The Chicago Transit Authority ushered in the new year Thursday with a 25 cent fare hike, the first increase in more than a decade, providing an unwelcome surprise for some riders.
Though most passed through train turnstiles and climbed aboard buses with no trouble, others fumbled for extra change or found their fare cards didn’t have the required $1.75 fare.
“It doesn’t make sense,” said Lillidell Jackson, who put her fare card into the turnstile slot, then tried to walk through, only to find the turnstile would not budge. “I thought I had enough.”
Transit officials said they tried to inform riders about the fare increase through marketing, but some failed to get the message. The last time the agency raised fares was in 1991.
“I didn’t know,” said Sharon Williams, who had to scramble for change to board a No. 77 bus on Belmont Avenue. “I don’t like giving up that much money.”
Many riders took the higher fare in stride, others grumbled, and some were simply confused.
“It’s amazing how many people don’t know,” said bus driver Karen Luckett, who said she considered making a handmade sign and putting it by her fare box to answer questions about the increase. But she spent much of the morning explaining the new fare to riders.
Though the base fare increased a quarter Thursday morning, the price for multiday passes was unchanged, and the cost of a transfer went down to 25 cents from 30 cents.
For riders such as Rickey Jackson, that meant his daily trek to work–a bus ride combined with a trip on the train–went from $1.80 each way to a flat $2 each way. Jackson said the new fare makes no difference to him because he rarely had exact change before, meaning he would put $2 into the fare box anyway.
“I didn’t even notice it,” he said Thursday morning. “For me, it’s no problem.”
For the most part, things went smoothly Thursday, CTA officials said. Because the new fares took effect on a holiday, there were fewer riders, helping ease potential problems.
“I think Monday will be a really good test to see if people are understanding it,” CTA spokeswoman Sheila Gregory said. “It’s been a pretty quiet day.”
It was a day that started out with penny rides, the CTA’s holiday gift to New Year’s revelers. The penny fares ended at 6 a.m., when the new fares took effect.
Not everyone was happy about the increase.
“That’s not fair,” said Anthony Foster of Chicago, who also had trouble at the turnstile. Foster wound up adding money to his card. He said the increase won’t have much of an effect on him, but he said it could be a problem for others.
“Some people don’t have the money to pay for it,” Foster said. “They’re on public aid. This is their only form of transportation.”
At the Belmont “L” station, Jose Martin put 18 dimes in the fare card machine to pay for his ride.
“This is really stupid,” Martin said. “It affects poor and working-class people, while the rich get to just keep on going through.”
Martin said the increase affects him “a lot.”
“I’m somebody who struggles with rent,” he said. “A quarter doesn’t sound like much, but.”
At the same station, Jeremy Ehrhart fed his card through the machine, saying he had no problem paying more.
“I think overall it’s fair,” he said. “It’s a good system.”
