Busjack Posted January 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Free rides unless you had a magnetic strip card. Puts doubt into the statement that Ventra is now meeting standards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted January 25, 2014 Report Share Posted January 25, 2014 I think I accidentally discovered that Ventra readers can know tell if you made an attempt to tap your card to pay in some cases when the reader is working correctly. I happened to board a 9 Ashland bus at the regular Clark/Belle Plaine northern terminus a few nights ago, and the reader was stuck in a reboot cycle. I didn't realize it at first so I had tapped my card out of force of habit. The operator told me not to worry about it since he wasn't sure why it decided to start acting up for that SB trip and I board buses he's driving often enough for him to know I'm always good with my fare. Cut to this morning when I was reloading a pass to my card. I noticed in my transaction/transit history that a line item marked "CTA Bus Default". I didn't know what the heck that was until I realized that was when I tapped my card on the Ashland bus not realizing the reader was mucked up that evening. So I'm guessing this may be part of how CTA, and in some cases Pace, can estimate lost fares when a reader is malfunctioning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busfan2847 Posted January 25, 2014 Report Share Posted January 25, 2014 Metra Link-Up passes are going over to disposable Ventra cards from February 2014. Picked mine up with my monthly Metra pass this week. As there are no dates on the card Metra have added stickers indicating which month they are purchased for. Unlike the transit card version, which were valid for the calendar month, the Ventra version are valid for only 30 days from first use, which will cause an issue for 31 day months when first use is on the 1st and that day is Monday to Wednesday. On those months when the 31st is also a work day cta and Pace operators are supposed to let Link-Up ticket holders on by showing the operator their Ventra card! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesi2282 Posted January 25, 2014 Report Share Posted January 25, 2014 CTA and Pace have added more decals to show riders where to tap cards... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted January 25, 2014 Report Share Posted January 25, 2014 CTA and Pace have added more decals to show riders where to tap cards... Actually those started going on the readers when CTA started repositioning the readers to face the customers and laying them flat when it comes to NF buses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 #6502 was having problems with it's reader. It wasn't even reading employee cards. With the old magnetic transit card's effective date going to 4/15 somehow that strikes me as the full transition to Ventra date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amalvarado Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Hi I have a question I activated my card a few hours ago and I just used it but when I went to the ventra homepage under beside the station were I used my card it said "pending trip pricing" and I don't get that because I am a college student and my ventra card is free I don't have to pay for my rides since I am a full time student does any one know what that means? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Hi I have a question I activated my card a few hours ago and I just used it but when I went to the ventra homepage under beside the station were I used my card it said "pending trip pricing" and I don't get that because I am a college student and my ventra card is free I don't have to pay for my rides since I am a full time student does any one know what that means? Basically all it means is your ride hadn't yet completely posted to your transit history in Ventra's computer system. Once it does the "pending trip pricing" should show up as a Ventra UPass against your card. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amtrak41 Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 http://www.suntimes.com/25400449-761/move-to-ventra-only-fare-system-could-resume-by-march.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted March 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2014 Hilkevitch says that another Ventra phase-in/old media phase out period is going to be announced by the end of March, and also that drivers are being disciplined for not telling passengers not to tap repeatedly. I guess CTA management has its usual whipping boys again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarioM Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 The new final schedule for phasing out Transit Cards and Chicago Cards and going all-Ventra all the time has been announced: http://www.transitchicago.com/ventra/default.aspx The last day to use Transit Cards will be July 1st. That's the same day that the Pace board set for phasing out magnetic card use back in December. Coincidence? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Hilkevitch says that another Ventra phase-in/old media phase out period is going to be announced by the end of March, and also that drivers are being disciplined for not telling passengers not to tap repeatedly. I guess CTA management has its usual whipping boys again. It may seem harsh and I agree CTA management at times asks for more than it deserves from its bus operators, but still when the passenger boards a bus they are the face of CTA for its customers in that circumstance a lot like sw is the representative of his Jewel store when a customer comes to his store's service desk for whatever is provided while he's on duty. He doesn't get to ignore a customer's request for service under normal circumstances . So in that light it shouldn't be rocket science that the operator at least say something to the passenger. Tell the passenger to maybe hold his card at a different angle (because maybe his hand is blocking the chip in the card), tap a little more slowly (because maybe it's a slow reader and didn't catch a full read or the reader didn't back completely to the ready screen). or don't hold the card against the reader so long since doing so can keep the reader from getting back to the blue ready to read screen. But say something