CTA PROVIDES ADDITIONAL SERVICE FOR JULY 3 AND 4 HOLIDAY WEEKEND

To accommodate customers over the busy holiday weekend, the CTA is providing additional service on Saturday, July 3 and Sunday, July 4 as many Independence Day related activities and events are planned for both days. The CTA will be the most effective way to travel to and from the downtown area. Longer trains will operate with more frequent service into and out of the Loop until late both nights, and extra buses will be available.

On Saturday, July 3, more extensive service will be available to Grant Park for the Taste of Chicago and the Independence Eve fireworks display. Additional bus service will also operate to Navy Pier for those who want to take in the fireworks display from this popular location.

On Sunday, July 4 additional service will again operate to Grant Park and Navy Pier where a fireworks display is scheduled in the evening. All customers heading downtown are encouraged to purchase their return trip farecards in advance to speed their trips into and out of the downtown area.

On July 3, the CTA's busiest day of the year due to the fireworks at Grant Park, additional customer assistants and CTA volunteers will be on duty throughout the downtown area to assist customers.

On July 4, additional customer assistants will be on duty at Loop rail stations.

Farecards are available at all 'L' stations or at CTA's mobile facility on Jackson east of Michigan. This facility has been set up to serve customers throughout the Taste of Chicago. CTA personnel are available to sell transit cards and offer travel assistance. The mobile facility will sell transit cards valued at $1.75 (single ride) and $2 (ride with transfer), as well as 1, 2, 3, and 5-Day Visitor Passes. Chicago Cards also will be available for purchase.

Rail Service (Bicycles are not allowed on trains July 3)

Blue Line ? Longer trains and more frequent service between O'Hare and Forest Park.

Red Line ? Longer trains and more frequent service between 95th and Howard.

Green Line ? Longer trains, more frequent service and extended hours between Harlem, East 63rd and Ashland/63rd until 1:30 a.m. from the Loop.

Brown Line ? Longer trains, more frequent service and extended hours until 1:30 a.m. from the Loop to Kimball.

Orange Line ? Longer trains, more frequent service and extended hours until 1:30 a.m. from the Loop to Midway.

Yellow Line (connections at Howard with Red Line trains serving downtown) ? Special service will operate from 9 a.m. until 1 a.m.

Purple Line (connections at Howard with Red Line trains serving downtown) ? Longer trains, more frequent service and extended hours until 2 a.m. from Howard to Linden.

Bus Service

State Street will be closed between Congress and Kinzie, and Michigan will be closed between Roosevelt and Kinzie beginning at approximately 6 p.m.

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 Jackson Park Express, #10 Museum of Science & Industry, #14 Jeffery Express, #29 State, #36 Broadway, #62 Archer, #145 Wilson/ Michigan Express, #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express, #147 Outer Drive Express and #151 Sheridan.

#3, #10, #145, #146, #147 and #151 buses will be rerouted northbound on Dearborn to Ohio where they will return to Michigan and resume their regular routes. Southbound trips will operate on Ontario and Clark.

#4 and #6 buses will be rerouted northbound on Dearborn to Kinzie, then west to Clark to begin their southbound trips. Due to the closure of Michigan these routes will not serve Illinois Center.

#124 Navy Pier buses will be rerouted in both directions to LaSalle between Madison and Grand. Due to the Michigan closure, #124 buses will not serve the Randolph Street Metra station. Instead, customers traveling from the station to Navy Pier may board #29 buses at Dearborn/Lake.

#20 Madison, #56 Milwaukee and #60 Blue Island/26th buses entering downtown from the west will operate east to Wacker before starting new westbound trips on Madison.

#126 Jackson buses entering downtown from the west will operate east to Franklin before starting new westbound trips on Adams at Wacker.

Extra buses will be provided on the four routes that regularly serve Navy Pier: #29 State, #65 Grand, #66 Chicago and #124 Navy Pier.

Southbound Bus Service

Board #3 King Drive and #4 Cottage Grovebuses on Clark at Van Buren.

Board #6 Jackson Park Express and #14 Jeffery Express buses on Clark at Jackson.

Customers at Navy Pier may board #29 State buses back into the Loop at the pier. #29 buses will return to the Loop via Grand to Clark. Customers already in the Loop may board #29 buses at Clark/Adams.

Board #62 Archer buses on Clark at Adams.

Northbound Bus Service

Board #22 Clark and #36 Broadway buses on Dearborn at Adams and at all other regular stops.

Board #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express, #147 Outer Drive Express and #151 Sheridan buses on Dearborn at Jackson. These routes will serve all stops on Dearborn from Jackson to Ohio before operating east to Michigan where they will resume their regular routes, making all regular stops on Michigan north of Ohio.

Westbound Bus Service

Board #20 Madison buses on Madison at State.

Board #56 Milwaukee buses on Madison at Clark.

Board #60 Blue Island/26th on Madison at Wells.

Board #126 Jackson buses on Adams at Clark.

#65 Grand buses will have extended service hours on July 3, operating every15 minutes until 8:15 p.m. from Grand/Nordica to Navy Pier with special service also leaving Navy Pier to Grand/Nordica after the fireworks end until 11:30 p.m.

#124 Navy Pier buses will operate every 7 ? 15 minutes to and from Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center. Due to the closure of Michigan, #124 buses will not serve the Randolph Street Metra station on July 3. The last buses will leave Navy Pier at midnight on July 3 and 4.

On Sunday, July 4th, additional bus service will be provided on the following routes: #3 King Drive, #4 Cottage Grove, #6 Jackson Park Express, #12 Roosevelt, #14 Jeffery Express, #20 Madison, #22 Clark, #29 State, #36 Broadway, #56 Milwaukee, #60 Blue Island/26th, #62 Archer, #126 Jackson, #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express, #147 Outer Drive Express and #151 Sheridan.

On Sunday, CTA also will operate additional bus service on the four routes that serve Navy Pier for spectators attending the fireworks display: #29 State, #65 Grand, #66 Chicago and #124 Navy Pier.

Later evening service will be provided on the #14, #65 and #147 routes following the fireworks until 10:30 p.m. or as crowds warrant.

Longer and more frequent trains will operate on the Red, Blue, Brown, Orange and Green Lines.

Special Yellow Line service with connections at Howard to Red Line trains serving downtown also will operate starting at 9 a.m. from Skokie and continuing until 12 a.m. from Howard.

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.