dougieshoney

DH, kids (age 11 and 8) and I will be in Chicago in August for 4 days - first trip to the city for our kids. DH and I typically like to park the car and just use public transportation in the city. In the past we used the CTA visitor passes that we ordered ahead of time. Now that the passes are tied to a Ventra transit account, does it still make sense to purchase those ahead of time, or at all? I'm not sure it's cost effective anymore to do it that way since it looks from the CTA website that we have to purchase a $5 Ventra card and then pay another $20 for a 3-day pass. Any thoughts on the best, most efficient, least expensive way to use public transportation in Chicago? We are staying at the Hampton Inn on E. Huron. Here is a rough plan for itinerary, so you will know our transportation needs:
Wednesday - Brookfield Zoo on the way into the city (will still have our vehicle at this point), check in to hotel, Navy Pier boat ride? and fireworks
Thursday - Shedd Aquarium, AG store, Harry Carey's 7th Inning Stretch for dinner, Chicago Sport Museum
Friday - red line to Cubs/Cardinals game, Giordano's for dinner
Saturday - Museum of Science and Industry
Sunday - head home

Citylghts

If you register your Ventra card on the CTA site, you receive a credit for the $5 purchase price.

After you have the card, you can load additional funds on it as pay-per-use or an unlimited ride pass.

Regardless of which you choose, it will be far cheaper to use CTA than move your car and pay $15-25 each time you park it.

dougieshoney

Thanks Citylignts for the info on the credit! I'm wondering if it makes more sense to just add value, but not a pass. I assume that the funds don't expire if not added as an unlimited pass for a specified amount of days? That way if we didn't use the entire value added, it could be used on a future trip? If we purchase the Vetra card(s), does everyone need their own, or can we share them?

Citylghts

You cannot share passes. As to whether it's less expensive to load a pass or transit value, you'd have to do the math for what you're planning.

Most of your questions are answered on the Ventra Help page.
https://www.ventrachicago.com/how-to/

usroadman

There is a dormancy fee where if there is no activity on the card for 18 months they'll start charging you $5 per month until there's activity or the balance drops to $0. There is also an expiration date on the card, but mine is years out and I believe you just transfer to a new card. When I was in Chicago last summer I stored value and my son and I shared a card. Getting the card remotely was easy. They mailed it to my house in New York, I registered it from home to get the $5 credit, and it worked fine when I got to Chicago. (I actually just packed it for when we pass through town again next week.)

exiledprincess

Where are you planning on parking your car out of the city for an extended period?

Many lots do not allow this at all.

exiledprincess

Sorry, I accidentally posted. Here are some websites to review:

CTA: Only Cumberland allows extended parking. www.transitchicago.com/parking

Metra:

metrarail.com/metra/en/home/utility_landing/riding_metra/parking.html

Brookfield (since you specifically mention them):

brookfieldil.gov/departments/finance/commuter-parking/

Note the "Burglary Alert" to the right upper corner as well.

laurie_ann

In Chicago so long as you are traveling together you can all share one card (not one pass, but one card that you load $ value on). A ride cost the same no matter where you go so you just "punch" in. Its not like Washington DC or London where the distance matters and you have to "punch" in and out both. Maybe get two cards in case you do want to split up.

exiledprincess

Perhaps I misread the original post. I thought that the OP was saying they were parking outside of Chicago and taking public transportation into the "downtown" area. What made me think that was the phrase "will still have our vehicle at this point".

If I was mistaken, I apologize. If I read that correctly, you now know the situation.

But you still should read that Burglary Alert on Brookfield's website just for your own sake.