Senior transit changes hit snags but should generate cash

With about 368,000 seniors riding at half-price instead of for free, transit agencies should start recouping some welcome cash, Regional Transportation Authority officials said Wednesday.

With the elimination of the Seniors Ride Free program Sept. 1, the RTA has mailed out more than 440,000 ID cards to riders age 65 and older.

That includes 76,000 Circuit Ride Free permits — a free program for low-income seniors. About 368,000 seniors received Reduced Fare permits.

RTA Executive Director Joseph Costello estimated that if each of the 368,000 seniors took a round trip on a CTA bus or train once a week, it could generate an extra $32 million a year. A one-way reduced fare on the CTA is 85 cents.

“That could significantly help the bottom line,” he said during a meeting.

The transition has hit some bumps. Some seniors have complained about long waits on customer service lines or receiving the wrong card.

The RTA ended up tripling its customer call-in center staff and extending hours.

The RTA compared records with the Illinois Department on Aging to identify seniors that met low-income levels qualifying them to ride free. But just 26,000 low-income riders were found initially, a difference of 50,000 who ultimately were mailed Circuit Ride Free permits.

As data searches fell short, “we needed a lot of human intervention,” Costello said.

Meanwhile, there’s a huge time lag for seniors not enrolled in the state’s Circuit Breaker program — a prerequisite for receiving a Circuit Ride Free permit. RTA staff members estimated applications can take up to four months for the state to process.

There’s also been some confusion for seniors with Reduced Fare permits using Metra. Riders with Reduced Fare cards need to purchase their tickets from a station agent before boarding the train to receive the discounted rate, officials said.

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich introduced the Seniors Ride Free program as a political deal in exchange for his approving a sales tax increase to fund transit. But as the CTA, Pace and Metra lost millions, the General Assembly revised the plan to an income-based system.