12/17/02
The CTA will help customers welcome in the Year 2003 with penny rides and extra service. Rides will cost only a penny on all CTA buses and trains from 8 p.m. on New Year's Eve Tuesday, December 31, until 6 a.m. New Year's Day Wednesday, January 1. The penny rides are aimed at providing safe, affordable transportation for revelers and reducing traffic congestion by encouraging more auto drivers to use public transportation for their celebrations.
Brown, Green and Orange Line trains will serve stations on the Loop 'L' until 1:30 a.m. New Year's Day. Blue Line trains on the Cermak (Douglas) branch will also operate until 1:30 a.m. Purple and Yellow Line trains will operate from Howard until 2:20 a.m., and Brown Line shuttle trains will be in service between Belmont and Kimball until 2:25 a.m. Red Line trains and Forest Park-O'Hare Blue Line trains operate 24 hours daily.
Six bus routes will have extra buses for service in the downtown area: #6 Jeffery Express, #29 State, #56 Milwaukee, #66 Chicago, #124 Navy Pier Express and #151 Sheridan.
In addition, buses on the #29, #56 and #66 routes will operate from Navy Pier until 3:30 a.m. to accommodate Navy Pier employees who will be getting off work late. Buses also will operate later than usual on the #6 Jeffery Express route, with the last bus leaving Columbus/South Water at 3:30 a.m., and on the #151 Sheridan route from Union Station to Howard until 3:45 a.m. Alternate #151 buses from Union Station will operate to the Berwyn Red Line 'L' station.
Navy Pier also will be served by #124 Navy Pier Express buses, which will operate from Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center every 15 minutes starting at 6:30 p.m. #124 buses stop at Union Station northbound on Canal at Adams, and at Ogilvie Center on Canal at Madison (under the pedestrian bridge) and at Washington before running express to Navy Pier. #124 buses will make return trips from Navy Pier to the stations until 12:45 a.m.
Information about all CTA, Metra and Pace service will be available throughout the night by calling 836-7000 (all local area codes).
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