CTA PROVIDES TASTE OF CHICAGO VISITORS WITH EXTRA BUS AND RAIL SERVICE THROUGH JULY 4

Visitors to the Taste of Chicago in Grant Park taking place through Sunday, 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 Saturday evening, July 3, more extensive service will be available for spectators going to Grant Park or Navy Pier for the fireworks display. All customers heading for the Taste and the fireworks are encouraged to purchase their return trip farecards in advance to speed their trips in and out of the downtown area.

Additional customer assistants will be on duty at Loop rail stations to help customers with the automated fare collection system and to provide travel information.

A mobile CTA information facility will be available on Jackson just east of Michigan, where CTA personnel will 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.

Rail Service

Blue/Brown/Green/Orange LinesLonger trains will operate on each of these lines until late each evening.

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 weekends starting at 9 a.m. from Skokie and continuing until 12 a.m. from Howard.

Park & Ride Facilities

Parking is available for approximately 6,300 cars at facilities adjacent to 15 'L' stations, mainly at terminals, throughout the CTA system. Most of the spaces are used on weekdays by commuters, however Taste of Chicago visitors may find parking more readily available late in the day on weekdays, evenings and all day on weekends. Rates run from $1.50 to $1.75, with most facilities charging $1.50 for up to 24 hours of parking. Customers should pay their fees as directed on the numbered slot boxes. Most accept coins only. 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, #29 State and #62 Archer buses may be boarded southbound on State at all regular stops beginning at Lake.

#14 Jeffery Express buses may be boarded southbound on Michigan at all regular stops beginning south of Madison.

#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.

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

Blue LineLonger trains and more frequent service between O'Hare and Forest Park.

Red LineLonger trains and more frequent service between 95th and Howard.

Green LineLonger 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 LineLonger 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 Grove buses 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 every 15 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.

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.

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

On Monday, July 5, CTA bus and rail service will operate on a Sunday/holiday schedule.

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.