On Wednesday, Metra will roll out a new website offering riders the convenience of buying tickets online by credit card. Revolutionary, given that for more than 150 years you could only buy a Metra ticket with cash or check. The "Ticket-by-Internet" feature will allow a rider to order up to two monthly tickets and three 10-ride tickets per transaction which Metra sends to you by mail. Regular commuters can go to the website and create a "My Metra" account to manage billing information, create a custom view of train schedules, and set up personalized e-mail alerts for service updates. You won't be able to buy tickets with a credit card at stations yet, but Metra says we can expect that in March 2010. more ›

It looks like the CTA could be on its way to introducing a new fare card. First up for the agency will be seeking proposals for studies on the change and then will be implementing the change itself. If all goes as planned, the CTA - who has been joined by Metra and Pace - could implement the new system which would allow riders to pay fare via just a credit card by mid-2012. CTA President Carole Brown told WBBM, "It's quicker boarding, we think that we will be able to increase ridership because it's just an ease of ridership so that they don't have to find the media. It takes us out of the fare-media business which we think will save money." more ›