The Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace announced a new Ventra mobile application to easily navigate regional trains, buses and bicycles.
The updated app features a new home screen, door-to-door trip planning, ticket purchasing, transit arrival times and nearby Divvy stations, according to a statement from CTA.
Chicago-area transit riders have used the Ventra app since 2015 primarily to purchase fares and manage travel through regional transportation systems.
Metra CEO Jim Derwinski said that more than half of Metra customers already use the Ventra app to purchase and display tickets during a train ride.
“Now we’ve made it even more convenient and useful," Derwinski said. "And in the time of COVID-19, it’s also the safest way to buy and display tickets because it limits close contact and interactions between customers and employees.”
CTA said that over the next few days, the app will automatically update to the new version for customers who have automatic updates enabled on the phone, changing the icon from white to blue.
