>> SOME PUBLIC TRANSIT RIDERS
ARE COMPLAINING THE LAUNCH OF AT
THE
CTA NEW
VENTRA CARD
SYSTEM
IS A BUMPY RIDE.
HERE WITH
THE LATEST IS VENTRA
ROLL-OUT AND MORE IS THE
CTA'S
VICE PRESIDENT OF
MARKETING.
THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK AND
JOINING US.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> SO AT THE BEAR'S GAME, ONE OF
THE PRODUCERS IS
BEHIND SOMEONE
USING HIS VENTRA
CARD, TRIES
IT
FOUR TIMES, VERY
FRUSTRATED.
THERE ARE STILL SOME REAL
PROBLEMS WITH THIS CARD.
RIGHT?
>> THIS ISN'T ACTUALLY.
THE ROTE-OUT HAS
GONE
OVERALL
VERY SMOOTH.
WE'VE ALREADY
RECORDED
3.6 MILLION CAPS OF THE
SYSTEM
WITH 600,000 VENTRA
ACCOUNTS
ELECTRIC REGISTER.
THAT'S IS QUICK ADOPTION OF THE
SYSTEM.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN
ABOUT
20 YEARS THAT THE
CTA
CHANGED
THE SYSTEM AND OUR
PARTNERS
HAVE
PACE
HAVE JOINED
US.
ANY TIME YOU
DO
SUCH A LARGE
ROLL-OUT YOU SEE
ISSUES.
THESE ISSUES WERE
MINOR.
APPARENTLY THEY'VE AFFECTED JUST
A SMALL AMOUNT OF PEOPLE.
MOST IMPORTANTLY THEY'VE BEEN
ADDRESSED QUICKLY AND IN SOME
CASES THAT VERY
DAY.
>> IS THERE NO
LONGER
A PROBLEM
WITH PEOPLE BEING DOUBLE
CHARGED?
>> THERE NEVER WAS A PROBLEM
WITH THAT.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE REFERRING TO IS
ONE OF ADVANTAGES OF
THE VENTRA
SYSTEM.
THIS IS AN OPEN SYSTEM.
YOU CAN USE THE VENTRA CARD
YOU
CAN BUY AT
RETAILERS BUT YOU CAN
USE
YOUR OWN PERSONAL CONTACT
WITH DEBIT OR CREDIT.
THE VENTRA SYSTEM ONLY READS
ONE
OF THOSE CARDS.
SO WE DO
RECOMMEND THAT RIDERS
TAKE OUT
THAT CARD.
>> BUT YOU UNDERSTAND THE FRANKS
BECAUSE
WITH
THE OTHER CARDS
PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE TO GET
ON.
PEOPLE GET ON THE TRAINS AND
BUSES WITH THEIR
LUNCH AND THE
NOTION HAVING TO PULL IT OUT
SEEMS LIKE A LACK OF
CONVENIENCE.
VENTRA
IS THE SAME
SYSTEM AS
CHASE BANK CARD AND THEY DIDN'T
KNOW THAT.
>> WE THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER
OF CONVENIENCES THAT
CUSTOMERS
ARE SLOWLY
LEARNING THAT
THEY
REALIZE ARE A GREAT ADVANTAGE
OVER THE LEGACY
FARE SYSTEM.
PRIMARILY THE BALANCE
PROTECTION.
IF YOU BUY
AN OLD STRIPED CARDS
OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BEEN AROUND
FOR TWO DECADES
NOW, SAY YOU
PUT
$20 ON THAT CARD AND IT FALLS
OUT, THAT MONEY
IS GONE.
WITH THE VENTRA SYSTEM WITH
A
REGISTERED
CARD, THAT VALUE IS
RESTORED.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER
CONVENIENCES,
YOU GET
ALERTS
ABOUT YOUR CARD.
THINK PEOPLE WILL BECOME
ACCUSTOMED.
THERE'S A
LEARNING CURVE AND
WE'VE BEEN HEARING A
LOT OF
POSITIVE FEEDBACK SO FAR.
>> BUT I'LL TELL YOU,
WE'VE
HEARD A FAIR AMOUNT O
F NEGATIVE,
INCLUDING PEOPLE SAYING
THEY
SPEND 20
MINUTES ON THE PHONE
WITH VENTRA WHEN THEY
DON'T HAVE
20 MINUTES IN THAT BUSY
DAY.
JUST PUT ME IN THE
ROOM, BECAUSE
YOU WANT TO
ROLL
OUT
THE
SEEMLESS, EVEN THOUGH THERE WILL
BE GLITCHES.
YOU WANT IT TO BE PERFECT IN THE
BEGINNING.
I
WOULD
ASSUME THE
CTA WANTS IT
TO BE PEST, TOO.
