CTA Reroutes and Service Details for the Annual Magnificent Mile Lights Festival

 The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) provides convenient and affordable travel options for customers heading downtown for the 22nd Annual BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival on Saturday, November 23. To accommodate increased ridership before and after the festival, longer trains and/or more frequent service will be provided on four heavily traveled rail lines, while several downtown CTA bus routes will be detoured for the set-up, duration and clean-up of the event.

The lighting festival motorcade is scheduled to step off at 5:30 p.m. on Michigan Avenue from Oak Street to Wacker Drive. Immediately following the parade, a fireworks display will begin and be visible along the Chicago River between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive.

The CTA encourages customers to allow extra travel time and to plan ahead by purchasing visitor passes or fare cards in advance with enough value for their return trips later in the day. This will help to decrease travel time and reduce lines.

Rail Service

From 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., longer trains will operate along the Blue, Brown, Orange and Red lines.

In addition, more frequent service will be provided on the following rail lines to accommodate increased ridership during peak travel times:

• Red Line: every 6 minutes from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

• Brown Line: approximately every 8 minutes from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Bus Reroutes

Event Set-Up to Detour #22 and #70 Buses (8 a.m. – 8 p.m.) 

Due to the set-up and assembly of the festival motorcade, from 8 a.m. until approximately 8 p.m., northbound #22 Clark and eastbound #70 Division buses will be detoured because of street closures of Dearborn Street between Delaware and Oak; Delaware Place between Dearborn and Clark; and Walton Street between State and Clark.

Northbound #22 buses will travel over the regular route along Dearborn to Chicago; they will then operate via Chicago, LaSalle, North Avenue to Clark and subsequently resume the regular route. Southbound #22 buses will not be affected and will travel over the regular route.

Eastbound #70 buses will only operate to Division/LaSalle before turning to begin westbound service. Westbound #70 buses will depart from Division/Wells and travel west on Division over the regular route.

Nine Bus Routes Detoured During Event (3 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.)

Michigan Avenue will be closed to traffic in both directions between Oak Street and Wacker Drive starting at 3 p.m., which will result in the following nine bus routes being temporarily detoured to adjacent streets: 

• #3 King Drive
• #4 Cottage Grove
• #6 Jackson Park Express
• #10 Museum of Science & Industry
• #36 Broadway
• #66 Chicago
• #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express
• #147 Outer Drive Express
• #151 Sheridan

Northbound #3 King Drive buses will operate via Michigan, Randolph, lower Randolph, Columbus, Fairbanks to Erie and into the Erie Terminal. From the terminal, southbound #3 buses will travel via Fairbanks, Columbus, Randolph to Michigan, then resume the regular route. 

Northbound #4 Cottage Grove buses will not operate north of Randolph. Southbound trips will begin at Randolph/Field Blvd. then will travel via Randolph to Michigan and then resume the regular route.

Northbound #6 Jackson Park Express buses will travel to Michigan/Randolph before turning to begin southbound service. From Randolph/Michigan, southbound #6 buses will continue west on Randolph to State and then resume the regular route.

Northbound #10 Museum of Science & Industry buses will operate via State, Randolph, Dearborn, Chicago to Clark before turning to begin southbound service. From Clark/Chicago, southbound #10 buses will travel via Clark, Washington to State and then resume the regular route.

Southbound #36 Broadway buses will travel via Clark, Washington to State and then resume the regular route. Northbound #36 buses will operate via Dearborn, Chicago, LaSalle, North Avenue to Clark and then resume the regular route.

Eastbound #66 Chicago buses will operate via Chicago, LaSalle to Illinois and then resume the regular route east on Illinois past Fairbanks/Columbus. Westbound #66 buses will travel via Grand, LaSalle to Chicago and then resume the regular route.

Southbound #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express buses will travel via Lake Shore Drive, LaSalle Drive, LaSalle, Washington to State and then resume the regular route. Northbound #146 buses will operate via State, Randolph, LaSalle, LaSalle Drive to Lake Shore Drive and then resume the regular route.

Southbound #147 Outer Drive Express buses will travel via Lake Shore Drive, LaSalle Drive, LaSalle, Washington to Michigan and then resume the regular route. Northbound #147 buses will operate via State, Randolph, LaSalle, LaSalle Drive to Lake Shore Drive and then resume the regular route.

Southbound #151 Sheridan buses will operate via Stockton, LaSalle Drive, LaSalle, Washington, State to Adams and then resume the regular route. Northbound #151 buses will travel via State, Randolph, LaSalle, LaSalle Drive to Stockton and then resume the regular route.