Chicago Transit Authority Buses Inch Toward Prepay

When bus stops are crowded, getting passengers onto the bus can slow down travel. Around the world, the best bus systems get around this difficulty by allowing passengers to pay before they board at the busiest stops.

After an initial success with prepayment during rush hour for buses passing the Belmont Blue Line stop, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is rolling out a larger demo for select stops of the #135, #146, #29, and #69 buses. "The new pilot stations have staff members standing at bus stops to help bus riders get used to the system and pay during the set time frames," Rachel Hinton reports for the Chicago Sun Times.

While its initial Blue Line pilot seems to have been a success, it is yet to be seen if the CTA will make the program permanent or extend it to other busy stops.