Too many weak links in RTA transit plan

Chicago Sun-Times
January 13, 2004

Your Dec. 17 [metro] article ''Transit card would link Metra, Pace, CTA'' demonstrates once again that the agency with the name Regional Transportation Authority has little vision for creating a truly regional transit system. RTA's plan is ineffective in accomplishing the real goal of a universal fare card, which is to increase use of public transit throughout the region.

RTA's idea of a universal card is to paste together a monthly Metra pass and a CTA Link-Up pass, typically used by Metra commuters who transfer to CTA on a regular basis. It will reduce the clutter in some Metra riders' pockets, but that's about all it will do. It will do nothing for riders who do not ride Metra every day. This is neither a universal card nor a smart card.

Since 1999, the Illinois Legislature and the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board have pressed RTA to achieve transit coordination among its three transit agencies. To date, RTA has proved unresponsive to even modest efforts to create a more seamless regionwide system.

A critical feature of transit coordination is a universal fare card that can be used interchangeably among Metra, CTA and Pace. By barely touching the sensor, ''smart card'' technology makes it possible to deduct the correct fare. Value can be added at stations and elsewhere, including over the Internet or at a grocery store.

Unfortunately, the RTA's proposal falls woefully short of this standard. By making the fare card available only to riders who already own monthly passes, RTA will do nothing to attract new riders. It still will not allow the casual rider unable to pay $100 or more for two passes to easily switch between transit systems. And the program's lack of success will be used as justification to do nothing more.

In reality, transit systems all over the world understand that riders benefit from universal fare cards. In Hong Kong, over 100 different transportation agencies are linked with one card. In San Francisco, after testing a smart card among six agencies, the new fare card will include all 27 transportation agencies. A universal fare card will actually cross state lines in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland -- and yet in our region, RTA cannot get only three transit agencies to work together!

The good news is that we can easily implement a universal fare card right here, overlaid on the automated fare card system already used by CTA and Pace. But this will require leadership on part of the RTA. We need an RTA that is not using last century's cut-and-paste technology, but instead recognizes that the key to eliminating traffic jams in this century is to attract and retain riders by making it convenient to use public transit.

State Rep. Julie Hamos
(D-Chicago), chairman,
Public Transit subcommittee