Downtown Transit Sightseeing Guide September 2010 transit chicago dot com. All Aboard! This guide will show you how to use Chicago Transit Authority (C T A) buses and trains to see Downtown Chicago, North Michigan Avenue, and a few places beyond. The C T A runs buses, and elevated and subway trains that serve Chicago and 40 nearby suburbs. From Downtown, travel to most attractions on just one bus or train. We Have Answers. Get travel information and questions answered about C T A buses and trains, Metra commuter trains, and Pace suburban buses by calling 8 3 6 7000 from any local area code, 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. For hearing and speech impaired call T T Y: 3 1 2 8 3 6 4 9 4 9. Or, visit the R T A trip planner at r t a chicago dot org. Maps, train and bus schedules, and brochures can also be ordered through the R T A Travel Information Center. C T A Bus and Rail Maps and this brochure are also available at C T A rail stations. We Are Listening. To Comment, commend or inquire. Call C T A at 1 8 8 8 9 6 8 7 2 8 2, weekdays excluding holidays from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., or leave a voice mail message at other times. For hearing and speech impaired call T T Y: 1 8 8 8 2 8 2 8 8 9 1. Write us at C T A Customer Service, P.O. Box 7 5 6 6, Chicago, Illinois, 6 0 6 8 0-7 5 6 6. Or, e-mail us at feedback at transit chicago dot com. Visit Us Online. C T A’s web site is transitchicago dot com. You can get information, see our map, purchase CTA-themed gift items, and even buy your fare in advance! Metra’s web site is metra rail dot com. Pace’s web site is pace bus dot com. Riding C T A Buses. C T A buses stop at bus shelters or signs that list the service days and general hours, route number, name and destinations, and in the downtown area, the direction of travel. When a bus approaches, look at the sign above the windshield. It will first show the route number and route name, then will change to show the destination. If it’s the bus you want, flag it down. How Buses Operate. Most buses operate every day, including holidays. Buses run every 10 to 15 minutes, except for route 10 as will be explained. The number 1 24 Navy Pier operates daily until midnight in summer between Union, Ogilvie, and Millennium stations and Navy Pier. The number 1 46 Inner Drive Michigan Express operates until 10:30 p.m. daily from Museum Campus, and Downtown. The number 1 47 Outer Drive Express operates until 9:20 p.m. on Sundays. Routes that do not operate every day have service as follows: The number 10 Museum of Science and Industry operates weekends and holidays year-round; daily Memorial Day to Labor Day and Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. Hours are from about 9 a.m., Monday through Saturday, 10:25 a.m. on Sundays and holidays to 4:40 p.m. Buses operate every 30 minutes. No service on Christmas Day. The number X28 Stony Island Express operates weekdays 6:30 a.m. to 10:05 a.m., and 2:50 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The number 1 30 Grant Park Treasures operates mid-May through Labor Day, daily, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The number 1 57 Streeterville operates weekdays 6:25 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. Accessibility. All C T A buses are accessible to people with disabilities. Riding C T A Trains. Each rail line has a color name. All trains operate Downtown daily until at least midnight, except the Purple Line Express. Trains run every 7 to 10 minutes during the day and early evening, and every 10 to 15 minutes in later evening. Here’s a quick guide to boarding in the Downtown area: Blue Line - Dearborn Street subway. Brown Line - Loop elevated. Green Line - Loop elevated (along Wabash Avenue and Lake Street). Orange Line -Loop elevated. Pink Line –Loop elevated. Purple Line Express - Loop elevated. Red Line - State Street subway. There are Customer Assistants or Security Guards at rail stations to help you. Accessibility. Over sixty percent of rail stations are accessible and every train has at least two cars that are accessible to customers with disabilities. For information on current accessible rail stations, visit our web site at transit chicago dot com,and click on accessibility, see C T A’s Bus & Rail Map or call 3 1 2. 8 3 6 7000. Taking a Ride. When entering the station, signs list station name and route. On the platform, signs overhead and on the columns tell you which trains stop there and their destinations. When the train arrives, the train destination appears on front and sides of the train. On the train, rail maps are above the doorways. Stops and connections are announced. Watch and listen for your stop. When the Train Arrives – Train destination appears on front and sides of train. On the Train – Rail maps are above the doorways. Stops and connections are announced. Watch and listen for your stop. From Trains to Planes. Take Blue Line trains between O’Hare and Downtown. From the airport, follow the “Trains to City” signs. From Downtown, board in the Dearborn Street subway. Take Orange Line trains between Midway and Downtown. From the airport, follow the “Trains to City” signs. From Downtown, board at any Loop elevated station. C T A Fares. Passes. Passes offer unlimited rides on CTA buses and trains when activated with first use. A 1-Day Pass ($5.75) offers 24 hours of unlimited C T A riding from the first use. You can also buy a 3-Day pass ($14) and a 7-Day pass ($23). Passes cannot be shared or recharged. Passes are sold at select Currency Exchanges, Jewel and Dominick's food stores, CVS Pharmacies, and Willis Tower formerly Sears Tower. visit C T A's web site at transit chicago dot com to order C T A passes in advance. Transit Card. Deducts full fares and transfers on C T A and Pace. Can pay for up to seven full-fare rides at once. First ride, full fare is $2 for bus and $2.25 for rail. Reduced fare is 85¢. The first transfer within 2 hours for full fare is 25¢. For reduced fare, the first transfer is 15¢. The second transfer within 2 hours is free. Purchase full-fare Transit Cards for $2 up to $100 at rail station farecard machines. Or, buy full-fare pre-valued Transit Cards for $10 or $20 at select Currency Exchanges,Jewel and Dominick’s food stores, CVS Pharmacies, and online at transit chicago dot com. Cash Fare. Cash fares are accepted on buses only. Cash transfers are not available. Full fare is $2.25 on bus and rail. The Reduced cash fare is $1.00 for bus. and 85¢ for rail. At rail stations, turnstiles do not accept cash. Purchase Transit Cards from C T A rail station fare vending machines. At rail stations, qualified Reduced-Fare customers should obtain a Reduced Fare Transit Card from the Customer Assistant. and add 85¢ value at the fare vending machine. Please note. Reduced fares are for children ages 7 to 11, seniors 65 and over, and customers with disabilities who have a valid R T A Reduced Fare Card. For more information, call 3 1 2. 