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Taxi Surcharge, Google Maps CTA - Updated
9 April 2008 Send To a FriendCTA
The good news: Google has teamed up with the CTA to provide public transportation options. When trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B, instead of just getting directions you can click on Take Public Transit and Google will return bus and train options. In addition it shows you what your fare would be vs. how much it would cost to drive.
The bad news: CTA was supposed to wait for Metra and Pace but apparently got a little impatient, so the maps still won’t help you get back and forth from the suburbs.
Taxis
A few weeks ago I mentioned the new Taxi Fare Finder website, which calculates approximate cab fare. Now it’s getting a bit more complicated.
Yesterday the city passed an ordinance allowing taxis to charge an increased fare based on gas prices. If, according to AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report, the average price for a gallon of gas is between $2.70 and $3.20 for seven consecutive business days, there will be a $0.50 bump in the price. If gas goes over $3.20, it’s a dollar more. Did I say a bit more complicated? How about a pain in the butt more complicated.
(I’m waiting to hear back from Taxi Fare Finder to see if they’ll be including the charge in their calculations and will update when I get word.)
Updated: Taxi FareFinder IS on top of this and will update fares accordingly.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:52 am
good, maybe more people will return to buses and trains so that the CTA’s financial problems can be eased by an increase in incoming fares and we can get all these rude, smelly cabs off the streets. oops, i seem to be standing on a soapbox. sorry.
April 9th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Yea, but at least your argument is clean. (ouch - that was a bad one…)