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CTA Riders: Ventra Card Deadlines Are Pulling Up At The Station

(CBS) – Come Monday, you won't be able to reload a CTA Chicago Card or buy a new magnetic strip transit card.

It's all part of the transition to the new Ventra Card. But riders still have lots of questions about them.

CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker set out to answer the top four.

Extra CTA workers man the station these days to help confused riders make the transition from their old cards to the new Ventra Card. Still, riders have questions.

Would you save money by having the Ventra Card?

"It's the same fares as you pay now -- no change there," CTA spokesperson Tammy Chase says.

The Ventra card is the only card you'll be able to use?

"Dec. 15, we stop accepting all the current fare cards. We're totally Ventra on the Dec. 15," Chase says.

Here are some key dates before that:

--Monday Oct. 7, vending machines will no longer sell the paper magnetic stripe cards.

--Nov. 15, the CTA will stop accepting the Chicago Card or the Chicago Plus Card.

Until then, if you have any money on your card, you're advised to do what Joseph Ploger is doing: Use it.

How do you transfer money from your old cards to the new Ventra Card?

You go to a balance transfer event. What's that? The CTA is planning a series of community events where agents will be on hand to help. Here is a list.

"Bring it in, and they read the balance and transfer it to Ventra Card," Chase says.

However, if you have a Chicago Plus Card, the balance will automatically transfer to your Ventra Card and that takes us to the question of the day.

Where's my Ventra Card? I've never gotten mailed a card.

Chase insists they're in the mail.

The U.S. Postal Service didn't appreciate being the potential scapegoat.

"We're not holding any mail, and I'm not sure why they would say that it was caught in our process," a spokesperson said.

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