Fares Increase Monday For Half Of The CTA's Riders
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The price of a one-day pass will nearly double, from $5.75 to $10. A three-day pass that now costs $14 will cost $20. The seven-day pass will increase in price from $23 to $28 and the 30-day pass will increase in price from $86 to $100.
In addition, those who pay cash or buy a pay-as-you-go magnetic stripe fare card for travel from O'Hare will pay $5 instead of the current $2.25.
Fares Increase Monday For Half Of The CTA's Riders
Those who use CTA passes will not be subject to the O'Hare surcharge, CTA spokesman Brian Steele said, and riders who use Chicago Cards and the Chicago Card Plus are exempted for six months. The increase at O'Hare does not affect rides inbound to O'Hare or bus rides from O'Hare, nor does it affect any train or bus service at Midway Airport.
The base fare will remain $2.25 on 'L' trains and $2 on buses.
The increases were crucial to CTA balancing its $1.39 billion 2013 budget.CTA also extracted $50 million in management costs from its 2013 budget, and CTA President Forrest Claypool said, when unveiling the budget in November, that the unions did their part by agreeing to a four-year contract that includes $30 million a year in work rule changes and other concessions, notably health benefits.
In return, CTA is granting 10.25 percent in pay raises, including a 2 percent increase retroactive to July 1 that he said was contemplated in the agency's budgeting process.
"The final piece is asking the half of our customers who use passes to accept a smaller discount in exchange for protecting service, protecting jobs and protecting the fiscal integrity of the system," said Claypool.
The half fare for schoolchildren will drop from 85 cents to 75 cents. Claypool said it's a move to increase school attendance.
