Metra to launch fare collection technology pilot April 6

On April 6, Metra is launching a pilot program that will ask riders to launch their Ventra ticket or show their paper ticket before boarding selected trains at downtown stations. 

The goal of the pilot is to test the speed, functionality and durability of new handheld devices to scan Ventra and paper tickets. Metra notes boarding riders will be stopped at the entrance to the platform and asked to present the QR code of a launched Ventra ticket or valid paper ticket for scanning. The test is being conducted initially with off-peak trains to avoid logjams during boarding and may be expanded to peak trains if the initial tests go smoothly.  

Metra notes the test could be helpful for the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA), the new public transportation governance body that will be formed later this year. NITA is required to integrate Metra, Chicago Transit Authority and Pace fares, and Metra notes that many potential integration solutions involve the use of handheld scanners. 

The pilot also will collect data on how many riders are using paper tickets versus Ventra tickets on specified trains, when and where riders purchase their tickets and their destinations, which the agency says could also be useful to NITA.  

Metra notes that a secondary benefit of the ticket checks is to assist with fare collection on the trains. Conductors will still validate tickets, but they won’t have to wait for riders to launch their Ventra tickets, speeding collection. To further help with that process, during the pilot, riders who do not have a ticket will be asked to purchase one before boarding.