Lower Metra Fairs Part of Fair Transit South Cook Pilot
The Metra Board of Directors backed a Cook County initiative to improve transit service on the South Side of Chicago and in the south suburbs, starting with a 50 percent reduction in fares on the Metra Electric and Rock Island lines in January.
Fair Transit South Cook is a three-year pilot project to boost public transportation in a region that is
more transit-dependent and economically disadvantaged than other parts of the county. The pilot will provide residents in the Metra Electric and Rock Island service area with greater opportunities to make transit their choice for getting to work, school, shopping, and regional destinations.
For the pilot program, Metra will charge its reduced fare rates – normally charged to seniors, persons with disabilities and K-12 students – for all tickets to all riders on the lines starting in January. Those rates, which require no changes to Metra’s fare structure and can be implemented immediately, will be assessed as the pilot progresses. Cook County will cover the difference between the reduced fares and full fares for three years