strictures Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Hilkevitch article on how change orders are increasing the cost of Ventra. Some stuff like the Pace add on shouldn't be a surprise.Charging to fix software glitches should be. Also, apparently Metra is now in violation of the regional fare payment card law, not that it makes any practical difference. The one notable thing is that apparently people aren't being suckered by the Ventra debit card, which should make sw and any sane person happy. However,the article didn't mention that that besides it costing Cubic (or more likely Meta Bank) money, it is also costing CTA commissions. I'm baffled as to why the CTA should pay to fix Cubic's wretchedly incompetent software. That should be Cubic's job, but my guess is that the idiots running the CTA didn't read the contract or the crooked consultants that said to go with Cubic told the CTA to ignore that clause. And since I now have a Ride Free card, due to Social Security as my income, yesterday on my second bus ride, which was 30 minutes after the first, the reader rejected me as too many rides. That's bad software. I can't wait for the Chicago Architectural Foundation's Open House Chicago in October, when I'll ride 20+ buses & trains & then I'll get one of those idiotic letters accusing me of lending the card out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted March 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 I'm baffled as to why the CTA should pay to fix Cubic's wretchedly incompetent software. That should be Cubic's job, but my guess is that the idiots running the CTA didn't read the contract or the crooked consultants that said to go with Cubic told the CTA to ignore that clause. And since I now have a Ride Free card, due to Social Security as my income, yesterday on my second bus ride, which was 30 minutes after the first, the reader rejected me as too many rides. That's bad software. I can't wait for the Chicago Architectural Foundation's Open House Chicago in October, when I'll ride 20+ buses & trains & then I'll get one of those idiotic letters accusing me of lending the card out! I implied the first. On the second, I suppose that this has nothing to do with Tammy Chase not figuring out why CTA's customer satisfaction is down, although if we accept what is posted here, it should be down even more on the northwest side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 Something I foresaw here (but came up more recently on the CTA Tattler), Hilkevitch's column confirms that some of the problems reading Ventra cards on buses is "some failures to collect fares are caused by problems with telecommunications lines operated by wireless service providers." Of course, why even the wireless companies refer to "lines" is beyond me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garmon757 Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 Something I foresaw here (but came up more recently on the CTA Tattler), Hilkevitch's column confirms that some of the problems reading Ventra cards on buses is "some failures to collect fares are caused by problems with telecommunications lines operated by wireless service providers." Of course, why even the wireless companies refer to "lines" is beyond me.Because they're idiots. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 Looks like residential customers aren't the only ones having a hard time from AT&T and Verizon. Let's just hope the CTA doesn't have to fix the problem by having someone show up in the time span from 7AM to 6 PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 Looks like residential customers aren't the only ones having a hard time from AT&T and Verizon. Let's just hope the CTA doesn't have to fix the problem by having someone show up in the time span from 7AM to 6 PM. The issue, at least from the other commenters on the CTA Tattler, is cell dead spots. I don't think whatever CTA's carrier is makes house calls about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Steven Vance has details on how the new Ventra mobile app will work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroShadow Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Steven Vance has details on how the new Ventra mobile app will work. Some of the code still needs to be worked out, but I'm confident in the end product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briman94 Posted April 11, 2015 Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 Some of the code still needs to be worked out, but I'm confident in the end product.I applied to be a tester. They didn't give me a place to brag about my nerd skills, but I said I was a student who rode the CTA every day so who knows...maybe I'll get in.For now, I found an app that let me scan my U-Pass and now I can use my phone instead of the actual card (more reliable scanning), but I can't manage my Ventra account from it unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 I applied to be a tester. They didn't give me a place to brag about my nerd skills, but I said I was a student who rode the CTA every day so who knows...maybe I'll get in.For now, I found an app that let me scan my U-Pass and now I can use my phone instead of the actual card (more reliable scanning), but I can't manage my Ventra account from it unfortunately.Good luck! I'd think being a daily rider would be enough. I'm going to wait for the public release though, and will continue to buy my paper ticket onboard the Metra train.Your app sounds like what Apple could do with Passbook for the iPhone (apparently Amtrak tickets can be presented by your phone to the conductor). I'm concerned that my phone won't be helpful with the Ventra app though. It doesn't have NFC, though that shouldn't be a problem if the Metra conductor only looks at the phone or scans the screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briman94 Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 Good luck! I'd think being a daily rider would be enough. I'm going to wait for the public release though, and will continue to buy my paper ticket onboard the Metra train.Your app sounds like what Apple could do with Passbook for the iPhone (apparently Amtrak tickets can be presented by your phone to the conductor). I'm concerned that my phone won't be helpful with the Ventra app though. It doesn't have NFC, though that shouldn't be a problem if the Metra conductor only looks at the phone or scans the screen.My app actually works for my U-Pass/Ventra, not for Metra tickets. I actually have more use for a Metra app than this, but alas, they're still using 20th-century payment methods for now. Also, Amtrak e-mails you your ticket now...printing them is optional unless you get them from a kiosk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 Good luck! I'd think being a daily rider would be enough. I'm going to wait for the public release though, and will continue to buy my paper ticket onboard the Metra train.Your app sounds like what Apple could do with Passbook for the iPhone (apparently Amtrak tickets can be presented by your phone to the conductor). I'm concerned that my phone won't be helpful with the Ventra app though. It doesn't have NFC, though that shouldn't be a problem if the Metra conductor only looks at the phone or scans the screen.My app actually works for my U-Pass/Ventra, not for Metra tickets. I actually have more use for a Metra app than this, but alas, they're still using 20th-century payment methods for now. Also, Amtrak e-mails you your ticket now...printing them is optional unless you get them from a kiosk.From what it looks from the South Shore site (very difficult to find), the app can be used to buy and activate tickets but the phone has to be shown to the conductor. Apparently the conductor does not have a reader. Also, by clicking through various stuff, it appears that the CTA/Pace pay by touching your phone is yet to come; the current app basically integrates the Ventra website and the trackers (FAQ).Finally, according to RedEye, the test was oversubscribed 10-fold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroShadow Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 So, in order, the official app will be released as a test for Trip Planning and Metra Tickets only. Everything else, including the stand-alone phone-at-turnstile will be phased in. ApplePay and GoogleWallet hasn't had the technology (nor the connection) to integrate in the app - yet - but that's a ways off. I think the focus is to make sure the basic level of app is ready for FUT (and last week, I have seen a couple of almost-fatal errors that would need to be fixed). