Ventra - Bugs, Feedback, and Questions

[Busjack]

Yeah, but wasn't the metrocard system going to abolished similar to here?

Apparently the tests didn't pass, so if MTA intends to replace MetroCard, it hasn't shown its hand.

[brownliner]

 

Apparently the tests didn't pass, so if MTA intends to replace MetroCard, it hasn't shown its hand.

I'm pretty sure there never was even a real plan to get rid of metrocard. (Other than a general "magnetic cards are awful" sentiment that's shared by everyone who has to deal with lots of them.)

Incidentally, the MTA started charging a buck for a metrocard earlier this year. (It's essentially identical to the CTA magnetic media.) And there's a single ride card, with a (25 cent?) surcharge, which has to be used within an hour or two of purchase, and which doesn't qualify for a transfer. (Ventra ticket not such a bad deal, comparatively.)

[Amtrak41]

If you turn in an expired Metrocard for renewal, you don't pay the buck.

The buck fee is there to avoid litter all over the stations and buses and well as to screw tourists. Some people make a living picking them up and scanning for any value, and they sometimes win.

We don't have day passes anymore either.

[Busjack]

Back home, Tribune had a misleading article lead about Metra getting on board with Ventra, but it is the same as before; i.e. letting riders buy existing tickets with transit value; not an open fare system. Metra is sure not going to enclosed fare areas or turnstiles.

[Amtrak41]

Unless METRA turns into SEPTA, they can't. All they can do is e-ticketing like parts of NJT, LIRR, and MN have.

METRA Electric/IC was run that way for many years, but had to take it down due to discrimination issues, among other things.

[Busjack]

The Tribune story from last night was amended to indicate that besides CTA buses, there were outages on Pace buses. With the scattered nature of the CTA routes previously cited, plus Pace now being involved, I doubt that it involves the garage by garage software upgrade or the radio system (which differs on CTA and Pace). Looks like the only garage that escaped was FG.

[jajuan]

The Tribune story from last night was amended to indicate that besides CTA buses, there were outages on Pace buses. With the scattered nature of the CTA routes previously cited, plus Pace now being involved, I doubt that it involves the garage by garage software upgrade or the radio system (which differs on CTA and Pace). Looks like the only garage that escaped was FG.

It would explain why I and other Ventra riders kept getting stop screens on the #9 yet my card worked just fine as usual on the #22 yesterday. And this was actually shortly after 12:30 in the afternoon that I ran into a nonfunctioning reader on the #9, hours before Hilkevitch reports the outages started. And my experience with the Ashland bus shows that the outage may have gone beyond the routes reported in the Tribune story.

[Amtrak41]

"All CTA buses now upgraded to process payments faster"

http://voices.suntimes.com/news/transportation-news/how-fast-is-your-ventra-tap-all-cta-buses-now-upgraded-to-process-payments-faster/

[Amtrak41]

"CTA: Ventra performance is improving"

http://www.suntimes.com/24355205-761/cta-ventra-performance-is-improving.html

[Busjack]

"CTA: Ventra performance is improving"

http://www.suntimes.com/24355205-761/cta-ventra-performance-is-improving.html

The only impression I have is that a different problem each day in the media has stopped.

[jajuan]

I'd have to say though that in some ways the media has been a bit overzealous in jumping over each other in a race to broadcast every malfunction and problem to the point of presenting things that were relatively minor compared to some of the much larger problems that were out there like months going by before Chicago Card and CCP got their new Ventra cards if they even got them at all, the glitch that had some riders getting endless numbers of cards mailed or cases of the wrong card getting dinged among some who may have been carrying their wallets in a back or purse.

[Amtrak41]

In I-T terms, they "tested it in production".

Not paying Cubic for the time being proved productive.

[Busjack]

In I-T terms, they "tested it in production".

Not paying Cubic for the time being proved productive.

I suppose it took Microsoft about 16 years to "test [Windows] under production," before mostly purging the BSOD, but that seems to work only for monopolies. Maybe "testing under production" is why Dominick's (Safeway's Illinois subsidiary) is now going out of business, after "right sizing" the business twice.

After about 8 years, maybe CTA learned something from the NABI episode, where it paid out about $87 million on a $102 million contract before it figured out it got unmerchantable junk. Also, despite what Pace minutes implied, it appears that neither TA paid for the equipment, but will pay a monthly processing fee.

I'd have to say though that in some ways the media has been a bit overzealous in jumping over each other in a race to broadcast every malfunction and problem ...

Hard to tell if that's the case, given such things as (1) initially CTA sent out Tammy Chase to lie to paper it over until that no longer worked and Claypool was directed to admit the problems, 2 days after the aborted closing of the transit vending machines,* and (2) it is questionable whether the press got everything, in that, for instance, the only problem the Tribune reported with regard to the Transit Benefits Program was that some employers were able to get into other employers' accounts, but the CTA Tattler was rife with postings that either employers couldn't figure out how to schedule the deductions, or when they did, employees' $100 suddenly vanished until CTA finally decided to send out magnetic stripe passes.

____________

*Note that after the software upgrades, including adding the obvious step of "Processing..." double charging is supposedly cured, but originally, CTA said it didn't happen. I wonder if CTA settled the class action plaintiff's account yet.

