Weekend Brown Line work will temporarily suspend Brown Line service between Kimball and Western; Free bus shuttles will service affected stations
The Chicago Transit Authority is a convenient and affordable transit option for those traveling to events throughout Chicago this weekend. Additional service will be provided to accommodate customers heading to the Ariana Grande concert and the Chicago Blackhawks preseason game vs Dallas at the United Center, the Northwestern vs. Minnesota game at Ryan Field and the Bears game at Soldier Field.
Also this weekend, track maintenance work to reduce slow zones and improve travel speeds will require the temporary suspension of Brown Line service between Kimball and Western from approximately 3 a.m. Saturday until 4 a.m. Monday morning. Free shuttle buses will make stops at the Western and Kimball stations, and the #81 Lawrence bus stops on Lawrence at Rockwell, Sacramento, and Kedzie. For more information, visit: http://www.transitchicago.com/travel_information/alert_detail.aspx?AlertId=30576.
The CTA strongly recommends that customers traveling to and from events around Chicago this weekend purchase fares in advance to decrease travel times and avoid long lines at rail station vending machines. Customers can load ahead of time transit value or unlimited ride passes (1-day, 3-day, 7-day and 30-day) to their Ventra farecards at rail stations, online or at nearly 1,300 local retailers (locations available at ventrachicago.com). Other ways to pay fares including purchase from CTA vending machines 1-day unlimited ride tickets ($10) or single-ride tickets ($3) that include up to two transfers in two hours. Customers can also pay their fares with their personal contactless debit or credit cards.
United Center Events
The CTA will operate the #19 United Center Express for those attending the following events at the United Center over the weekend:
- Friday, October 2 at 7:30 p.m. – Ariana Grande Concert
- Saturday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m. – Blackhawks preseason game vs. Dallas Stars
Bus Service:
Extra service from #19 Express buses will leave from Michigan and Randolph beginning approximately 2 hours before the start of each event. After each event, #19 Express buses will await customers on the north side of the United Center eastbound on Madison near Gate 3. Extra #19 Express bus service will conclude approximately one hour after each event.
Rail Service:
CTA’s Ashland/Lake station served by Green and Pink lines is just a few blocks northeast of the United Center. Customers exiting at the station can transfer to #9 Ashland buses or simply walk a few blocks to the stadium. Customers taking the Blue Line can get to the United Center by exiting at the Illinois Medical District station and walking a few blocks north to the United Center.
Northwestern Football Season
The CTA will provide extra service for the Northwestern vs. Minnesota game at 11 a.m. Saturday. Extra rail service will be provided on the Purple Line beginning at approximately
9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
In general, for each Northwestern football home game at Ryan Field, the CTA will operate longer trains more frequently beginning three hours prior to kick-off time until approximately two hours following the end of the game.
Ryan Field is located just west of the Purple Line’s Central station in Evanston.
Bears Game
The Chicago Bears will host the Oakland Raiders at Soldier Field this Sunday at noon. The CTA will operate the #128 Soldier Field Express between Union Station, Ogilvie and Soldier Field, and will provide additional #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express service for customers heading to the game. Additional service will begin at approximately 9 a.m. and continue until one hour after the game ends. For more information on getting to the game on the CTA, please visit: http://www.transitchicago.com/riding_cta/popdest/sports.aspx.
Stay in the Loop on CTA service
Plan your trip using the Google Transit Trip Planner. Be sure to also check out CTA on Facebook or Twitter (@CTA) for system travel updates and alerts. For details about all CTA service, call 312-836-7000 or visit the CTA website at transitchicago.com.
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