to the rider. Don't just sit there and let that person keep tapping away and in come cases hold up any riders that may be behind him and therefore hold up the bus and fall too far behind schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted March 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 It may seem harsh and I agree CTA management at times asks for more than it deserves from its bus operators... Essentially my point was that disciple seems to be Claypool's first instinct. Then, how is the driver supposed to yell behind the assault screen on the new buses? Other than that, I'm not convinced from Cubic's numbers that the system is working properly, even if CTA is willing to post and rely on those numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroShadow Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 The new final schedule for phasing out Transit Cards and Chicago Cards and going all-Ventra all the time has been announced: http://www.transitchicago.com/ventra/default.aspx The last day to use Transit Cards will be July 1st. That's the same day that the Pace board set for phasing out magnetic card use back in December. Coincidence? That was the intended goal to begin with, once the system was functional of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owine Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Essentially my point was that disciple seems to be Claypool's first instinct. Then, how is the driver supposed to yell behind the assault screen on the new buses? Other than that, I'm not convinced from Cubic's numbers that the system is working properly, even if CTA is willing to post and rely on those numbers. It's still a little slow on buses, but for rail it is definitely up to snuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted March 16, 2014 Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 Essentially my point was that disciple seems to be Claypool's first instinct. Then, how is the driver supposed to yell behind the assault screen on the new buses? Other than that, I'm not convinced from Cubic's numbers that the system is working properly, even if CTA is willing to post and rely on those numbers. A driver doesn't have to yell and I think you know that Oh Sarcastic One. But at the same time he/she doesn't have to just sit there like a gosh darn lump on a log either. All it takes is say for instance to that rider who puts his card against the reader and leave it there, 'Alright lift your card up and let the machine go back to the blue screen. When you see it go back to say tap your card, tap your card against the yellow panel and lift it back up.' Like it or not despite CTA management at times acting otherwise, the CTA is in fact selling a service (transportation by bus or train), and a bus operator is pretty much a customer service agent for the bus side of that service.So sitting there like a mute lost puppy isn't providing good customer service despite CTA management asking for the impossible in other areas. I'm sorry but attempting to help a rider isn't one those impossible things in my book. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted March 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 A driver doesn't have to yell and I think you know that Oh Sarcastic One. I'm not being sarcastic, judgmental sir. Like I said before, did you see the plexiglass shield on 7900, and Garmon accepting my analogy to the one at Harold's? At least Harold's has a money slot. It took Claypool about 2 months to figure out that the fault was Cubic's and not the passengers' the first time around. Apparently this time it still isn't Cubic's fault, but the drivers' I hope the arbitrators charge CTA a sufficient amount to handle all the grievances.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted March 16, 2014 Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 I'm not being sarcastic, judgmental sir. Like I said before, did you see the plexiglass shield on 7900, and Garmon accepting my analogy to the one at Harold's? At least Harold's has a money slot. It took Claypool about 2 months to figure out that the fault was Cubic's and not the passengers' the first time around. Apparently this time it still isn't Cubic's fault, but the drivers' I hope the arbitrators charge CTA a sufficient amount to handle all the grievances.. I think you know I'm not going to feed your usual beef with CTA management nor am I going to feed into your this can never be fixed mantra. And I'm not being judmental, but I do see where you're letting your beef with CTA management cloud your eyes to a simple point that at the very least an operator shouldn't just sit there silently while a passenger is standing there tapping away in frustration. Tell the rider something. Tell him whether you got a slow machine, which does still happen at times. Tell him whether the reader is stuck in a reset cycle. Ask if he had problems on another bus or train. Something. But don't just sit there letting the rider look silly and let an issue escalate into a conflict that doesn't need to be and can be avoided. I could care less about your gripes with that goof Claypool, but assisting a rider where possible still falls in an operator's job description. Don't just leave that rider confused and wondering if it's ok to board and take a seat or if he should keep tapping away till a Go screen pops up. The operators can go through whatever channels they got available to work through disciplines they think are too harsh, but they still aren't completely absolved from trying to help out their riders because of the jams in the system. