Metra has released its fiscal year 2024 operating budget. It includes significant changes to the way the company collects and charges fares on its rail network.
Currently, Metra has 10 different zones based on distance from downtown Chicago. Metra officials say the new program will reduce that number to just four zones. A complete list of affected stations can be found at the end of this article.
One-way tickets cost $3.75 from Zone 2 to the city, $5.50 from Zone 3 to downtown, and $6.75 from Zone 4.
The agency says all one-way trips that don’t end in the downtown corridor will cost $3.75, regardless of distance.
Weekday day passes will cost twice as much as a one-way ticket, and $6 and $10 day passes will be eliminated.
The 10-trip ticket will also be phased out and replaced with a five-pack of daily passes. The agency says these tickets are only available through the Metra app.
Finally, “surcharge fares,” which impose additional fees for travel outside the zone printed on the ticket, will be phased out.
Monthly passes are 20 times more expensive than a standard one-way ticket between zones, with Zone 2 travel costing $75, Zone 3 travel $110, and Zone 4 travel $135.
Monthly Pass purchasers are still eligible to purchase a $30 Regional Connect Pass, which allows unlimited travel on CTA and Pace buses.
Finally, $7 all-day fares and $10 weekend passes on weekends and holidays are still available.
In addition to fare changes, nearly $575 million in funding will be allocated to 97 projects across the Metra system, including replacing bridges and walls and renovating stations and parking lots.
Public hearings on the proposed budget and fare changes will be held on November 1st and 2nd, the agency said. A list of hearings and virtual options are available on the agency’s website.
Here’s how the four-zone fare structure works by route:
To the north:
Zone 1: Downtown Chicago
Zone 2: Claiborne to Wilmette
Zone 3: Kenilworth to Ravinia
Zone 4: Highland Park to Kenosha
Milwaukee Area North:
Zone 1: Downtown Chicago
Zone 2: Downtown to Morton Grove
Zone 3: Cook Road from Golf to Lake.
Zone 4: Deerfield to Fox Lake
Upper northwest:
Zone 1: Downtown Chicago
Zone 2: Roads from downtown to Dee
Zone 3: Des Plaines to Arlington Park
Zone 4: Palatine to Harvard
West Milwaukee area:
Zone 1: Downtown Chicago
Zone 2: Downtown to Mannheim
Zone 3: Bensenville to Medina
Zone 4: Roselle to large timber
Uenishi:
Zone 1: Downtown Chicago
Zone 2: Kedzie Avenue to Berkeley
Zone 3: Elmhurst to Lombard
Zone 4: Glen Ellyn to Elburn
BNSF:
Zone 1: Downtown Chicago
Zone 2: Halsted Avenue to Brookfield
Zone 3: Congress Park to Fairview Avenue
Zone 4: Main Street to Route 59 Aurora
heritage corridor
Zone 1: Downtown Chicago
Zone 2: Summit
Zone 3: Willow Springs and Lemont
Zone 4: Romeoville to Joliet
Rock Island:
Zone 1: Downtown Chicago
Zone 2 (mainline): 35th From the streets to Midlothian
Zone 2 (Beverly Branch: Brainerd-to-123)rd street
Zone 3: Oak Forest and Tinley Park (Oak Park Avenue)
Zone 4: Tinley Park (80)th Avenue) to Joliet
Southwest service:
Zone 1: Downtown Chicago
Zone 2: Wrightwood and Ashburn
Zone 3: Oak Lawn to Palos Heights
Zone 4: Palos Park to Manhattan
Metra wire:
Zone 1: Campus from Millennium Station to Museum
Zone 2 (mainline): 18th From the street to Calumet
Zone 2 (South Chicago Branch): 93 from Stony Islandrd street
Zone 2 (Blue Island Branch): State Street (Roselawn) to Blue Island
Zone 3: Parks from Homewood to University.
