Senior transit card switch hits snag
With worried seniors clogging the phone lines into the Regional Transportation Authority, officials are extending hours for the customer service center as the deadline looms for eliminating free rides on the CTA, Metra and Pace for those 65 and older.
Changes in state law will phase out the program, established by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, as of next month. It will be replaced by a two-tier system with Circuit Ride Free permits for low-income seniors and Reduced Fare cards for all other riders.
The RTA started mailing new permits in late July, but mix-ups have dogged the process.
The agency used the Illinois Department on Aging’s database. However, some discrepancies in the information along with out-of-date addresses triggered problems, communications director Diane Palmer said.
The demand also has been much higher than anticipated. Instead of the 56,000 Circuit Ride Free permits originally expected, the RTA has sent out 82,000. The agency has increased staff at its call-in center from seven to more than 30. Average daily calls have shot up from 500 to 2,000.
As of Friday afternoon, the RTA said it will extend hours for its call-in center from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. for the next two weeks.
If you are a senior waiting for a Reduced Fare or Circuit Ride Free card or have received an incorrect permit, contact the RTA at (312) 913-3110. If you hear a recording, dial 0, officials advise.
# Source: Daily Heraly article By Marni Pyke 8/26/2011
Read more: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110826/news/708269705/#ixzz1WEjDurEw
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Heckuva Job RTA
* In other news of excellent management and foresight, the RTA hired an outside consultant which posted YouTube videos to inform senior citizens about how their new reduced fare card will work. Trouble is, the RTA failed to include instructions when they mailed out the new cards…
Many seniors have already expressed confusion and frustration over the new cards mailed to them by the Regional Transportation Authority because the cards were not accompanied by any instructions.
“How the devil do these cards work?’’ asked Rita Shafer in an email to the Tribune. “Nothing in the totally useless information provided (by the RTA) tells one how to put money on the card.’’
The RTA didn’t use “smart cards” that can be charged like an ATM card because, they say, they didn’t have enough extra smart cards on hand. So, that means seniors will have to manually charge the paper cards at CTA rail stations, which isn’t great news for bus riders…
Reloading transit cards will create a major inconvenience for the many senior citizens who travel only on buses. They will need to make a special trip to a CTA rail station and walk up or down stairs to the fare card machines.
In addition, the magnetic strip cards are more prone to fail or jam in fare machines than more sturdy smart cards, which are also easier to handle, transportation experts and seniors who use the cards say.
#Source: Capital Fax Blog - Posted by Rich Miller Aug 26 2011
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