CTA

Take CTA to the Fireworks Displays at Grant Park and Navy Pier

July 2, 2009

Additional Service Provided for Events on July 3-4, and for the Taste of Chicago

CTA encourages spectators going to Grant Park or Navy Pier for the fireworks displays on Friday evening, July 3 and Saturday evening, July 4, to take public transportation. CTA provides convenient and affordable service and will have extensive bus and rail service available to accommodate the crowds expected to attend the fireworks shows.
 
Longer trains will operate into the Loop until late every night, and extra buses will be available toward the close of each evening’s activities. 
 
To speed travel and reduce lines, customers are encouraged to buy farecards in advance with sufficient value or to add enough value to their existing farecards (either the Chicago Card or magnetic strip Transit Card) for their return trips later in the day. 
 
Bus customers who use CTA fare media pay $2.00 to ride. For rail customers or customers who pay cash on the bus, the fare is $2.25. Customers who use magnetic strip cards or other CTA fare media may transfer for a 25 cent fee. Transfers are not available for customers paying fares in cash.   
 

SERVICE FOR THE JULY 3rd FIREWORKS EVENT IN GRANT PARK

 
IMPORTANT NOTE: CTA service will operate on a Sunday/Holiday schedule on Friday, July 3; however beginning at approximately 1 p.m., additional service will be provided on bus and train routes to accommodate the anticipated increases in ridership.
 

Rail Service – July 3rd Fireworks Event

  • Bicycles are not allowed on trains Friday, July 3 or Saturday, July 4.
  • Also, as a courtesy to other customers, strollers must be folded on CTA buses and trains.
  • Additional CTA personnel will be on duty at Loop rail stations to help customers and to provide travel information.
 
Blue Line
Longer trains and more frequent service between O’Hare and Forest Park.
 
Pink Line
More frequent service and extended service hours from the Loop to 54th/Cermak until approximately 1:30 a.m.
 
Red Line
Longer trains and more frequent service between 95th/Dan Ryan and Howard.
 
Green Line
More frequent service and extended service until approximately 1:30 a.m. from the Loop to Harlem, East 63rd/Cottage Grove and Ashland/63rd.
 
Brown Line
More frequent service and extended hours until approximately 1:30 a.m. from the Loop to Kimball.
 
Orange Line
More frequent service and extended hours until approximately 1:30 a.m. between Midway and the Loop. 
 
Yellow Line (connections at Howard with Red Line trains serving downtown)
Extended service hours until approximately 2 a.m. from Howard to Skokie.
 
Purple Line (connections at Howard with Red Line trains serving downtown)
Extended service hours until approximately 2 a.m. from Howard to Linden.       
 

Street Closures – July 3rd Fireworks Event (Grant Park)

  • State Street between Wacker and Congress and Michigan Avenue between Wacker and Roosevelt will be closed beginning at 6 p.m.
  • The northbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive between Roosevelt and Wacker will be closed beginning at 6 p.m.
  • From 9 p.m. until 11 p.m. Lake Shore Drive between Waldron and Randolph will be closed to all traffic.
  • From 9:30 p.m. until 11 p.m. Fairbanks Court between Illinois and Ontario will become one-way northbound only.
 
Due to the street closures listed above, the following 22 bus routes will be detoured to adjacent streets:
 

#3 King Drive
#22 Clark
#124 Navy Pier
#4 Cottage Grove
#29 State
#126 Jackson
#6 Jackson Park Express
#36 Broadway
#145 Wilson/Michigan Express
#10 Museum of Science & Industry
#56 Milwaukee
#146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express
#12 Roosevelt
#60 Blue Island/26th
#147 Outer Drive Express
#14 Jeffery Express
#62 Archer
#151 Sheridan
#18 16th/18th
#65 Grand
 
#20 Madison
#66 Chicago
 

 

Bus Service – Following the July 3rd Fireworks Event (Grant Park)

To help minimize traffic congestion along Michigan Avenue, some of CTA’s bus boarding locations for customers in the Loop following the fireworks on July 3 only, are different this year from last.
 
In general, customers leaving the Loop can board northbound buses along LaSalle, southbound buses along Clark and westbound buses along Madison. More detailed information on boarding locations is provided below.  
 
Southbound Boarding Locations (July 3rd Only)
  • New: #3 King Drive buses and #4 Cottage Grove buses will board at two locations: southbound on Clark at Van Buren and eastbound on Roosevelt at State.
  • #6 Jackson Express and #14 Jeffery Express buses will board at two locations: southbound on Clark at Jackson and eastbound on Roosevelt at State.
  • New: #29 State and #62 Archer buses will board at two locations: southbound on Clark at Adams and southbound on State at Roosevelt. #29 buses also will provide connections with the LaSalle Street Metra station (one block west from Clark and Van Buren) and the Millennium Park Metra station (four blocks east from Clark and Randolph).
  • #6 Jackson Park Express and #14 Jeffery Express buses will board at two locations: southbound on Clark at Jackson and eastbound on Roosevelt at State.
 
Northbound Boarding Locations (July 3rd Only)
  • New: Northbound on LaSalle at Madison customers can board #22 Clark, #36 Broadway and #151 Sheridan buses.
  • New: #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express buses will board at two locations: northbound on LaSalle at Monroe and northbound on State at 11th Street.
  • New: Customers can board #147 Outer Drive Express buses northbound on LaSalle at Monroe. 
 
Westbound Boarding Locations (July 3rd Only)
  • New: #12 Roosevelt buses will board westbound on Roosevelt at Clark.
  • New: Westbound on Madison, #20 Madison buses will board at Clark, #56 Milwaukee buses will board at LaSalle, and #60 Blue Island/26th buses will board at Franklin.
  • #126 Jackson buses will board westbound on Adams at Clark.
 
