The Chicago Transit Authority will provide extra bus and rail service this weekend in order to accommodate the anticipated crowds heading to events throughout the city including Lollapalooza in Grant Park, the Bud Billiken Parade on Chicago's South Side, Chicago Bears Family Day at Soldier Field and the Iowa Cubs game at Wrigley Field.
Longer trains will operate Friday, Saturday and Sunday on the Brown, Green and Orange lines until 11 p.m.; and on the Blue Line until midnight. Longer trains and more frequent service will operate on the Red Line until midnight all weekend.
Additional bus service will be provided for some of these events, while bus reroutes will be in effect for others. Event details are as follows:
Lollapalooza
The CTA is the fast, convenient way for fans traveling to and from this year’s Lollapalooza concert event in Grant Park from August 7 through August 9. In addition to extra rail service, the CTA will provide extra bus service to accommodate concert-goers.
Bus Service
More frequent service will operate on the #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express bus route between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Jackson Closed for Lollapalooza Festival Over Weekend:
Jackson and Balbo will be closed between Michigan and Lake Shore Drive over the weekend for the Lollapalooza festival in Grant Park.
Buses on the #2 Hyde Park Express, #6 Jackson Park Express, #10 Museum of Science & Industry, #14 Jeffery Express, #26 South Shore Express, #X28 Stony Island Express and #130 Museum Campus routes will be rerouted to adjacent streets. Customers should allow extra travel time.
Bud Billiken Parade
The 80th Annual Bud Billiken Parade will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2009.
Extra service will be provided on bus routes operating close to the parade venue. In addition, CTA will reroute the #3 King Drive, #15 Jeffery Local, #43 43rd, #47 47th and #55 Garfield buses around the immediate parade area.
King Drive will be closed between 35th and Garfield beginning at 6 a.m. on Saturday. The parade will start at 10 a.m. and run until approximately 4 p.m. before disbanding in Washington Park. Detours may begin as early as 6 a.m. at the direction of the Chicago Police Department based on traffic volume in the area. King Drive is expected to remain closed until late Saturday afternoon.
Bus Service:
Additional buses will operate on the #3 King Drive route beginning at 7 a.m. Northbound buses will detour around the parade area via King Drive, 61st, Indiana, 31st, back to King Drive and then resume the regular route. Southbound buses will operate via 31st, Michigan, 61st, back to King Drive and then resume the regular route.
Additional buses will operate on the #55 Garfield route beginning at 7 a.m. Eastbound buses will detour around the parade area via Garfield (55th), Michigan, 61st, Cottage Grove, back to 55th and then resume the regular route. Westbound buses will operate via 55th, Cottage Grove, 61st, Indiana, back to 55th and then resume the regular route.
Additional buses will operate on the #15 Jeffery Local route beginning at 7 a.m. The #15 will operate in two segments around the parade route. One segment will operate between 103rd and Stony Island and 51st and Cottage Grove.
The other segment will operate bus service between the 47th Street Red Line station and 51st and Cottage Grove traveling around the parade southbound on 51st to
Michigan, 61st and Cottage Grove then northbound on Cottage Grove to 51st, 61st, Indiana and back to 51st.
A bus shuttle will operate between the Red Line station and 51st/Cottage Grove.
- Service on the #43 43rd route will operate in two segments with regularly scheduled service operating in both directions along the west portion of the route between Prairie and the 43rd Street Green Line station. There also will be service operating in both directions on the east portion of the route between 44th/Forestville and 43rd/St. Lawrence. A bus shuttle will operate between 43rd/St. Lawrence and 43rd/Prairie.
- Service on the #47 47th will operate in two segments with regularly scheduled service operating between the Orange Line at Midway and the 47th Street Green Line station. There also will be service operating via 47th between Lake Park and the 47th Street Red Line station. A bus shuttle will operate between the Red Line and Lake Park.
- Additional buses will operate on the #4 Cottage Grove route beginning at 7 a.m. No reroutes will be necessary.
Bears Family Day
Fans can take CTA to watch the Bears practice at Soldier Field on Saturday, August 8 for Bears Family Day beginning at 10 a.m.
More frequent service will operate on the #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express bus route between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Extra capacity will be provided on the #130 Museum Campus, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Customers also can travel to Soldier Field via Red, Orange or Green line trains and exit at Roosevelt. The station is located at Roosevelt and State, a few blocks west of the stadium.
Iowa Cubs at Wrigley Field
The Iowa Cubs – the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs – will host the Las Vegas 51s in a minor league game at Wrigley Field on Sunday, August 9 at 1:20 p.m.
Fans heading to Wrigley Field can board Red Line trains from stations in the State Street subway downtown, or from Howard, where fans can connect from Purple or Yellow Line trains serving the northern suburbs.
Several CTA bus routes also provide convenient service directly to Wrigley Field:
- #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. Additional service will be provided on the #152 Addison route as crowds warrant, starting approximately two hours before game time and operating until one hour after games end;
- The #154 Wrigley Field Express will not be running.
Park & Ride Facilities
Parking is available for approximately 6,000 cars at facilities adjacent to 18 CTA rail stations, mainly at terminals, throughout the CTA system. Rates are $5 at Rosemont and Forest Park and $4 at all other locations. Park & Ride locations are listed on CTA’s system map and on the CTA Web site, www.transitchicago.com.
For details about all CTA service, call 836-7000 (all local area codes) or visit the Web site at www.transitchicago.com.
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