One year in, Access Pilot Program makes transit more affordable, encourages ridership growth

This month the RTA, Metra, and Cook County are celebrating one year of success for the Access Pilot Program, which provides reduced fares on the entire Metra system to riders experiencing low incomes. Using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility, Access built upon the success of the Fair Transit South Cook pilot, which offered a reduced fare on the Metra Electric and Rock Island lines to all riders. With the expansion to SNAP households in all parts of the region, more than 4,600 riders have enrolled in the program over the past year – contributing to the overall ridership momentum the system has built since the pandemic. More than 117,000 rides have been taken using the pilot since it launched in February 2024, a majority of which were on the Metra Electric and Rock Island Lines that were served by the Fair Transit South Cook pilot.

The Access Pilot program will run through July 2025, but could be expanded to CTA and Pace service and made permanent with additional state investment – a key recommendation from a fare equity study conducted by the RTA at the request of the General Assembly. Other fare affordability programs for older adults and people with disabilities exist, administered by the RTA’s Mobility Services department, to keep transit accessible to all riders. Unsure what fare program is right for you? See the RTA Fare Programs flow chart to find out what program fits your needs.

Ride Free and Reduced Fare

Adults 65 and older and people with disabilities who enroll in the Illinois Department on Aging’s Benefit Access Program (BAP) are eligible to ride all fixed-route service for free. Once approved for BAP, riders can apply for a Ride Free permit on the RTA’s online fare portal, downloading a paper form at the RTA Travel Assistance Digital Library, or by visiting one of the many RTA Registration Sites throughout the region. Riders may also call the RTA Customer Service Hotline at (312) 913-3110 to have an application mailed to their home.

Adults 65 and older, people with qualifying disabilities, or Medicare cardholders who are ineligible for the Ride Free program are eligible for the Reduced Fare program. Reduced Fare permits allow for rides at half the cost of a full fare and can be used on all CTA, Metra, and Pace fixed-route service. Riders can apply for a Reduced Fare permit the same ways as applying for a Ride Free permit, including the online fare portal, paper application, at a registration site, or by mail.

Resources for survivors of gender-based violence

In November 2023, the RTA provided 25,000 transit passes loaded with $20 each to The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, an Illinois membership organization advocating to end domestic violence through training, education, and policy advocacy. The Network distributed the cards to over 50 service providers throughout the six-county region so they could be given to survivors who need access to transportation. As of October 2024, nearly 17,000 passes were issued to more than 4,000 individual survivors.

ADA paratransit certification

ADA paratransit is a shared ride, advanced reservation, origin-to-destination transportation service for individuals who, because of their disability, are unable to use CTA or Pace fixed-route transit service for some or all of their trips. Pace operates ADA paratransit service for the entire region and the RTA certifies eligible riders. Riders can schedule an eligibility assessment appointment by calling the RTA Mobility Services Helpline at (312) 663-4357. A decision will be made within 21 days of their appointment and riders will receive notification – and, if eligible, an ADA paratransit permit. This permit also serves as a Reduced Fare permit on CTA and Metra and now, to meet the growing demand for paratransit service, as a Ride Free permit on Pace fixed-route service.

Pace has further innovated ADA paratransit service by partnering with rideshare companies to create the Rideshare Access Program (RAP), which subsidizes accessible rides on Uber and UZURV. RAP is a separate, mutually exclusive program similar to the Taxi Access Program, which is available to ADA-certified riders seeking accessible rides in the City of Chicago.

Travel Training and Mobility Outreach

Older adults and people with disabilities who may need additional, hands-on assistance with using the transit system can sign up for the RTA Travel Training program. A Travel Trainer will meet with riders at their home or an agreed upon location to assist with achieving travel independence. Riders can schedule these sessions by calling (312) 913-3120 or emailing TravelTraining@rtachicago.org.

The RTA’s Mobility Outreach team also offers on-site fare program enrollment sessions and transit education presentations throughout the region, and participates in community outreach events in partnership with local and state leaders.

The future of affordable fare programs

Last year, the RTA released Building a More Equitable Fare Structure, a report outlining the need to fully fund and improve affordable fare programs for our region. Recommendations include a consolidated, income-based reduced fare program called Regional Access, which would be available to everyone regardless of age or disability. The report also recommends full state funding of ADA paratransit operations and Regional Access (existing free and reduced fares plus income-based expansion), which would reduce the projected annual operating budget gap of $770 million. The combined cost of these required programs totals nearly $400 million, only $30.9 million of which was funded by the state in last year's budget.

Finally, investments in technology and overall transit operations funding reform can unlock collaborative pricing policies across the region. To these ends, the RTA is advocating for reforms that empower the agency to assume key responsibilities, including setting a regional fare structure. Transforming Transit, the RTA’s vision for the future of the region’s transit system, details how the agency can be more accountable to riders and lawmakers on not only fares, but service quality and capital investment as well. The vision proposes that a strengthened RTA would lead a one-stop-shop contact center for all rider issues, including Ventra/ticket purchasing, free and reduced fare program eligibility, and ADA paratransit certification.

Affordable fare programs are at risk

Thanks in part to these programs, ridership on the transit system has continued to rebound since the pandemic. For the third year in a row, regional ridership is up by double-digits – reaching 361 million rides in 2024. This momentum, however, is at risk without a state solution to the impending fiscal cliff.

With federal pandemic relief funds expected to be spent early next year, transit stands at a critical pivot point where additional investment is needed to preserve these programs and mainline service. Without new revenue for transit operations, CTA, Metra, and Pace will have to begin planning for severe service cuts of up to 40%, which will lead to more riders leaving the system and further revenue losses, and so on.

Alternatively, with greater investment in transit operations and other reforms, the RTA could expand affordable fare programs, like Access, and the Service Boards could improve service throughout the region. The RTA is proposing a historic restructuring of the region’s transit governance to maximize the impact of any new operating funding and ensure all riders experience an improved, reliable, efficient, integrated transit network. These reforms include integrating fares and customer service and setting transit service standards to ensure riders have access to fast, reliable service guaranteed by a single accountable public agency.

Join the Transit is the Answer Coalition

The RTA is working with policy makers at all levels of government to develop sustainable funding solutions and improve the system for all riders. Join the Transit is the Answer Coalition to help bring about the legislative changes needed to support transit at this pivotal moment.