Museum Campus (July 3rd Only)
Bus service to the Museum Campus will end at 8:30 p.m. for the #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express route. After 8:30 p.m., southbound #146 buses will operate to Clark and 18th Street. 
 
Navy Pier (July 3rd Only)
Following the fireworks on July 3 and July 4, extra service will be provided along four routes that regularly serve Navy Pier: #29 State, #65 Grand, #66 Chicago and #124 Navy Pier.
 
Navy Pier Boarding Locations (July 3rd Only)
  • #29 State buses will board along Head House Drive south of the Navy Pier Head House boardwalk.
  • #65 Grand buses will board in the east bay of the Navy Pier Terminal.
  • #66 Chicago buses will board in the west bay of the Navy Pier Terminal.
  • New: #124 buses will board in front of Navy Pier near the entrance of the Children’s Museum. #124 buses will operate from Navy Pier to Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center. The last buses will leave Navy Pier at approximately midnight.
 

EXTRA SERVICE TO NAVY PIER FIREWORKS SATURDAY, JULY 4

 
IMPORTANT NOTE: On Saturday, July 4, CTA bus and rail service will operate on a normal Saturday schedule. Additional bus service will be provided from the Loop following the fireworks at Navy Pier until approximately midnight (or later, as needed).
 
Bicycles are not allowed on trains on Saturday. As a courtesy to other customers, strollers must be folded on CTA buses and trains.
 

Rail Service – Fourth of July Fireworks Event

  • More service and longer trains will operate on all CTA rail lines.
  • Brown, Orange, Pink and Green Line trains will operate on their regular Saturday schedules.
  • Weekend Yellow Line service will be extended until midnight.
  • Purple Line trains will operate until 2 a.m. from Howard (normal Saturday service).
 

Bus Service – Fourth of July Fireworks Event

  • Customers will board at their normal bus stops on Saturday.
  • Due to the closure of Michigan Avenue, #124 buses will not serve the Millennium Park Metra station. Navy Pier customers traveling to the Millennium Park station may take the #29 and exit the bus at Clark and Randolph then walk four blocks east. Metra customers are advised to check the schedule of the last Metra train to allow enough time for connections.
  • #66 Chicago buses will operate until approximately midnight (or later, as needed) from Navy Pier.
  • #65 buses will leave Navy Pier to Grand/Nordica after the fireworks until approximately midnight (or later, as needed).
  • Additional bus service will be provided on the following routes: #3 King Drive, #4 Cottage Grove, #6 Jackson Park Express, #12 Roosevelt, #14 Jeffery Express, #20 Madison, #29 State, #56 Milwaukee, #60 Blue Island/26th, #65 Grand, #66 Chicago, #124 Navy Pier, #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express, #147 Outer Drive Express and #151 Sheridan.
 

EXTRA SERVICE FOR THE TASTE OF CHICAGO

  • Additional CTA personnel will be on duty at Loop rail stations to help customers and to provide travel information.
  • A mobile CTA sales facility will be set up on Jackson just west of Columbus to allow customers to purchase fare media. Visitor Pass vending machines accept credit cards, in addition to cash, and will offer: 3-Day Visitor Passes and 7-Day Passes. Customers also can purchase or add value to transit cards or Chicago Cards at vending machines or use a credit card at Express Vending Machines.
 

Park & Ride Facilities

Parking is available for approximately 6,000 cars at facilities adjacent to 18 CTA rail stations, mainly at terminals, throughout the CTA system. Rates are $5 at Rosemont and Forest Park and $4 at all other locations. Park & Ride locations are listed on CTA’s system map and on the CTA web site, www.transitchicago.com. Customers also may obtain information on Park & Ride facilities by calling 836-7000 from any local area code.
 

Rail Service – Taste of Chicago

Blue/Brown/Green/Orange/Pink/Red Lines
Longer trains will operate on all six of these lines each evening until approximately 10:30 p.m. from downtown daily. 
 
Purple Line (connections at Howard with Red Line trains serving downtown)
Longer Purple Line trains will run until midnight from Howard to Linden daily.
 
Yellow Line (connections at Howard with Red Line trains serving downtown)
Trains will operate later than usual on weekdays; with the last train leaving Howard at approximately 12 a.m. Trains operate on Saturday and Sunday from 6:10 a.m. to 12 a.m. at 15-minute intervals.
 

Street Closures – Taste of Chicago

Until 5 a.m. Monday, July 6, the following streets will be closed to all traffic:
 
  • Columbus Drive between Roosevelt and Monroe
  • Monroe Drive between Michigan and Lake Shore Drive
  • Jackson Drive between Michigan and Lake Shore Drive
  • Congress Plaza
  • Congress Drive between Michigan and Columbus
  • Balbo Drive between Michigan and Lake Shore Drive
 

Bus Service – Taste of Chicago 

As Taste activities wind down each evening, additional service will be available for trips out of the downtown area at the following locations:
 
  • #6 Jackson Park Express buses can be boarded at all regular stops southbound on State starting at Lake. 
  • #20 Madison, #56 Milwaukee and #60 Blue Island/26th buses can be boarded at all regular stops westbound on Madison starting at State.
  • #151 Sheridan buses can be boarded at regular stops northbound on State starting at Adams.
  • Additional service on the #126 Jackson will be provided only on weekends during the Taste, in addition to Friday, July 3. There is no additional service along the #126 route on Saturday, July 4.
 
For details about all CTA service call 836-7000 (all local area codes) or visit the CTA web site at www.transitchicago.com to use the travel planner feature.
 
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