Blue Line – Other Events Affecting Service
Late Night Trains to Operate on Same Tracks in the Dearborn Subway
Sewer cleaning continues along the Blue Line resulting in all late night trains being routed to operate on the southbound (to Forest Park) tracks between the LaSalle and Grand stations from 11 p.m. each night until 4 a.m. the following morning beginning Sunday night, March 20 until Friday morning, March 25.
During these times, Blue Line customers at the Jackson, Monroe, Washington and Clark/Lake stations traveling northbound (to O’Hare) must board and exit trains from the southbound (to Forest Park) side of the platform.
Customers are advised to allow extra travel time. CTA operators will announce the direction of each train.
Service for Upcoming Events
#19 United Center Express Buses Serve NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
The CTA is operating #19 United Center Express buses for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament on Friday, March 18 and Sunday, March 20.
During the tournament, buses will leave every 10-13 minutes from Michigan and Randolph beginning 90 minutes before the start of each event. After each event, #19 buses will await customers on the north side of the United Center eastbound on Madison near Gate 3 and will depart approximately every 15 minutes for one hour.
Service will be provided for the following games on Friday, March 18:
- Session 1: Notre Dame versus Akron at 12:40 p.m.
- Session 1: Texas A&M versus Florida State at 3:10 p.m.
- Session 2: Purdue versus St. Peter’s at 6:20 p.m.
- Session 2: Georgetown versus Virginia Commonwealth at 8:50 p.m.
Times and team matchups for the third round games on Sunday, March 20 are not yet available. Additional information will be made available on the United Center website (
www.unitedcenter.com).
CTA Service to Events at the United Center Next Week
CTA will operate its #19 United Center Express for those attending these upcoming events at the United Center:
- Monday, March 21 at 7 p.m. – Sacramento Kings versus Bulls
- Wednesday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m. – Florida Panthers versus Blackhawks
- Friday, March 25 at 7 p.m. – Memphis Grizzlies versus Bulls
Buses will leave every 12-15 minutes from Michigan and Randolph beginning 90 minutes before the start of each event. After each event, #19 buses will await customers on the north side of the United Center eastbound on Madison near Gate 3 and will depart approximately every 15 minutes for one hour.
Temporary Changes in Routing for #19 Buses
Due to the Wacker Drive construction project, the following changes are in effect along the #19 route:
Eastbound #19 buses will operate over the regular route along Washington to Clinton then will travel via Clinton, Monroe, Franklin to Washington and then resume the regular route. In addition, the following temporary changes have been made to bus stops served by eastbound buses only:
- Clinton/Madison: buses are serving the southbound near side stop.
- Monroe/Canal: buses are serving the eastbound far side stop.
- Washington/Canal: buses are unable to serve the eastbound near side stop.
- Washington/Franklin: the eastbound near side stop has been relocated to a far side stop.
Westbound #19 buses are not affected and will travel over the regular route from Michigan/Randolph – making all stops on Madison from Wabash to Clinton before operating express to the United Center.
New/Updated Changes in Bus Service
Scheduling Adjustments along 53 Bus Routes go into Effect Beginning Sunday
Beginning Sunday, March 20, updated schedules will go into effect for 53 bus routes. The CTA routinely adjusts schedules several times each year to help make service operate more efficiently and to account for seasonal ridership patterns.
Most routes continue to have the same frequency and span of service, but arrival times may change up to a few minutes.
Existing 'L' train station and route timetables will remain in effect and are not being updated at this time.
Additional information is available (
here).
Six Downtown CTA Bus Routes Temporarily Rerouted Friday for Filming
From 6 p.m. Friday, March 18 until approximately 12:30 a.m. Saturday, March 19, Madison Street between Michigan and Wabash will be closed to all vehicular traffic due to filming activity. Due to the street closure, the following reroutes will be in effect on six CTA bus routes. Customers are advised to allow extra travel time.
Northbound #14 Jeffery Express buses will travel over the regular route to Michigan/Adams then will operate via Adams, State to Madison and resume the regular route. Southbound #14 buses are not affected and will travel over the regular route.
Eastbound #20 Madison buses will operate over the regular route to Washington/State then will travel via State to Madison before beginning the westbound trip. Westbound #20 buses will leave from Madison between State/Dearborn and travel over the regular route.
Westbound #20 Madison buses operating to Randolph/Columbus only will travel over the regular route to Randolph past Michigan to State then will operate south on State to Madison and then resume the regular route.
Southbound #56 Milwaukee buses will travel over the regular route to Monroe/State then will operate via State to Madison before beginning the northbound trip. Northbound #56 buses are not affected and will operate west on Madison over the regular route.
Westbound #60 Blue Island/26th and #157 Streeterville buses will travel over their regular routes to Randolph past Michigan to State then will operate south on State to Madison and then resume their regular routes. Eastbound #60 and #157 buses are not affected and will travel along their regular routes.
Westbound #124 Navy Pier buses will operate over the regular route to Michigan/Randolph then will travel via Randolph, State to Madison and then resume the regular route. Eastbound #124 buses are not affected and will travel along the regular route.
