Metra's new fare structure took effect this morning, along with the planned closure of every ticket window that still existed. It was therefore crucially important that the Ventra app (now the only way to pay for tickets) updated properly overnight. Alas:
Commuters faced an extra headache Thursday as the Ventra app crashed on the first day of new Metra procedures and prices, including the closure of ticket windows.
An alert on the Metra website informs riders that the app is down and technical crews are working to solve the issue.
“It’s not the way we would have liked it to go,” Metra spokesperson Meg Reile said.
Metra is working with Cubic, the company that runs the app, to get it up and running as soon as possible, Reile said.
On my train this morning, the conductor announced that he knew the app was down, so we should enjoy the ride. I expect they lost tens of thousands in revenue today.
As of this writing, the app appears to be working! And I have just purchased my monthly ticket for February.
I'll update the Brews & Choos page later today.