PUT ME IN THE ROOM WITH YOU
GUYS
ON ONE PHONE AND VENTRA ON THE
OTHER ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID
ABOUT
HOW WELL OR READY THEY
WERE FOR
PRIME TIME.
>> THAT'S THE REASON WE'VE
BEEN
DOING A PHASED ROLL-OUT.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
THIS
FOR OVER TWO
YEARS NOW.
BY PHASING THE
ROLL-OUT AND
SLOWLY INTRODUCING CUSTOMERS,
WE'RE TABLE TO GET THROUGH
ISSUES THAT ARE MAINER ISSUES.
FOR EXAMPLE, ONE
ISSUE ON DAY
ONE CAME OUT
AT 9:00 IN THE
MORNING AND FIXED BY
ABOUT
2:00 OR 3:00 IN THE
AFTERNOON.
IT IMPACTED A
SMALL
AMOUNT OF
CUSTOMERS AND WE WERE ABLE TO
ADDRESS
IT.
WE HAND A HANDFUL OF
ISSUES THAT
HAVE IMPACTED A
FAIRLY NUMBER OF
CUSTOMERS.
>> HOW MANY?
>> I DON'T HAVE A TOTAL COUNT
BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T TALLIED
THAT.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF
WAYS TO
GET THE INFORMATION BUT GET BACK
TO THE NUMBERS YOU LET OFF
WITH,
3.9 MILLION TABS IN UNDER
TEN
DAYS
WITH 600,000
VENTRA
ACCOUNTS BEING
ESTABLISHED.
THAT INDICATES THINGS ARE GOING
AS WE
ANTICIPATED AND NORM
PEOPLE ARE ENJOYING THE
BENEFITS.
>> SWITCHING GEARS, THERE'S A
LOT OF
CONTROVERSY ABOUT THE
ASHLAND AVENUE
RAPID TRANSIT BUS
LANE THAT'S BEING
DISCUSSED.
THAT WOULD MEAN MOVING THE
BIG
BEAUTIFUL PLANTERS OUT OF THE
WAY.
THERE'S A BIG CONCERN
THAT THEY
WON'T BE ABLE TO TURN LEFT
BECAUSE
OF THAT
RAPID TRANSIT.
WHAT WILL
HAPPEN?
>> THE CONCERN IS
MISINFORMATION.
ONE THING YOU MENTION IS NOT
TRUE.
WE
WON'T BE ABLE TO
MOVE A
MEDIAN.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE WILL REMAIN.
>> THE AULDERMEN I TALKED TO
BELIEVE YOU WERE
GOING
TO.
THAT MISINFORMATION MAY BE
EXISTING AT CITY HALL.
>> WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD TO
GET IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND
PROVIDING THE INFORMATION OF ALL
THE BENEFITS.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE LEFT-HAND
TURN?
>> THAT'S AN ISSUE WE'RE
DISCUSSING NOW.
WE'VE BEEN HAVING A
NUMBER
OF
SMALL
LOCALIZED
PUBLIC
MEETINGS.
THERE'S BEEN ONE
ISSUE THAT'S
EMERGED.
>> WILL IT WEIGH IN AN IMMEDIATE
WAY?
>> THE PUBLIC DECISIONS ALWAYS
WEIGHS IN ABOUT
NEW
INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHAT WE'VE NOTICED,
BRT IS A
SYSTEM THAT'S BEEN AROUND FORBES
DECADES.
IT'S BEEN IMPLEMENTED NOT ONLY
IN CITIES ACROSS
THE COUNTRY BUT
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
EACH AND EVERY CASE IT'S
BEEN A
SUCCESS IN CONVERTING
PEOPLE TO
TRANSIT USERS,
ADDRESSING
CONGESTION.
WE THINK THERE'S A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY IN
ASHLAND AND WE'VE
HEARD A SMALL COURSE
OF PEOPLE
VOICE DISPLEASURE.
WE WANT TO ENGAGE THAT PUBLIC
AND REALLY GET THE FEEDBACK AND
COME UP WITH A
PLAN THAT WORKS
FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.
>> VERY FAST, LIKE IS A
SECONDS,
CTA HAS A SAFETY
CAMPAIGN.
YOU THINK EVERYBODY
IS IN FAVOR
OF SAFETY.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAD
ABOUT THAT, RIGHT CENTURY.
>> IN THE
THAT I'VE HEARD
OF.
>> SOMEBODY GOES DOWN THE
TRACKS,
PICKS UP THEIR CELL
PHONE.
>> WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO DO
THAT.
>> EXPERTS SHOULD NOT BE ON THE
TRACKS.
THAT'S WHAT THE SAY CAMPAIGN
FOCUSES O