Changes to Bus Stops Along Five Routes Effective Monday
Effective at the start of service on Monday, March 21, the following changes will be made to bus stops along the #11 Lincoln/Sedgwick, #30 South Chicago, #78 Montrose, #145 Wilson/Michigan Express and #148 Clarendon/Michigan Express routes.
#11 Lincoln/Sedgwick
- McCormick between Lincoln and Devon: northbound buses will begin serving the new mid-block stop.
#30 South Chicago
- Avenue O/126th Street: the northbound near side stop has been removed from service.
- Avenue O/126th Street: southbound buses will begin serving the new far side stop.
#78 Montrose
- Wilson/Racine: the eastbound and westbound far side stops will be removed from service.
#145 Wilson/Michigan Express
- Wilson/Racine: the northbound and southbound far side stops will be removed from service.
#148 Clarendon/Michigan Express
- Wilson/Racine: the northbound and southbound far side stops will be removed from service.
Ongoing Bus Service Changes
Temporary Change in Boarding Location for #34 South Michigan and #108 Halsted/95th Buses Serving Carver Military High School
Until further notice, #34 South Michigan and #108 Halsted/95th buses are unable to enter the parking lot directly behind Carver Military School. Students are to board and alight #34 and #108 buses from the sidewalk in front of the parking lot located along Doty Road just north of the school’s main entrance.
Temporary Relocation of #4 Cottage Grove Bus Stop at Cottage Grove/71st Street
Currently in effect until approximately 5 p.m. Thursday, April 14, the southbound near side bus stop at Cottage Grove/71st Street served by #4 Cottage Grove buses has been relocated to a far side stop due to emergency sewer repair work.
Sewer Repair Work Temporarily Detours Northbound #30 South Chicago Buses
Currently in effect until approximately 5 p.m. Thursday, April 14, northbound #30 South Chicago buses are being detoured due to the closure of South Chicago Avenue between 71st Street and St. Lawrence for sewer repair work.
Northbound #30 buses are traveling over the regular route along South Chicago to 71st Street then are operating via 71st Street, St. Lawrence to South Chicago and resuming the regular route.
Construction Work on 83rd Street Detours Three Routes
Currently in effect until approximately 4 p.m. Friday, May 13, #5 South Shore Night Bus, #26 South Shore Express and #71 71st buses are being detoured due to the closure of 83rd Street between Exchange and Bond avenues for construction work.
Southbound #5, #26 and #71 buses are traveling over the regular route along South Shore to 79th Street then operating via 79th Street to Exchange and resuming the regular route past 83rd Street. Northbound #5, #26 and #71 buses are traveling the reverse route.
Water Main Project Temporarily Detours Eastbound #21 Cermak Buses
Currently in effect until approximately 5 p.m. Monday, May 16, eastbound #21 Cermak buses are being detoured due to the closure of Cermak between Kostner and Kildare for a water main project.
Eastbound #21 buses are operating over the regular route along Cermak to Kostner then traveling via Kostner, Ogden to Cermak and resuming the regular route. Westbound #21 buses are not affected and are traveling over the regular route.
Lane Restrictions near State and Grand Detour #29 State and #36 Broadway Buses
Due to lane restrictions associated with the Grand/State Red Line rehabilitation project at the northwest corner of State and Grand, #29 State and #36 Broadway buses are being detoured to adjacent streets until further notice.
Southbound #29 buses are operating over the regular route along Grand past State to Clark then traveling via Clark, Illinois to State and resuming the regular route. Northbound #29 buses are traveling along the remaining open lane along State and over the regular route.
Southbound #36 buses are traveling over the regular route along State to Ontario then are operating via Ontario, Clark, Illinois to State and resuming the regular route. Northbound #36 buses are operating over the regular route along Dearborn past Illinois to Ohio then traveling via Ohio to State and resuming the regular route.
Temporary Changes in Service for #21 Cermak and #62 Archer Buses Serving the Cermak-Chinatown Station
Currently in effect, customers at the Cermak-Chinatown Red Line station must use the entrance located on Archer Avenue approximately one block north of Cermak. This entrance is serving as the primary access point for customers while the main entrance to the station on the north side of Cermak is reconstructed and made accessible.
As a result of these changes, and to accommodate customers transferring between bus and rail services, the following changes have been made to buses serving the station:
#21 Cermak
Eastbound #21 Cermak buses are traveling over the regular route along Cermak to Wentworth then are operating via Wentworth, Archer, Clark to Cermak and resuming the regular route. Westbound #21 buses are traveling the reverse route.
- Cermak/Wentworth: the near side stop at Cermak/Wentworth served by eastbound #21 buses has been temporarily removed from service.
- Wentworth/Cermak: temporary stops have been added at Wentworth/Cermak for eastbound and westbound #21 buses. Eastbound customers must board and exit buses from the far side stop; westbound customers must board and exit buses from the near side stop.
