New station just a few blocks from McCormick Place; CTA to also provide additional bus service
This year, taking the CTA to the 2015 Chicago Auto Show is more convenient by train and by bus. The CTA’s newest train station, the wheelchair-accessible Cermak-McCormick Place Green Line station, opened earlier this week and is located just three blocks from the McCormick Place. Customers can now take the Green Line or one of three bus routes that will have additional service provided during all show hours Saturday, February 14, through Sunday, February 22.
CTA also recommends purchasing fares ahead of time to decrease travel times and avoid long lines at rail station vending machines during the return trip. It’s easy: customers can load 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 more than 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 hour. Customers can also pay their fares with their personal contactless debit or credit cards by touching them on the fare card readers on turnstiles and on buses.
Customers traveling on the Red Line this weekend are strongly encouraged to plan ahead and allow extra travel time due to the temporary reroute of Howard-bound Red Line subway trains to the elevated tracks between Cermak-Chinatown and Fullerton for subway work.(see separate press release for more details).
Rail Service
Getting to the Chicago Auto Show by train is now even more convenient with the new Cermak-McCormick Place Green Line station open and approximately two blocks west of the venue. Customers traveling on the Red, Brown, Orange and Blue lines can make free transfers to the Green Line at the following locations:
- Red and Orange Lines: make a free transfer at Roosevelt and board a 63rd-bound Green Line train to Cermak-McCormick Place.
- Blue Line: make a free transfer at Clark/Lake (farecard required) and board a 63rd-bound Green Line train from the Loop Elevated platform.
- Brown and Pink Lines: free transfers to 63rd-bound Green Line trains can be made at the Clark/Lake, State/Lake, Madison/Wabash and Adams/Wabash Loop Elevated stations.
Bus Service
CTA’s #3 King Drive and #21 Cermak bus routes provide direct service to McCormick Place.
To accommodate the additional riders heading to and from the show at McCormick Place, the CTA will provide the following additional service:
- #3 King Drive: Additional buses will operate between Michigan/Chicago and the McCormick Place approximately every 12 to 20 minutes beginning at 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. on weekdays. On weekends, this additional service will be provided beginning at 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. (Note: 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. on the last Sunday).
- #21 Cermak: On weekends only, shuttle buses will travel between the Halsted Orange Line station and McCormick Place, operating every 20 minutes beginning at 8:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. (Note: 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. on the last Sunday).
- “Auto Show Bus”: Special Auto Show buses will operate between the Ogilvie Transportation Center and McCormick Place approximately every 12 to 20 minutes on weekdays and every 10 to 20 minutes on weekends beginning at 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. On the last Sunday of the event, bus service will be provided beginning 8 a.m. until 9 p.m.
These buses will have either “Auto Show Bus” or “Metra Stations/Via Downtown” in their destination signs depending on the direction of travel.
Auto Show buses start their trips from Ogilvie Transportation Center on Clinton at Madison, making stops south on Clinton and east on Jackson to Wabash. A stop also will be made on Columbus at 11th Street to serve the Museum Campus. From Columbus and 11th Street, the buses will run express to McCormick Place.
CTA Service information
Plan your trip using the Google Transit Trip Planner. For travel updates and alerts, be sure to follow the CTA on Facebook or Twitter (@CTA). For details about all CTA service, call 312-836-7000 or visit the CTA website at transitchicago.com.
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