8/13/03
The CTA will provide the most effective way to reach viewing areas for the 45th Annual Chicago Air and Water Show Saturday and Sunday, August 16 and 17, along the lakefront from Oak Street Beach to Fullerton. The best viewing will be at North Avenue Beach.
Water performances will start at 9 a.m. and air performances at approximately 11 a.m. both days. The show will continue until approximately 4 p.m.
Extra buses will be in service both Saturday and Sunday on the #72 North and #151 Sheridan routes, which operate close to all the activities. To avoid traffic congestion, #72 North buses will end their trips at Clark and North Avenue instead of continuing east to North Avenue Beach.
#124 Navy Pier buses will operate more frequently than usual to Navy Pier from Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center (North Western Station). Leaving every 7? minutes, starting at 8:35 a.m. both mornings, #124 buses will stop for Union Station northbound on Canal at Adams, and for Ogilvie Center on Canal at both Madison and Washington. Stops also will be made along Washington downtown and at the Randolph Street Metra station before running to Navy Pier. #124 buses leave Navy Pier for return trips to the stations until midnight on Saturday and Sunday.
Extra buses also will serve Navy Pier on the #29 State, #65 Grand and #66 Chicago routes. Except for #65 service, which ends at about 7:10 p.m., buses operate from Navy Pier until approximately midnight.
To avoid street traffic altogether, spectators can reach the Air and Water Show on Red Line trains from subway stops at Chicago/State and Clark/Division, which are both just a few blocks away from the Oak Street Beach.
Longer trains will operate both Saturday and Sunday on the Blue, Brown and Green Lines. Transfers can be made from these lines to Red Line trains. Customers also can reach the Air and Water Show by transferring from the Blue Line at Damen, the Red Line at North/Clybourn or the Brown Line at Sedgwick to extra #72 North buses that will be supplementing regular service on North Avenue from California to Clark.
Additionally, there will be special Yellow Line service from 9 a.m. until midnight Saturday and Sunday. Yellow Line trains operate between Skokie and Howard with connections to the Red Line for trips downtown. The Yellow Line typically does not operate on weekends.
Customers wishing to drive for part of their trips can take advantage of CTA Park & Ride lots at the Rosemont, Cumberland and Forest Park stations on the Blue Line; Kimball and Kedzie stations on the Brown Line; Ashland/63rd station on the Green Line; Midway, Pulaski, Kedzie, Western, 35th/Archer and Halsted stations on the Orange Line; Linden station on the Purple Line; Howard station on the Red Line and Skokie station on the Yellow Line. Parking fees range from $1.00 to $1.75.
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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