The Chicago Transit Authority is holding a series of meetings to ease customers once and for all into the new Ventra payment system.
Monday marked the first of five meetings the CTA will hold around town this week as many of the magnetic stripe fare cards expired at 12:01 a.m. Monday, according to the agency.
Following a glitch-filled rollout, the CTA says roughly 66 percent of passengers now use Ventra to pay fares, according to ABC Chicago.
After the CTA extended the deadline for transitioning away from old fare payment options like magnetic stripe cards and the Chicago Card, it is now moving to help the remaining customers -- particularly seniors and people with disabilities -- adopt Ventra.
NBC Chicago reports staff from the Regional Transportation Authority and the CTA will be at the meetings to show customers how to activate and use their Ventra cards.
According to the Tribune, the remaining meetings will be:
- Tuesday 12/17: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Forest Park Library, in the Austin Room, 7555 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park
- Wednesday 12/18: Noon to 2 p.m. at the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, Rooms 1&2, 2102 W. Ogden Ave.
- Thursday 12/19: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the RTA Board Room, 16th floor, 175 W. Jackson Blvd.
- Friday 12/20: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Southwest Regional Center, Rooms 2, 3 and 4, 6117 S. Kedzie Ave.
Meanwhile, the agency said Ventra's performance is on the rebound. In the latest weekly status update the CTA enacted in response to the trouble rollout, Ventra improved on "tap time" for bus and rail card readers, the Sun-Times reports. Ventra also showed progress reducing wait times to its customer call center and slight improvements on reducing the number of customers who are charged multiple times for one transaction.