- Cermak/Red Line Station: the mid-block stop near the Cermak Road entrance of the Cermak-Chinatown station has been temporarily removed from service.
- Archer/Red Line Station: eastbound #21 buses are serving the temporary mid-block stop near the Archer Avenue entrance of the Cermak-Chinatown station.
- Wentworth/Archer: westbound #21 buses are serving the temporary far side stop at Wentworth/Archer.
#62 Archer
- Archer/Wentworth: the northbound near side stop at Archer/Wentworth served by #62 buses has been removed from service.
- Archer/Red Line Station: northbound #62 buses are serving the mid-block stop near the Archer Avenue entrance of the Cermak-Chinatown station.
Repairs to Bridge Detour #111 Pullman/111th/115th Buses
Currently in effect until approximately 4 p.m. Friday, September 30, #111 Pullman/111th/115th buses are being detoured from Cottage Grove between 98th Street and 100th Place due to bridge repair work.
Southbound #111 buses are traveling over the regular route along 95th Street to King Drive then operating via King Drive, 103rd Street to Cottage Grove and resuming the regular route. Northbound #111 buses are traveling the reverse route.
Changes in Service along #8 Halsted Route for Bridge Reconstruction Project
Currently in effect until late-December 2011, Halsted Street between Division and the north branch of the Chicago River is closed due to a bridge reconstruction project.
Northbound #8 Halsted buses are traveling over the regular route along Halsted past Chicago to North Branch then are operating via North Branch, Cherry, Division to Halsted and then resuming the regular route. Southbound #8 buses are traveling the reverse route.
Changes to Bus Stops
- Halsted/North Branch: the northbound far side stop has been temporarily relocated to a far side stop on North Branch at Halsted.
- Halsted/Division: the southbound far side stop has been temporarily relocated to a near side stop.
Service Changes for 13 CTA Bus Routes due to Wacker Drive Construction
Until further notice, 13 CTA bus routes that operate on or near Wacker Drive have undergone service changes due to several downtown street closures as part of the Revive Wacker Drive reconstruction project.
These street closures are affecting service on the #11 Lincoln/Sedgwick, #19 United Center Express, #20 Madison, #56 Milwaukee, #60 Blue Island/26th, #120 Ogilvie/Wacker Express, #121 Union/Wacker Express, #122 Illinois Center/Ogilvie Express, #123 Illinois Center/Union Express, #124 Navy Pier, #125 Water Tower Express, #129 West Loop/South Loop and the #157 Streeterville/Taylor.
Service Adjustments Due to the Congress/Wacker Construction Project
Due to the Congress/Wacker Construction Project, Franklin Street between Harrison and Van Buren and Lower Wacker Drive between Randolph and Harrison are closed until May 2012. As a result of these closures and other street reconfigurations, the following changes in bus service currently are in effect:
#11 Lincoln/Sedgwick
Northbound #11 Lincoln/Sedgwick buses are traveling over the regular route along Harrison to Canal then are operating via Canal, Jackson to Franklin and resuming the regular route. Southbound #11 buses are not affected and are traveling over the regular route.
The following temporary changes also have been made to bus stops served by northbound #11 buses:
- Canal/Harrison: a far side stop has been added to service.
- Canal/Jackson: a near side stop has been added to service.
- Jackson at the Chicago River: a near side stop has been added to service.
- 404 W. Harrison: the mid-block stop has been removed from service.
- Franklin/Van Buren: the far side stop has been removed from service.
#121 Union/Wacker Express
Northbound #121 Union/Wacker Express buses are operating over the regular route along Jackson past Wacker to Franklin then are traveling via Franklin, Lake, Post Place to Lower Wacker and then resuming the regular route.
Southbound #121 buses are operating over the regular route along Grand to Wabash then traveling via Wabash, Wacker, Franklin to Adams and then resuming the regular route.
#135 Clarendon/LaSalle Express
From Union Station, northbound #135 Clarendon/LaSalle Express buses are traveling south on Wacker to Jackson then are traveling east on Jackson past Franklin and resuming the regular route.
The following temporary changes have been made to bus stops served by northbound #135 buses:
- Jackson/Franklin: a near side stop has been added to service.
- Franklin/Jackson: the near side stop has been removed from service.
#136 Sheridan/LaSalle Express
From Union Station, northbound #136 Sheridan/LaSalle buses are operating south on Wacker to Van Buren then are traveling via Van Buren, Canal to Jackson and resuming the regular route.
The following temporary changes have been made to bus stops served by northbound #136 buses:
- Jackson/Franklin: a near side stop has been added to service.
- Franklin/Jackson: the near side stop has been removed from service.
#156 LaSalle (PM Service Only)
During the evening rush period only, northbound #156 LaSalle buses departing from Union Station are traveling west on Van Buren to Wacker then are operating via Wacker to Jackson and resuming the regular route.
The following temporary bus stop change has been made and is in effect for northbound #156 buses during the evening rush period only:
- Franklin/Jackson: the near side stop has been removed from service.
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