8 3 6 7000. Connections are free between C T A rail lines at select transfer rail stations. Although no transfer charge or use will be deducted, customers must use a Transit Card or pass. For free connections between the State Lake elevated station and the Lake Red Line subway station, and between the Library State Van Buren elevated station, and the Jackson Blue and Red lines subway stations. Customers Eligible to ride free on the C T A are: Seniors 65 and over with R T A Seniors Ride Smart Card Permits. Active duty military personnel in full uniform with U.S. Armed Forces I.D., or a C T A Military Service Pass, and qualifying disabled military veterans with a C T A Military Service Pass. Customers enrolled in the R T A People with Disabilities Ride Free Program with a valid R T A issued Circuit Permit. and children under age 7 with a fare-paying customer. CTA Quick Ride Guide to Popular Attractions. From the Loop, the Art Institute and Chicago Cultural Center are a short distance from most buses and all rail lines. From the Loop to the Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island Park, take the 1 46 bus south on State or the 1 30 bus east on Jackson during the summer and weekends. From the Loop to Chinatown, take a 95th bound Red Line subway train in the State Street subway south to Cermak-Chinatown. From the Loop to the DuSable Museum, take the number 4 bus south on Michigan starting at Randolph. From the Loop to the Garfield Park Conservatory, take the Harlem bound Green Line elevated train to the Conservatory-Central Park Drive station. From the Loop to the John Hancock Observatory, take the number 10, 1 45, 1 46, 1 47, or 1 51 buses north on State. From the Loop to the Lincoln Park Zoo, take the number 1 51 bus north on State. From the Loop to McCormick Place, take the number 3 south on Michigan. From the Loop to the Museum Campus for Soldier Field, the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium, take the number 1 46 bus south on State, or the number 1 30 bus east on Jackson. The number 1 30 operates on weekends and daily during the summer. From the Loop to the Museum of Science and Industry, take the number 6 or number 10 buses south on State, or the number X28 bus east on Jackson. The X28 operates during weekday rush hours only. Refer back to the How Do Buses Operate section of this guide for the actual days and hours that the number 10 and X28 buses operate. From the Loop to Navy Pier, take the number 29 bus north on State, or the number 1 24 bus east on Wacker. From the Loop to North Michigan Avenue, take the number 10, 1 45, 1 46, 1 47, or 1 51 buses north on State, or the number 3 bus north on Michigan. From the Loop to the River North and Old Town areas, take number 22 or number 36 buses north on Dearborn. From the Loop to the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) and Union Station, take any bus west on Adams. From the Loop to Soldier Field, take number 1 46 buses south on State. From the Loop to the United Center, take number 19, or number 20 buses west on Madison. From the Loop to U.S. Cellular Field, take a ninety-fifth bound Red Line train in the State Street subway south to the Sox-thirty-fifth station, or take the Green Line train bound for the East 63rd or Ashland sixty-third stations to the thirty-fifth-Bronzeville-I I T station. From the Loop to Wrigley Field, take the Howard bound Red Line train in the State Street subway north to Addison. There is a special Loop Tour Train, which operates midday on saturdays, May through September. Free tickets must be obtained in advance from the Chicago Cultural Center at Randolph and Michigan. From North Michigan Avenue to the Art Institute and the Chicago Cultural Center, take the number 3 bus which starts at Superior, the number 1 45 bus, the number 1 47 bus or the 1 51 bus south on Michigan. From North Michigan Avenue to the Lincoln Park Zoo, take the 1 51 bus north on Michigan. From North Michigan Avenue to McCormick Place, Take the number 3 bus, or the number X3 bus, which starts at Superior, south on Michigan. From North Michigan Avenue to Museum Campus for Soldier Field, the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium, take the number 1 46 bus south on Michigan. From North Michigan Avenue to the Museum of Science & Industry, take the number 10 bus south on Michigan. Refer back to the How Do Buses Operate section of this guide for the actual days and hours that the number 10 buses operate. Otherwise, take the number 6 bus west on Wacker at Michigan. From North Michigan Avenue to Navy Pier, take the number 66 bus east on Chicago, or take the number 29 or number 65 buses east on Illinois. From North Michigan Avenue to the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) and Union Station, take the number 1 51 bus south on Michigan. From North Michigan Avenue to State Street Shopping, take number 2, 10, 1 45, 1 46, 1 51, or 1 57 buses south on Michigan. From North Michigan Avenue to Soldier Field, take the number 1 46 buses south on Michigan. From North Michigan Avenue to U.S. Cellular Field, take a Red Line train bound for 95th in the State Street subway south to the Sox-thirty-fifth station. From North Michigan Avenue to Wrigley Field, take a Howard bound Red Line train in the State Street subway north to the Addison station.