RTA Reduced & Ride Free Fare Programs (for Pace, Metra & CTA)

Reduced Fares

RTA-issued reduced fare permits allow seniors and people with qualifying disabilities to ride certain services on Pace, CTA and Metra at a reduced rate if they present a valid permit when paying.

Reduced fares are also available to children aged 7 to 11 as well as grade school, middle school, and high school students aged 12–20 presenting a valid school ID.

Riders can load reduced fare passes onto their Ventra cards to automatically pay the reduced fare for rides.

Ride Free Fares

Free fares on Pace fixed-route buses are provided to riders who are:

• Certified for ADA Paratransit
• Children under 7 (up to two children per fare-paying adult)
• Active-duty military personnel in uniform
• Police officers and firefighters in uniform or with badge and ID
• Older adults and people with disabilities who are enrolled in the Illinois Department on Aging’s Benefit Access program. Please visit rtachicago.org for more information.

The following bus services and transfers are also free:

• Niles Free Bus (Route 410, 411 and 412)
• Schaumburg Trolley
• Rosemont Circulator
• Ravinia Festival Direct
• Transfers from all service to a Pace fixed route
• Transfers from a Premium route to another Premium route
• All second transfers

Travel Training

RTA also offers a individualized training that teaches riders with disabilities and older adults how to use Metra, Pace and CTA buses and trains.

This training is free except for the cost of transit fares during training sessions. Travel training sessions are led by professionals who are knowledgeable about transportation accessibility, and have experience working with people with disabilities and older adults.

A certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist is available to provide one-on-one travel training to participants who are blind or have low vision.