jajuan Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 Just saw a report on ABC 7 News explaining that the Ventra readers will be repositioned on buses to face customers as they board, improving passenger flow. Probably 1730 is one of the first to get the move. I just saw that report myself. I guess now I'll have to start reminding myself to hold and flash my card in front of me again instead of to my right when I board a New Flyer since I tend to be a creature of habit and got so accustomed to that pattern of board, tap to my right and grab a seat if available. Quote
Amtrak41 Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 Can they reposition the thing on a old Nova ? Quote
jajuan Posted January 5, 2014 Report Posted January 5, 2014 Can they reposition the thing on a old Nova ? It shouldn't be all that hard. They would probably have to still have it on a vertical instead of positioned laying flat as can be done on NFs since the most of the front railing on an old Nova that would allow the reader to face the customer passes very close to the farebox. That's about the only difference with repositioning them on the current Novas. They've now begun expanding the repositioning of readers from 74th to Kedzie because I've started seeing some of Kedzie's artics out on the road with readers repositoned as I've already been seeing on increasingly more of 74th's buses (mainly 74th's NF buses so far). Quote
Vinny Posted January 10, 2014 Report Posted January 10, 2014 1874 on route 53 had the new reader orientation this morning. Of course, the screen had a "no entry" sign and the message "not in use". Quote
Busjack Posted January 10, 2014 Author Report Posted January 10, 2014 1874 on route 53 had the new reader orientation this morning. Of course, the screen had a "no entry" sign and the message "not in use". Was there another reader there, or were the passengers getting free rides? Quote
Amtrak41 Posted January 10, 2014 Report Posted January 10, 2014 "Ventra meets performance benchmarks" http://www.suntimes.com/24875361-761/ventra-meets-performance-benchmarks.html Quote
jajuan Posted January 11, 2014 Report Posted January 11, 2014 Was there another reader there, or were the passengers getting free rides? Most likely not so those passengers likely got free rides. On all the buses that have had the reader repositioned, it's still the same reader just moved from the part of the rail parallel with the windshield and moved to the part that's parallel to the passenger's side of the farebox along with being positioned with the screen facing up so that you'd now be looking down at the screen when you board. At least that's how it is on the NFs both 40 footers and artics. I have yet to see the reader repositioned on the Novas. Quote
Vinny Posted January 15, 2014 Report Posted January 15, 2014 Was there another reader there, or were the passengers getting free rides? Free rides unless you had a magnetic strip card. Quote
Busjack Posted January 15, 2014 Author Report 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
jajuan Posted January 25, 2014 Report 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
busfan2847 Posted January 25, 2014 Report 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
jesi2282 Posted January 25, 2014 Report Posted January 25, 2014 CTA and Pace have added more decals to show riders where to tap cards... Quote
jajuan Posted January 25, 2014 Report 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
BusHunter Posted January 26, 2014 Report 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
Amalvarado Posted February 5, 2014 Report 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
jajuan Posted February 5, 2014 Report 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
Amtrak41 Posted February 5, 2014 Report Posted February 5, 2014 http://www.suntimes.com/25400449-761/move-to-ventra-only-fare-system-could-resume-by-march.html Quote
Busjack Posted March 10, 2014 Author Report 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
MarioM Posted March 14, 2014 Report 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
jajuan Posted March 15, 2014 Report 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
Busjack Posted March 15, 2014 Author Report 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
MetroShadow Posted March 15, 2014 Report 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
owine Posted March 15, 2014 Report 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
jajuan Posted March 16, 2014 Report 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
Busjack Posted March 16, 2014 Author Report 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
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