Metra postpones on-board purchase penalty rise

Chicagoland's Metra said Friday, Jan. 23, 2015 it will postpone a plan to increase the penalty for onboard ticket purchases until mobile ticketing capability is activated unveiled later this year.

The fee, assessed when riders board at stations with open ticket windows or vending machines, was to occur Feb. 1, with the surcharge rising from $30 to $5, along with other scheduled fare increases still to take effect on schedule, Metra said.

Metra’s Board of Directors, in discussion on the matter at its Jan. 16 meeting, determined a postponement might be appropriate “until the start of mobile ticketing, which will allow riders to pay on the train using their own smartphones and a credit/debit card or Ventra account,” Metra said.

Mobile ticketing will be one function of a regional app being developed in conjunction with the Chicago Transit Authority and Pace bus operations.. The app will also feature Ventra account management and other functions, and will be tested in the coming weeks, with an official debut scheduled for late spring/early summer, Metra said.