January 9, 2006

The inability of a South Shore-area public transit commuter to find a Chicago Transit Authority "Chicago Card" prompted the filing of class action lawsuit Friday that may be amended to a racial discrimination complaint today.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Tiffany Chancellor, an African-American, whose attorneys say is spending as much as three times the cost of riding CTA to and from work because of the inability to find the "Chicago Card" in stores near where she lives near 69th Street and Clyde Avenue.

"The CTA is running out of the Chicago Card or they have ran out of Chicago Cards," said Al Hofeld Jr., an attorney for Edelman, Combs, Latturner & Goodwin LCC in Chicago.

"Our client is a young woman who lives in the South Shore neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. She tried various currency exchanges but couldn't find any Chicago Cards. She works downtown and tried to find the 'Chicago Card' at various locations downtown, and still found none."

The Chicago Card is a new transit card system launched by CTA last year. The CTA stated that the new system would make paying fares and collecting monies an easier and smoother transition. On Jan. 1, the CTA increased it fares by 25 cents and announced that riders who used cash to board on buses and trains would have to pay a full fare of $2 each time they boarded. Those using the transit cards could continue to pay 2005 fare prices with two free transfers within a two-hour period.

As a result, Chancellor has been required to pay about $12 a day roundtrip in cash to take three buses to drop her child off to school and then get to her job, said attorney Daniel A. Edelman. If she had found adequate locations to purchase the Chicago Card, his client would only pay an average $4 roundtrip per day, Edelman said.

"We believe thousands are in the same situation," Hofeld added. "The legal theory is that the CTA is a public utility, and by not having enough (Chicago) cards, it is not honoring its published fares and rates.

"We don't know when will have our first hearing on this complaint. In the meantime, we will probably be filing an amended complaint Monday. We believe there is a deeper issue here. We believe that the outlets that are distributing the cards are mostly in white affluent areas. So if that is true, we believe there may also be some form of discrimination that is happening here."

CTA spokeswoman Ibi Antongiorgi had no comment on lawsuit.

"We can't comment on a lawsuit that we haven't seen," Antongiorgi said. "We do have plenty of 'Chicago Cards' in stock, and we sent them out promptly to all vendors who requested them."

Random calls placed to "Chicago Card" vendors, listed by the CTA, seemed to confirm that there is a shortage of the "Chicago Card" available.

Ana Lozoya, who works as a cashier at the 43rd & Ashland Currency, said her store ran out of the cards early last week. She said new cards are on order and she expected them to come in today. Lozoya didn't know how many cards were on order.

A similar problem is being faced by the 7-Eleven store located at 343 S. Dearborn St., said store clerk Sandy Matthew. He said his store has plenty of regular CTA cards, such as 7-day and 30-day passes, but no "Chicago Card."

The store's manager hopes to get a new supply in sometime this week, Matthew said.

CTA riders who are still having difficulty finding the "Chicago Card" at area vendors can go the CTA main office at 567 W. Lake St., or order the cards online at www.transitchicago.com, Antongiorgi said.