[Busjack]

In the meantime, Channel 7.1 is running a crawl to check the expiration dates on magnetic stripe cards since they still expire Dec. 15 and won't work.

Olaf appears to have more details here on the CTA Tattler.

[Busjack]

If you want a really bizarre story that hasn't hit the media, check out SpinyNorman on the CTA Tattler.

[flossman]

I was a bit miffed at my Ventra card the other day. I know I'm an out-of-stater, but I go to Chicago on a very regular basis, and was excited I could put a day pass on my card without stopping at a Walgreens or Dominick's. Sadly, the machine wouldn't put a pass on my card, despite it being used before. I settled for one of the Ventra tickets, which worked just fine, but I'd much rather have my card, you know, work as advertised.

[Busjack]

I was a bit miffed at my Ventra card the other day. I know I'm an out-of-stater, but I go to Chicago on a very regular basis, and was excited I could put a day pass on my card without stopping at a Walgreens or Dominick's. Sadly, the machine wouldn't put a pass on my card, despite it being used before. I settled for one of the Ventra tickets, which worked just fine, but I'd much rather have my card, you know, work as advertised.

The day pass issue may be related to that the paper ones were only available at places to "accommodate" tourists. I don't know if the Ventra one is so limited or the system was fouled up, or if you were even using a Ventra card, as opposed to trying to put something on a bank card that had not been registered as a transit account.

Besides again proving that the system isn't "open," the settling for a Ventra ticket indicates that one is engaged in a lottery depending on the fare medium. The day pass is a ripoff at $10 unless you are going to be on the CTA all day (need at least 4 linked trips, as opposed to how CTA counts transfers on unlinked trips), but if you were messing with a Blink bank card and didn't intend to transfer, using it the same as cash would have been better.

This only reinforces my view that instead of encouraging occasional riders, CTA's intent was to stick it to them.

BTW, Walgreens and Dominick's are not Ventra agents; usually they are CVS and some Jewels. Dominick's is going to be out of business by Dec. 28, although the way the store near me was cleared out on the first day of the 50% off sale, I don't think even that long.

[owine]

If you want a really bizarre story that hasn't hit the media, check out SpinyNorman on the CTA Tattler.

Auto reload is still iffy. Only 1/2 cards in my household reloaded automatically, the other had to be done manually. This is the second time this has happened in my house.

[Busjack]

Auto reload is still iffy. Only 1/2 cards in my household reloaded automatically, the other had to be done manually. This is the second time this has happened in my house.

You might want to go back to SpinyNorman's later post. Apparently these type of incidents have to do with more than one card on one CCP account. I didn't know that was possible.

[owine]

You might want to go back to SpinyNorman's later post. Apparently these type of incidents have to do with more than one card on one CCP account. I didn't know that was possible.

I can speak only to the auto reload feature, all cards in our household are established under separate accounts.

[brownliner]

BTW, Walgreens and Dominick's are not Ventra agents; usually they are CVS and some Jewels. Dominick's is going to be out of business by Dec. 28, although the way the store near me was cleared out on the first day of the 50% off sale, I don't think even that long.

The walgreens down the street from me has a very large banner that says "we sell and reload ventra cards", with both the CTA and walgreen's logos on it. So at least some Walgreens clearly are Ventra agents. This one is one two busy bus routes, that might matter.

I ran into the first real problem with my card today. I was travelling with my wife, and I used my card to pay for both of us. We took a bus, and later a train (just out side the transfer window), and later another bus. the first bus had a long delay processing the second transaction. The last bus wouldn't read my card at all, the driver waved us on. Looking at the account online, I see I have five trips posted today, (should be six, but I never got a 'Go' on the last bus, so I don't know why it's not four...). They're all for $0.00, with a description of "Pending Trip Pricing" (expected is "Transit Value"). I don't know how they don't know what it costs to ride a bus or a train.

[brownliner]

You might want to go back to SpinyNorman's later post. Apparently these type of incidents have to do with more than one card on one CCP account. I didn't know that was possible.

You could have as many as five, I believe. Perfectly sensible, lots of households work that way. That's how my CCP account was set up (one card for me, one for my wife, one for guests/spare, all charged to the same credit card.). The ventra transtition got that right, except while they managed to put names on the cards, they didn't see fit to get that onto the website, so you only see 'card 1', 'card 2' and not 'Brown Liner', 'Mrs Brown Liner', and "Elwood Blues".

[Busjack]

...They're all for $0.00, with a description of "Pending Trip Pricing" (expected is "Transit Value"). I don't know how they don't know what it costs to ride a bus or a train.

Maybe with all the double charging on false passbacks, the system now can't deal with a real one.

[owine]

It's not unusual for a ride to be "Pending Trip Pricing". I often see this on my history but after a while the rides are updated to reflect proper pricing. This is even on a 30 day pass with no transfers.

[brownliner]

Maybe with all the double charging on false passbacks, the system now can't deal with a real one.

I got charged for a bus ride, and then 10 seconds later, a transfer. 'L' transaction worked properly. The last bus trip is also properly coded as a transfer. So maybe. The screen on the bus did show the tap for additional riders message.