app was developed and launched by the CTA in partnership with Metra, the Chicago area’s commuter rail system, and Pace, the suburban bus system.

 

“The fact that the Ventra app has been downloaded more than 2 million times in less than two years demonstrates why CTA is leveraging technology to improve the transit experience for our customers,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “By making transit easier to pay for and more convenient to use, we help encourage people to take advantage of great public transit in the Chicago area.”

 

The Ventra app, which launched in November 2015, offers a wide range of functionality that helps users pay their fares and manage their accounts. App users are also able to load transit value/passes, buy and display mobile tickets on Metra and receive real-time account notifications when it’s time to purchase new passes or refill their accounts.

 

“The Ventra app has proven to be extremely popular with Metra customers in such a short time,” said Metra Executive Chairman/CEO Don Orseno. “Already, more than a third of our customers are buying tickets through the app, making it our largest sales channel in terms of ticket sales. We’re pleased to offer such a fast and convenient app for the benefit of our riders.”

 

The Ventra app also provides access to real-time transit tracker information for CTA, Metra and Pace in one convenient location. Future phases will offer additional services and conveniences.

 

“The Ventra app has made our transit system easier and more convenient to use,” said Pace Executive Director T.J. Ross. “We’re proud to be a part of the Ventra team and extend our gratitude to everyone who worked to achieve this success.”

 

The free Ventra app is available for download and use on Apple and Android smartphone and tablet devices via www.ventrachicago.com, the App Store and Google Play.