Ravenswood Connector track work this weekend will require temporary street closures and Brown Line trains to be rerouted to Red Line subway

The Chicago Transit Authority is a convenient and affordable transit option for those traveling to events around Chicago this weekend, including the Bud Billiken Parade on Martin Luther King Drive and the Bears Family Fest at Soldier Field.

In addition, work associated with the Ravenswood Connector Rehabilitation Project resumes this weekend, making it necessary to temporarily reroute Brown Line trains between Armitage and the Loop to the Red Line subway beginning 8 p.m. Friday, August 7 until 4 a.m. Monday, August 10. This weekend’s track work will also require some temporary street closures on parts of Ohio Street and Ontario Street throughout the weekend. Full details on temporarily and partial street closures are below.

The CTA strongly recommends that customers traveling to and from these events 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.

Customers should allow extra travel time.

Bud Billiken Parade

To accommodate additional ridership for the Annual Bud Billiken Parade, the CTA will provide extra bus and rail service on Saturday, August 8. The parade will start at 10 a.m. and run until approximately 4 p.m. before disbanding in Washington Park.

RAIL:

Green Line: Longer trains will operate from stations beginning at approximately
5 a.m. until approximately 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 8. In addition, trains will operate with increased frequency from approximately 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.

BUS SERVICE AND REROUTES:

Extra bus service will be provided on the #3 King Drive, #4 Cottage Grove, #15 Jeffery Local, #29 State and #55 Garfield bus routes beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday. Due to street closures for the parade, the following buses will be rerouted from approximately 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 8:

#3 King Drive

Northbound #3 buses will operate via King Drive, 61st, Indiana, and 31st, then resume their normal route on King Drive. Southbound #3 buses will operate via King Drive, 31st, Michigan, and 61st, then resume their normal route on King Drive.

#15 Jeffery Local

Northbound #15 buses will operate via Hyde Park Blvd, Drexel, and Payne to Cottage Grove, ending their trips at Cottage Grove/Payne. Southbound #15 buses will begin their trips at Cottage Grove/Hyde Park Blvd. then resume their normal route on Hyde Park Blvd.

Shuttle buses will operate between 51st/Cottage Grove and 47th Red Line station

Customers who normally use the #15 route to access Red Line service at 47th Street will need to instead transfer to a shuttle bus that will operate between 51st Street/Cottage Grove and the 47th/Red Line station. From Cottage Grove/51st Street, westbound #15 shuttle buses will operate south on Cottage Grove to 61st Street, then will travel via 61st Street, Indiana to 51st Street and resume regular route to the Red Line. Eastbound #15 shuttle buses will travel via 47th, Wells, 51st, Michigan, 61st Street, Cottage Grove to 51st Street.

#43 43rd

Eastbound #43 43rd buses will not travel past the 43rd Street Green Line station. From the Green Line, westbound #43 buses will travel west on 43rd Street over the regular route.

#47 47th

Eastbound #47 buses will operate via 47th, Indiana, 46th, and Prairie to 47th, ending their trips at 47th/Prairie. Westbound buses will begin their trips at 47th/Prairie, then resume their normal route on 47th.

Shuttle buses will operate between 47th/Lake Park and 47th/Wentworth

Eastbound shuttle buses will begin their trips at 47th Red Line station, operate via 47th, Indiana, 35th, Cottage Grove, and 47th, ending their trips at 47th/Lake Park. Westbound shuttle buses will begin their trips at 47th/Lake Park, operate via 47th, Cottage Grove, 35th, Michigan, and 47th, ending their trips at 47th Red Line station.

#55 Garfield

Eastbound #55 buses will begin their trips at Garfield Red Line station, operate via Garfield, Michigan, 61st, Cottage Grove, then resume their normal route on 55th. Westbound buses will operate via 55th, Cottage Grove, 61st, and Indiana, then resume their normal route on Garfield.

Shuttle service between Museum of Science and Industry and Garfield/Red Line

Shuttle buses will operate between the Garfield Red Line station and the Museum of Science and Industry.

Eastbound shuttle buses will begin their trips at Garfield Red Line station, operate via Garfield, Michigan, 61st, Cottage Grove, and 55th, ending their trips at the Museum of Science and Industry. Westbound shuttle buses will begin their trips at the Museum of Science and Industry, operate via 55th, Cottage Grove, 61st, Indiana and Garfield, ending their trips at Garfield Red Line station.

For full information on all bus reroutes, please visit: http://www.transitchicago.com/alerts/.

Bears Family Fest

The annual Chicago Bears Family Fest at Soldier Field on Saturday, August 8. Outdoor festivities begin at 9:30 a.m. and gates open at 10 a.m.

Bus Service

Additional bus service will be provided along the #130 Museum Campus and #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express routes. In general, the additional service will operate until approximately one hour after the event ends.

Rail Service

Customers also can travel to Soldier Field via Red, Orange or Green line trains and exit at Roosevelt. The station is located at Roosevelt and State, and is a few blocks west of the stadium.

Ravenswood Connector Track Work

The Ravenswood Connector Rehabilitation project will provide smoother, more reliable rides for the more than 40,000 customers who ride Purple Line Express and Brown Line trains each weekday.

On Friday, the last Loop-bound Brown Line train operating on the elevated tracks will depart the Fullerton station at 7:20 p.m., and depart Washington/Wells at 7:35 p.m. for the return trip to Kimball.

The first Brown Line train operating via the subway on Friday will depart Fullerton at 7:29 p.m. to Roosevelt, and the first Kimball-bound train will depart Roosevelt at 7:57 p.m.

Brown Line trains will operate normally between Kimball and Fullerton. Customers are encouraged to plan ahead and allow extra travel time.

Service to/from Armitage, Sedgwick, Chicago and Merchandise Mart

For customers who wish to board or exit from the Armitage, Sedgwick, Chicago and Merchandise Mart Brown Line stations this weekend, free shuttle buses will operate in both directions between Fullerton and Clark/Lake, making stops at or near the affected stations. For more information on weekend shuttle service, please visit: http://www.transitchicago.com/travel_information/alert_detail.aspx?AlertId=29225.

Loop Elevated Shuttle Train

For customers in the downtown/Loop area, a shuttle train will operate around the Loop for connections to Brown Line service in the subway and the free shuttle buses at Clark/Lake. Customers can board this shuttle train at any Loop elevated station from the Outer Loop platform, which is normally served by Brown Line trains.

This work will require three additional temporary, weekend-only reroutes of Brown Line trains to the Red Line subway, which are scheduled through fall 2015. Weather permitting, the next weekend reroute of Brown Line trains will occur later this month, beginning at 8 p.m. Friday,  August 21 through 4 a.m. Monday, August 24.

Temporary Street Closures

Due to work associated with the Ravenswood Connector Rehabilitation, overnight street closures on Ohio Street and Ontario Street will be in effect throughout the weekend. The closures will be in effect Saturday from 12:01 a.m. until 8 a.m., Sunday from 12:01 a.m. until
9 a.m. and Monday from 12:01 a.m. until 5 a.m. from 200 – 325 W. Ontario St. and from 200 – 325 W. Ohio St.

In addition, other street closures associated with the work include 300 – 332 W. Institute Pl., 500 – 800 N. Franklin St., 200 – 325 W. Superior St., 200 – 325 W. Huron St. and 200 - 325 W. Erie St. Westbound lanes on Grand Avenue from 300 to 325 will also be closed. One eastbound lane will remain open at all times. Closures of these streets will be in effect throughout the weekend.

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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