Apple today announced that later this year, transit customers will be able to put a transit-only card into their iPhone. With this new feature, customers will be able to tap their phone to board a bus or enter CTA rail stations using a Ventra Card on their iPhone. Chicago will be one of the first transit agencies in the U.S. to debut this function.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) President Dorval Carter released the following statement.

“Chicago is proud to work with Apple to elevate the experience of CTA riders. New Ventra Cards on iPhone will build on the strength of the existing Ventra system to make commuting in Chicago even easier and more convenient, and help modernize America’s second largest mass transit system for the 21st century. When one of the world’s most inventive cities teams up with one of the world’s most innovative companies, great things happen.”