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briman94 Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 So, in order, the official app will be released as a test for Trip Planning and Metra Tickets only. Everything else, including the stand-alone phone-at-turnstile will be phased in. ApplePay and GoogleWallet hasn't had the technology (nor the connection) to integrate in the app - yet - but that's a ways off. I think the focus is to make sure the basic level of app is ready for FUT (and last week, I have seen a couple of almost-fatal errors that would need to be fixed).Technically, you can associate your Google Wallet "MasterCard" with Ventra just like any other tap-and-pay card, but I think the card number might change sometimes. Not sure how that works. The app I have lets you scan a tap-and-pay card (e.g. a U-Pass/Ventra) and then makes your phone "echo" it back when tapped on the reader. It's slightly faster than the cards and sometimes easier to physically have ready, but there's really no other benefit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted April 21, 2015 Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 From what it looks from the South Shore site (very difficult to find), the app can be used to buy and activate tickets but the phone has to be shown to the conductor. Apparently the conductor does not have a reader. Also, by clicking through various stuff, it appears that the CTA/Pace pay by touching your phone is yet to come; the current app basically integrates the Ventra website and the trackers (FAQ).Finally, according to RedEye, the test was oversubscribed 10-fold.Thanks. I feel like with just a visual inspection of a phone without a reader, the conductors might not trust it as well as the classic ticket and hole puncher. Maybe too many morons would try to make screenshots look like actual tickets or something, even though that won't work. I always pay my fare, but I know there are some people out there who don't.Also, I'm fine with a conductor who might need to hold my phone to validate the ticket, but if someone decides to snatch my phone out of the conductor's hands (not likely though), there will be problems. Just imagine when the train makes those frequent stops and someone who just boarded has a phone ticket... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroShadow Posted April 21, 2015 Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 Conductors will have the reader as the tickets are (1) Locked with an individual QR code that (2) doesn't regenerate, and (3) has an expiration date (and time) to eliminate fraud... VRE has been doing this and tri-Met's provider is the contractor for Ventra's mobile app. That doesn't mean that there won't be a learning curve users error for the first part of the testing phase. /I'm still a fan of the tap-on-tap-off method but I don't think Metra wants to spend the money on readers galore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 /I'm still a fan of the tap-on-tap-off method but I don't think Metra wants to spend the money on readers galore.Besides that, we previously discussed that without closed fare areas, Metra couldn't enforce it (other than charging everyone a Zone J Fare if they didn't touch out), unless they went to something like I-Pass transponders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strictures Posted April 21, 2015 Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 Besides that, we previously discussed that without closed fare areas, Metra couldn't enforce it (other than charging everyone a Zone J Fare if they didn't touch out), unless they went to something like I-Pass transponders.Yeah, the Northbrook stop actually lets people on/off on the street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rippler Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 Can anyone explain how the Reduced Fare works for seniors? Do you get a different Ventra card that you can still scan the normal way with a photo on it? Or do you get a 2nd card you have to also keep with you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verive.m Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 Technically, you can associate your Google Wallet "MasterCard" with Ventra just like any other tap-and-pay card, but I think the card number might change sometimes. Not sure how that works. The app I have lets you scan a tap-and-pay card (e.g. a U-Pass/Ventra) and then makes your phone "echo" it back when tapped on the reader. It's slightly faster than the cards and sometimes easier to physically have ready, but there's really no other benefit.As a fellow Blue Demon, I've been trying to find an app like this! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted June 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 Can anyone explain how the Reduced Fare works for seniors? Do you get a different Ventra card that you can still scan the normal way with a photo on it? Or do you get a 2nd card you have to also keep with you? One has to apply to the RTA for a card, but the fares then can be "loaded" onto the card, same as any other one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted October 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Maybe I'm giving away too much here:I tried opening a Ventra account (by username) and tried to associate an RTA permit, but the website wouldn't do it, because the card was "already registered." I had to call customer service, who took care of it. Very courteous, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrethebusman Posted October 29, 2015 Report Share Posted October 29, 2015 (edited) Ventra readers on buses are becoming more and more balky, it seems. Monday was particularly bad. Everybody had to tap five, six times at least. Makes me wonder if readers are "wearing out"? Under normal conditions maybe half need a second tap to work. No wonder passengers have little good to say about Ventra. Edited October 29, 2015 by andrethebusman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted October 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2015 Ventra readers on buses are becoming more and more balky, it seems. Monday was particularly bad. Everybody had to tap five, six times at least. Makes me wonder if readers are "wearing out"? Under normal conditions maybe half need a second tap to work. No wonder passengers have little good to say about Ventra.I don't think it is the readers, but the digital radio links in bad weather. Channel 7 conked out on my TV several times last night. Again, it is the inherent problem that bus readers rely on radio, while presumably the turnstile ones are hard wired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garmon757 Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 Has anybody witnessed this "0 Deadhead" on your card history page? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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