CTA a Fan Favorite for Rides to Wrigley Field

CTA encourages north and south side fans to avoid traffic congestion by taking public transit to Wrigley Field for the Cubs/Sox series this weekend. CTA provides convenient and affordable bus and train service to both of Chicago's ballparks.

The Chicago Cubs host the Chicago White Sox this weekend at Wrigley Field. The first game of the three-game interleague series begins Friday, June 20 at 1:20 p.m.; Saturday's game time is 12:05 p.m.; and the last game of the weekend series is Sunday at 7:10 p.m.

Prior to each game, CTA staff will greet customers at the Addison station and distribute commemorative 2008 Crosstown Series posters to customers who use the Red Line to get to the game. Posters will be handed out as long as supplies last.

The Red Line provides direct service to Wrigley Field via the accessible station at Addison. Fans can transfer to Red Line trains from all other rail lines and from most east-west bus routes.

CTA recommends customers heading to Wrigley Field via the Red Line allow extra travel time due to three-track operation at the Belmont and Fullerton stations. In addition, be aware that the escalators at the Addison station will be turned off in order to safely accommodate the large number of riders coming in and out of the station. Elevators will be available for customer use.

Slow zone removal work on the Red Line this weekend will take place at times that should not conflict with game-day service. Service on the Red Line between the Fullerton station and Cermak-Chinatown station will be rerouted in both directions from the subway to the elevated tracks from 9 p.m. Saturday, June 21 until 3 p.m. Sunday, June 22. Service will operate normally between the Howard and Fullerton stations and between the 95th and Cermak stations during these hours.

Rerouted Red Line trains will stop at the following elevated stations: Roosevelt/Wabash, Adams/Wabash, Madison/Wabash, Randolph/Wabash, State/Lake, Clark/Lake, Merchandise Mart, Chicago/Franklin, Sedgwick and Armitage.

Several CTA bus routes also provide convenient service directly to Wrigley Field for this series and throughout the 2008 baseball campaign:

• #8 Halsted buses operate north on Halsted from 79th Street to Broadway/Waveland;
  
• #22 Clark buses operate north through the Loop on Dearborn and south on Clark from Howard;
  
• #152 Addison buses operate on Addison from Cumberland on the west to Lake Shore Drive on the east. For all games, additional service will be provided on the #152 Addison route as crowds warrant, starting two hours before game time and operating until one hour after games end; and
  
• #154 Wrigley Field Express buses operate for all night and weekend games for fans who wish to combine driving and public transit to travel to the games. #154 buses provide direct service to Wrigley Field from parking lots at DeVry University on Rockwell, a quarter-mile west of Western and a quarter-mile south of Addison. Service begins three hours before each game and runs until one hour after night games end, and two hours after weekend games end. A $6 fee includes parking at DeVry and round-trip bus transit for a carload of fans.

Customers heading to Wrigley Field from Purple or Yellow Line trains serving the northern suburbs can board Red Line trains at Howard. Fans using these stations also can take advantage of convenient Park & Ride lots at Howard, Linden and Skokie. Parking fees at these lots are $2. Weekend service is available on the Yellow Line from 6:10 a.m. until 11:15 p.m. with trains operating at 15 minute intervals.

For details about all CTA service, call 836-7000 (all local area codes) or visit the CTA web site at www.transitchicago.com.