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman8119 Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Still think automatic fare paying systems are the way to go ??? http://money.msn.com/investing/post--hedge-fund-exec-busted-for-cheating-subway-system#scpshrjwfbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroShadow Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Still think automatic fare paying systems are the way to go ??? http://money.msn.com/investing/post--hedge-fund-exec-busted-for-cheating-subway-system#scpshrjwfbs Basically one of the problems with rolling the dice with "tap-in/tap out" systems--you exploit a flaw in the current system and play to the rules. That shouldn't surprise anyone (except for paying it back so fast). Perhaps they should've latched the gates at the starting point. But Metra will have a ball with dealing with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 ... But Metra will have a ball with dealing with this. Basically the reason (previously discussed) why Metra is buying this system. One would have assumed that London would have had a means for conductors to audit fares, but I guess not. As I previously indicated, the only way Metra could enforce tap out is fi somehow they could collect the Zone J fare if you didn't. I don't think most riders would have that much stored on their cards used as transit media, and, as indicated with all the stink about the bank cards, people would go to their banks to have that charge reversed. In effect, the only way the Tollway enforces this with people who go through I-Pass lanes without an I-Pass is to have an outrageous fine if you don't pay up in 7 days. But at least most cars have license plates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busfan2847 Posted April 15, 2014 Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 Basically the reason (previously discussed) why Metra is buying this system. One would have assumed that London would have had a means for conductors to audit fares, but I guess not. As I previously indicated, the only way Metra could enforce tap out is fi somehow they could collect the Zone J fare if you didn't. I don't think most riders would have that much stored on their cards used as transit media, and, as indicated with all the stink about the bank cards, people would go to their banks to have that charge reversed. In effect, the only way the Tollway enforces this with people who go through I-Pass lanes without an I-Pass is to have an outrageous fine if you don't pay up in 7 days. But at least most cars have license plates. There are no conductors on trains in London and the South East. Very occasionally you will get a revenue inspector. All major stations and many other stations are now closed access requiring you to go through an automatic ticket barrier with a valid ticket or Oyster card. The smaller stations out in the suburbs (Stonegate is many miles outside the Oyster ticket area) still have open access and rely on people being scared of being caught. Even if the station ticket office is closed you are expected to buy a permit to travel from a ticket machine at the station. If you are caught without it you are likely to end up with a hefty fine. All UK stations have high platforms making it easier to secure the stations than is the case with the low level platforms on the Metra diesel lines (and in the South East they are all 3rd rail!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2014 ....If you are caught without it you are likely to end up with a hefty fine. .... I went back to the story to confirm that the settlement was only for the back fares and court costs; no fine. Maybe the operator was glad to get its £43,000 ($72,000), but that isn't much of a deterrent if he was able to hold onto his money for up to maybe 5 years. Stonegate must be really out of town if the fare is £24.50 (approx $41) but the assumed missed fare is £7.20 (approx. $12). This sort of sounds like the old days on the IC, in which the comparison would be that the fare barrier at 211th St-Lincoln Highway (Zone F) was out of service, but they let you through the barrier at Randolph St. at the fare for up to Woodlawn-63rd (Zone B_). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busfan2847 Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 I went back to the story to confirm that the settlement was only for the back fares and court costs; no fine. Maybe the operator was glad to get its £43,000 ($72,000), but that isn't much of a deterrent if he was able to hold onto his money for up to maybe 5 years. Stonegate must be really out of town if the fare is £24.50 (approx $41) but the assumed missed fare is £7.20 (approx. $12). This sort of sounds like the old days on the IC, in which the comparison would be that the fare barrier at 211th St-Lincoln Highway (Zone F) was out of service, but they let you through the barrier at Randolph St. at the fare for up to Woodlawn-63rd (Zone B_). For anyone caught on a train without a ticket the penalty fare for Southeastern Trains is £20 or twice the full single fare from the station where the passenger got on the train to the next station at which the train stops, whichever is the greater. He did pay a penalty fare however as an annual ticket over five years would have cost £22,740 and he was charged the full daily fare over five years of £42,550 + legal costs (Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2603676/High-flying-fund-manager-spends-five-years-dodging-rail-fares-coughs-43-000-caught.html#ixzz2zNjpjt9i ) Stonegate is 43m from London Charing Cross and about 30m outside the Oyster zone. Southeastern told the Sunday times that all passengers have the option to avoid prosecution and settle out of court and that this guy wanted to protect his identity because he was concerned about the impact it would have on his job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 ... He did pay a penalty fare however as an annual ticket over five years would have cost £22,740 and he was charged the full daily fare over five years of £42,550 + legal costs (Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2603676/High-flying-fund-manager-spends-five-years-dodging-rail-fares-coughs-43-000-caught.html#ixzz2zNjpjt9i ) ... That's not a penalty, since he never bought an annual ticket. The only analogy here is the Illinois Tollway, which says on its Pay a Toll Violation page that an I-Pass or EZ-Pass violator can avoid a violation by paying "only the cash rate for toll." under certain circumstances. The cash rate is twice the I-Pass rate for passenger cars. If you don't do what they say, you also have to pay the penalty in the notice. To the extent Metra is analogous, if you don't have a ticket when you board the train, you pay the cash fare for the applicable zone plus a $3 service charge, unless an agent was not at the boarding station. Conductors do not charge 1/44 of a monthly ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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