6/26/03
Visitors to the Taste of Chicago in Grant Park, Friday, June 27 through Sunday, July 6 will find CTA service the most effective way to travel. Longer trains will operate into the Loop until late every night, and extra buses will be available toward the close of each evening's activities to carry customers home.
On Thursday evening, July 3, more extensive service will be available for spectators attending the fireworks display in Grant Park. All customers heading for the Taste and the fireworks are encouraged to purchase Transit Cards in advance to speed their trips in and out of the downtown area.
Extra Service for the Taste of Chicago
Additional customer assistants will be on duty at Loop stations to help riders with the automated fare collection system and to provide travel information.
A mobile CTA information facility will be available on Jackson just east of Michigan, where CTA personnel will sell Transit Cards and offer travel assistance. The mobile facility will sell Transit Cards valued at $1.50 (single ride) and $1.80 (ride with transfer), as well as 1, 2, 3, and 5-Day Visitor Passes. Chicago Cards also will be available.
Rail Service
Blue/Brown/Green LinesLonger trains will operate on each of these lines until late each evening. Blue Line trains will have eight cars. Brown and Green Line trains will have six cars.
Yellow Line Trains will operate later than usual on weekdays, with the last train leaving Howard at 12 a.m.
Service also will operate on weekends and July 4, starting at 9 a.m. from Skokie and continuing until 12 a.m. from Howard.
Park ?n? Ride Facilities
Parking is available for approximately 6,300 cars at facilities adjacent to 15 'L' stations, mainly at terminals, throughout the CTA system. Most of the spaces are used on weekdays by commuters who drive for part of their trips and take CTA service for the rest. Taste of Chicago visitors may find parking more readily available late in the day on weekdays, evenings and all day on weekends and July 4. Rates run from $1 to $1.75, with most facilities charging $1.50 for up to 24 hours of parking. Customers should pay their fees as directed on the numbered slot boxes. Most accept coins only. Park ?n? Ride stations are listed on CTA's System Map and on the CTA's web site at www.transitchicago.com.
Bus Service
As Taste activities wind down each evening, extra buses will await riders for trips away from the downtown area at the following locations:
#3 King Drive and #4 Cottage Grove buses will be staged southbound on Michigan at Van Buren.
#6 Jeffery Express buses and #62 Archer buses may be boarded southbound on State.
#20 Madison, #56 Milwaukee and #60 Blue Island buses will await riders on Madison at Wabash.
#126 Jackson buses will wait on Adams at Wabash.
#151 Sheridan buses may be boarded northbound on State at Adams and Madison.
Extra Service for the Fireworks in Grant Park Thursday, July 3
Rail Service (Bicycles are not allowed on trains July 3)
Blue Line Longer trains and more frequent service between O'Hare, Forest Park and 54th/Cermak.
Red Line Longer trains and more frequent service between 95th and Howard.
Green Line Longer trains and more frequent service between Harlem, East 63rd and Ashland/63rd.
Brown Line Longer trains, more frequent service and extended hours until 1:30 a.m. from the Loop.
Orange Line Longer trains and more frequent service between Midway and the Loop.
Yellow LineMore frequent service and extended hours until 1 a.m. from Howard.
Purple LineMore frequent service and extended hours until 2 a.m. between Howard and Linden.
Bus Service
Extra buses will be provided on the four routes that regularly serve Navy Pier: #29 State, #65 Grand, #66 Chicago and #124 Navy Pier Express.
Michigan and State will be closed to traffic downtown at about 6 p.m. on July 3. Buses normally using these streets will be detoured southbound on Clark and northbound on Dearborn. Affected routes are #3 King Drive, #4 Cottage Grove, #6 Jeffery Express, #29 State, #36 Broadway, #56 Milwaukee, #62 Archer, #146 Marine/Michigan Express and #151 Sheridan.
Buses entering downtown from the west will go east to Dearborn or Clark before starting new trips west on Madison or Adams. Affected routes are #20 Madison, #60 Blue Island/26th and #126 Jackson.
After the Fireworks
#3 King Drive and #4 Cottage Grove buses will be staged southbound on Michigan at Van Buren.
#6 Jeffery Express, #29 State and #62 Archer buses will be available for service southbound on Clark from Wacker to Van Buren.
#12 Roosevelt buses will start trips west on Roosevelt from Michigan.
#20 Madison and #56 Milwaukee buses will await riders on Madison at Clark.
#60 Blue Island/26th and #126 Jackson buses will be on Adams at Clark.
#22 Clark, #36 Broadway, #146 Marine/Michigan Express and #151 Sheridan buses will start trips north on Dearborn at Jackson.
New this year is additional service on the #65 Grand route that will provide express service westbound from Navy Pier to the Red and Blue Line Stations at Grand and State and Grand and Milwaukee.
For details about all CTA service call 836-7000 (all local area codes) or visit the CTA web site at www.transitchicago.com to use the travel planner feature.
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