CTA, Pace reduced fares coming for SNAP recipients under expanded Access program
NITA's reduced fare program expands to CTA, Pace
A program making public transit more affordable for thousands of Chicago-area riders is expanding this fall.
CHICAGO - Just weeks after the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) officially replaced the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), a program aimed at making public transit more affordable for thousands of Chicago-area riders is expanding.
Known as "Access," the program launched as a pilot in 2024 to provide reduced Metra fares to riders receiving SNAP benefits. Beginning Oct. 1, those reduced fares will extend to CTA and Pace.
Reduced fares for some CTA, Pace riders
The backstory:
The program provides reduced fares to residents receiving SNAP benefits across six counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will.
Fares are reduced to $1 for Pace, $1.10 for CTA buses and $1.25 for CTA trains — cutting the cost of a ride roughly in half.
NITA officials say riders who commute five days a week can save up to $650 per year through the program.
"It's a great program for people experiencing low incomes. They can get affordable fares, and we are really putting the new funding to good use," said Maulik Vaishnav, chief transition officer for the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. "Because of this, we want to see a lot more riders on our system. We are improving our service, putting up more security. We want to make sure NITA helps CTA, Metra, and Pace become the best transit system for our six-county region in the country."
An estimated 15 percent of CTA riders and 20 percent of Pace riders participate in SNAP — representing more than 127,000 daily riders who could be newly eligible for Access.
Access permits are valid for four years and will remain in effect even if federal SNAP regulations change during that time.
What's next:
About 9,000 people already use Access for reduced fares on Metra. They will not need to re-enroll when the program expands in October. Instead, NITA will mail existing participants new cards that can also be used on CTA and Pace.
Interested riders will soon find instructions on how to apply for Access on NITA's website. There will also be opportunities to enroll by phone and in person.
The NITA Board of Directors is next scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15.
The Source: The information in this report came from the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, interviews with NITA Chief Transition Officer Maulik Vaishnav, and information provided through the agency's Access program materials and website.