6/23/05
Visitors to the Taste of Chicago in Grant Park, Friday, June 24, through Monday, July 4, will find CTA service the most effective way to travel. Longer trains will operate into the Loop until late every night, and extra buses will be available toward the close of each evening's activities.
On Sunday evening, July 3 and Monday evening, July 4, more extensive service will be available for spectators going to Grant Park or Navy Pier for the fireworks displays. All customers heading for the Taste and the fireworks are encouraged to purchase their return trip farecards at CTA rail stations and other locations including Jewel-Osco, Dominick's Finer Foods and Chicago Currency Exchanges in advance to speed their trips in and out of the downtown area.
Extra Service for the Taste of Chicago
Additional Customer Assistants will be on duty at Loop rail stations to help customers and to provide travel information.
A mobile CTA sales facility will be available on Jackson just east of Michigan, where CTA personnel will sell farecards 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 with a pre-loaded value of $22 will be available for $20 and customers may pick up applications for the Chicago Card Plus. Reduced farecards will be available for eligible customers.
Transit Cards and Visitor Passes will also be sold at vending machines next to the sales booth. The Visitor's Pass vending machine accepts credit cards, in addition to cash, and will offer 1, 2, and 3-Day Visitor Passes, and 7-Day Passes.
Rail Service
Blue/Brown/Green/Orange Lines Longer trains will operate on each of these lines each evening until 9:40 p.m. weeknights, 9:25 p.m. Saturdays and 9:05 p.m. Sunday, June 26 and Monday, July 4.
Weekend service is now offered on the 54th/Cermak branch of the Blue Line. Service operates from 4:05 a.m. until 1 a.m. Saturdays, Sundaysand July 4.
Yellow Line (connections at Howard with Red Line trains serving downtown) Trains will operate later than usual on weekdays, with the last train leaving Howard at 12 a.m.
Special service also will operate on Saturdays, Sunday, June 26 and Monday, July 4 starting at 9 a.m. from Skokie and continuing until 12 a.m. from Howard. (See special July 3 service below)
Park & Ride Facilities
Parking is available for approximately 6,600 cars at facilities adjacent to 17 'L' stations, mainly at terminals, throughout the CTA system. Rates are $3 at Rosemont and Forest Park and $2 at all other locations. Park & Ride stations are listed on CTA's system map and on the CTA's web site at www.transitchicago.com. Customers may also obtain information on Park & Ride facilities by calling 836-7000 from any local area code.
Bus Service
As Taste activities wind down each evening, extra buses will await customers for trips away from the downtown area at the following locations:
#3 King Drive and #4 Cottage Grove buses may be boarded southbound at regular stops along Michigan beginning at Washington.
#6 Jackson Park Express buses may be boarded southbound on State at all regular stops beginning at Lake.
#20 Madison, #56 Milwaukee and #60 Blue Island buses may be boarded at regular stops on Madison starting at Wabash.
#126 Jackson buses may be boarded on Adams beginning at Wabash.
#151 Sheridan buses may be boarded northbound on State at Adams and at all regular stops.
Extra Service for the Fireworks in Grant Park Sunday, July 3
Rail Service (Bicycles are not allowed on trains July 3)
Blue Line Longer trains and more frequent service between 54th/Cermak, O'Hare and Forest Park.
Red Line Longer trains and more frequent service between 95th and Howard.
Green Line Longer trains and more frequent service between Harlem, East 63rd and Ashland/63rd.
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. from Skokie until 2 a.m. from Howard.
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.
Additionally, service will operate until 1 a.m. on the #29, #65 and #66 routes.
After the Fireworks
Southbound Bus Service
Board #3 King Drive and #4 Cottage Grove buses on Clark at Van Buren.
Board #6 Jackson Park Express and #14 Jeffery Express buses on Clark at Jackson. #14 buses will operate until 11:30 p.m.
Customers at Navy Pier may board #29 State buses back into the Loop on the roadway immediately in front of the west entrance to Navy 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 Jackson 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 Grand, before operating east on Ohio to Michigan where they will resume their regular routes, making all regular stops on Michigan beginning at Ontario. #147 buses will operate until 11:30 p.m.
Westbound Bus Service
Board #20 Madison buses on Madison at State.
Board #56 Milwaukee buses on Madison at Clark.
Board #60 Blue Island/26th buses on Madison at Wells.
Board #126 Jackson buses on Adams at Clark.
#65 Grand buses will have extended service hours on July 3 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 1 a.m.
#124 Navy Pier buses will operate between Navy Pier, Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center. Due to the closure of Michigan, #124 buses will not serve the Randolph Street Metra station. The last buses will leave Navy Pier at midnight. Buses will board on Grand west of Streeter, one block west of the Navy Pier bus terminal.
Extra Service for Last Day of Taste and Navy Pier Fireworks July 4
Note: On Monday, July 4, CTA bus and rail service will operate on a Sunday/holiday schedule.
Bus Service
On Monday, July 4, additional bus service will be provided on the following routes: #3 King Drive, #4 Cottage Grove, #6 Jackson Park Express, #12 Roosevelt, #20 Madison, #22 Clark, #56 Milwaukee, #60 Blue Island/26th, #126 Jackson and #151 Sheridan.
On Monday, 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 service on the #65 will operate eastbound to Navy Pier from Grand/Nordica until 8:15 p.m. Later service will operate following the fireworks until 11 p.m.
Later evening service will operate on the #14 and #147 routes following the fireworks until 11 p.m.
Rail Service
More frequent service and longer trains will operate on all CTA rail lines.
Special Yellow Line service with connections at Howard to Red Line trains serving downtown 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.
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