Red Line Impacted by Track and Construction Work; CTA Reminds Customers of Upcoming Bus Service Changes with the Launch of Loop Link and Ashland and Western Express Routes
The CTA is notifying customers of separate weekend track maintenance and construction projects that will affect Red Line service and of upcoming bus service changes associated with the launch of Loop Link and Ashland and Western Express routes. Customers are advised to check individual bus schedules that may be impacted by the service changes and plan ahead.
In addition, the CTA will provide extra service for customers heading to upcoming Blackhawks and Bulls games at the United Center.
Howard-bound Trains to Run Express from Sheridan to Howard
Separate track maintenance work on both the Purple Line Express Improvement Project and the Wilson Station Reconstruction Project will affect Red Line service over the weekend. Beginning 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18 until 10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, Howard-bound (northbound) Red Line trains will run express from Sheridan to Howard, bypassing the Wilson, Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Thorndale, Granville, Loyola, Morse and Jarvis stations.
95th-bound (southbound) trains will continue to serve all stations throughout the weekend.
Howard-bound customers at Wilson, Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Thorndale, Granville, Loyola, Morse or Jarvis stations will need to take a 95th-bound train to Sheridan and then transfer to a Howard-bound train.
Howard-bound customers who want to exit at the affected stations will need to travel to Howard and transfer to a 95th-bound train.
NOTE: Howard-bound customers who wish to board the Sprint CTA Holiday Train on the Red Line this Saturday will be impacted by the temporary bypass. Please note the above reroutes.
For more information, please visit: transitchicago.com/alerts.
UPCOMING BUS SERVICE CHANGES
Loop Link
Several changes are coming to downtown bus routes with the launch of Loop Link, which will improve bus speeds and service reliability in the downtown Loop. Beginning at the start of service on Sunday, buses operating eastbound on Washington and westbound on Madison through the Loop will begin operating using the dedicated bus lanes and Loop Link stations.
Customers are encouraged to plan ahead and review the changes being made to the following routes:
#J14 Jeffery Jump
#19 United Center Express
#20 Madison
#56 Milwaukee
#60 Blue Island/26th
#124 Navy Pier
#157 Streeterville/Taylor
For more information on Loop Link, visit: http://www.transitchicago.com/looplink/.
Ashland and Western Express Routes
Beginning on Monday, Dec. 21, service along the #X9 Ashland Express and #X49 Western Express bus routes will begin, with express service provided during the morning and afternoon rush periods. The express service will reduce travel times for passengers on these heavily traveled corridors.
As part of the three-phase effort to improve speeds along the two routes, the CTA has optimized bus stop spacing on the local routes by removing some of the least-used stops. This will allow buses to travel faster by reducing the time buses spend frequently merging in and out of traffic while still providing convenient access along both corridors.
For more information on specific route changes, please visit:
#9 Ashland
#X9 Ashland Express
#49 Western
#X49 Western Express
For more information on the improvements to the Ashland and Western bus routes, please visit: http://www.transitchicago.com/ashlandwesternx/.
United Center Events
The CTA will operate the #19 United Center Express for customers attending the upcoming events at the United Center:
Friday, December 18 at 7 p.m. – Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons
Sunday, December 20 at 6 p.m. – Chicago Blackhawks vs. San Jose Sharks
Monday, December 21 at 7 p.m. – Chicago Bulls vs. Brooklyn Nets
Bus Service:
#19 United Center Express buses will leave from Michigan and Randolph beginning approximately 2 hours before the start of each event. After each event, #19 buses will operate for approximately one hour after each event and await customers on the north side of the United Center eastbound on Madison near Gate 3.
Rail Service:
CTA’s Ashland/Lake station, served by the Green and Pink lines, is located 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.
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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