Chicago
Enabling the future of the nation’s first major account-based system
Ventra™ 3.0– Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago, IL)
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) launched the Ventra® fare collection system, the first comprehensive account-based, open payment system in the U.S., in 2013. Mr. Trevor Findley served as the Technical Lead for the initial system implementation, overseeing all activities from system design through operations, with system launch occurring in just under two years. In 2019, Clevor Consulting Group (CCG) was engaged to support CTA in a major upgrade to the Ventra system, known as Ventra 3.0, which includes migration to a cloud-hosted platform, replacement or refurbishment of all Ventra fare collection devices, and transition to a true open architecture solution. CCG led all aspects of the technical contract negotiation, including development of new and modified system specifications, and supporting development of technical requirements. The successfully negotiated contract maximizes agency benefits and unlocks a world of innovation through a robust open architecture design. Following the execution of the Ventra 3 contract, CCG is now focused on providing a detailed review of Cubic Transportation System’s APIs, identifying gaps in the open architecture design and documentation, and determining the degree to which potential third parties can leverage the Ventra 3 APIs for the CTA’s future integrations. As part of this effort, our team supports ongoing design discussions and participates in design review workshops.
Project Responsibilities
- Led technical negotiations for a major expansion to Ventra system (Ventra 3.0)
- Provided technical advisory services throughout legal and technical negotiations with Cubic
- Developed critical open architecture approach and technical requirements
- Oversaw necessary revisions to existing technical requirements to support system expansion
- Defined comprehensive and efficient plan for design, testing, and deployment
- Supported system design review and workshops
Key Accomplishments
- Negotiated requirements governing the migration of Ventra 3.0 to the cloud
- Developed software test scripts and mock integrations to validate the quality and performance of Cubic’s open APIs.
- Evaluated Cubic’s open architecture design documentation and integration guides to assess comprehensiveness and ease of use, and correct any deficiencies.
- Produced an improved Ventra 3.0 open architecture platform for future third-party integrations