11/20/03
Ten CTA bus routes will be detoured off North Michigan Avenue Saturday, November 22, for the annual Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. The festival motorcade parade is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. from Rush and Oak and will proceed south on Michigan from Oak to Wacker. There will be a fireworks show following the parade between the Michigan and Columbus bridges over the Chicago River.
Michigan will start closing to traffic in both directions between Oak and Wacker at 5 p.m., and is expected to reopen at approximately 8 p.m.
The bus routes affected by the parade are the #3 King Drive, #6 Jackson Park Express, #10 Museum of Science & Industry, #19 United Center Express, #66 Chicago, #145 Wilson/Michigan Express, #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express, #147 Outer Drive Express, #151 Sheridan and #173 University of Chicago/Lakeview Express. Affected buses will be detoured to streets adjacent to the parade route.
#10, #145, #146, #147, and #151 buses that regularly operate north through the Loop on State will remain on State across the Chicago River. #10 buses will end their trips at Chicago/State, while buses on the other four routes will continue north via State, Division and Clark to LaSalle Drive before returning to their regular routes. These routes will use the same detour southbound.
#19 United Center Express buses operating for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus will begin and end their trips from State and Chicago rather than Michigan and Chicago.
#3, #6 and #173 buses, which operate north on Michigan through the downtown area, will turn west at Randolph and continue north on State or Dearborn.
Additional bus service will be provided on the #3 King Drive, #4 Cottage Grove, #6 Jackson Park Express, #14 Jeffery Express, #20 Madison, #29 State, #56 Milwaukee, #60 Blue Island/26th, #62 Archer, #66 Chicago, #124 Navy Pier, #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express and #151 Sheridan routes.
In addition, longer trains will be scheduled on the Brown, Green and Orange Lines to accommodate the anticipated crowds.
Additional CTA supervisory personnel will be on hand in the parade area to assist customers.
For more information about all CTA routes and schedules, call 836-7000 (all local area codes) or visit the web site at www.transitchicago.com.
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