Important information regarding the Ride Free Transit Cards:

Beginning September 1, 2011, only the new Ride Free Transit Card will be accepted on the CTA, Metra and Pace buses and trains. Contact the RTA Customer Service Center at 312-913-3110 if you have not received your free pass. Seniors throughout Illinois should contact their local fixed-route transit authority if they have qualified through the Circuit Breaker program for local permits and information.

Seniors who wish to qualify for the Ride Free Transit Card must apply using the IL-1363 application and meet the eligibility requirements for Circuit Breaker. For more information, call 1-800-252-8966 or visit www.cbrx.il.gov to enroll. The income limits to qualify for the Ride Free Transit Card are $27,610 for a household of one, $29,420 for a household of two, and $45,657 for a household of three.

Answers provided to the following questions are meant only to give general guidance and not legal advice. The answers do not replace legal requirements set by applicable federal or state laws and regulations.

Each year, submit a completed Form IL-1363. Check the box on Line 35 for yourself (Line 36 for your spouse) in Section I to indicate that you want to apply for the transit card. If you are filing for the first time, you must submit proof of your disability. Examples of "proof of disability" are listed on page 23 of the Form IL-1363 application booklet and includes:

• Social Security disabilty benefits
• Veterans Administration disability benefits
• Railroad Retirement or Civil Service disability benefits
• Class 2 disability card from the Illinois Secretary of State’s office
• IL-1363 Schedule A (Physician’s Statement)

You must meet all of the requirements of the Circuit Breaker program. See Do I qualify? for details.

For more information on how to apply, link to About Form IL-1363: How do I apply for benefits?

Once you are enrolled in Circuit Breaker, contact your local transit system (or any fixed-route system statewide on which you wish to ride). Please note that your local fixed-route transit system may still require a local transit ID.

When you are approved, you will receive a postcard from the Circuit Breaker program indicating you qualify for the transit card. Take this card to your local transit authority to obtain an ID.

For more information, visit www.illinois.gov/transit/ or call 1-800-624-2459.