CHICAGO — The Chicago area’s three transit operators have unveiled a new Regional Day Pass, good for unlimited rides in a single day on Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority, and Pace buses.
The new pass is available only on the newest version of the Ventra smartphone app, beginning today (June 20, 2025). The pass is described as a collaboration between the three agencies and the parent Regional Transportation Authority to advance fare integration and offer more convenient and cost-effective travel.
“We are pleased to be able to partner with our sister agencies to offer this new pass to our customers and to be able to promote travel throughout the Chicago region, especially at the start of the summer season,” Metra Executive Director/CEO Jim Derwinski said in a press release. The pass will cost $2.50 more than a Metra-only day pass: $10 in Metra’s single-zone travel area; $13.50 in the two-zone travel area; and $16 in the three-zone area. Those who qualify for reduced fares will pay $6, $8, or $9, respectively. On weekends, all passes cost $9.50.
The pass arrives as all three agencies await a solution to a collective $771 million funding shortfall, as well as expected organizational reform. Legislation that would give the RTA more authority on the budgets and fares of Metra, the CTA, and Pace passed the Illinois Senate last month, along with a funding bill, but was not considered by the House before the state legislature adjourned on May 31. [See “Chicago-area transit faces major cuts …,” Trains News Wire, June 1, 2025].
“This pass is another step in our shared effort to make transit more seamless and rider-friendly across the region,” said RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden. “It shows what regional collaboration can achieve — but it’s just the beginning. To build a truly connected transit system, we need both reform and support, including increased operating funding and action on proposed legislative changes that would centralize and make fare integration easier to implement and sustain.”
The pass is a pilot program, slated to be offered for six months. It could continue permanently, depending on funding, the agencies said.
