Northwestern implements University-issued Ventra cards for free admission to CTA 201 bus route
Daily file photo by Allie Goulding
A Pace bus passes under the CTA Purple Line.
September 16, 2020
Students will continue to have access to the Chicago Transit Authority’s 201 Central/Ridge bus route for the 2020-21 academic year but are now required to request a University-issued Ventra card, Northwestern announced Wednesday.
Previously, students could gain access to the 201 route — which covers areas around NU, including downtown Evanston, the Evanston campus and Ryan Field — by presenting their Wildcard to the bus driver. But now the NU-specific Ventra card is the only way students can ride the 201 for free.
However, students can replace an existing Ventra card with the University-sponsored one. The card can also be loaded with transit values or funds and used on other CTA methods of transportation, including L trains and the rest of the CTA and Pace networks.
Lost or stolen NU cards must be reported to Ventra Customer Service and marked as lost, and students will need to request a replacement card, which comes with a fee.
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