Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Free Ride
During the summer, the city of Chicago operates free trolleys daily
between Michigan Avenue and the Museum Campus (site of the Adler
Planetarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Shedd Aquar-
ium); the trolleys run only on weekends in the fall and spring. Free trol-
leys also run year-round between Navy Pier and the Grand/State El station
on the Red Line. While the trolleys are supposed to make stops every 30
minutes, waits can be far longer during peak tourist season—and the trol-
leys aren't air-conditioned. If you get tired of waiting, remember that CTA
public buses travel the same routes for only $1.75 per person.
Tips
a ride. The reusable cards can be purchased with a preset value already stored
($17.50 for 10 rides), or riders can obtain cards at vending machines located at
all CTA train stations and charge them with whatever amount they choose (a
minimum of $1.75 and up to $100). If within 2 hours of your first ride you
transfer to a bus or the El, the turnstiles at the El stations and the fare boxes on
buses will automatically deduct from your card just the cost of a transfer (25¢).
If you make a second transfer within 2 hours, it's free. The same card can be
recharged continuously.
Fare cards can be used on buses, but you can't buy a card on the bus. If you
get on the bus without a fare card, you'll have to pay $1.75 cash (either in coins
or in dollar bills); the bus drivers cannot make change, so make sure that you've
got the right amount before hopping on board.
CTA INFORMATION
The CTA operates a useful telephone information
service (
&
836-7000
or TTY 836-4949 from any area code in the city and sub-
urbs) that functions daily from 5am to 1am. When you want to know how to
get from where you are to where you want to go, call the CTA. Make sure that
you specify any conditions you might require—the fastest route, for example, or
the simplest (the route with the fewest transfers or the least amount of walking),
and so forth. You can also check out the CTA's website at
www.transit
chicago.com
. Excellent CTA comprehensive maps, which include both El and
bus routes, are usually available at subway or El stations, or by calling the CTA.
The CTA also has added a toll-free customer service hot line (
&
888/YOUR-
CTA
or TTY 888/CTA-TTY1; Mon-Fri 7am-8pm, with voice mail operating
after hours) to field questions and feedback. While the new fare-box system has
eliminated the need for ticket agents, agents are still available at some El stations
to offer customer assistance.
BY THE EL & THE SUBWAY
The rapid transit system operates five major
lines, which the CTA identifies by color: The
Red Line
runs north-south; the
Green Line
runs west-south; the
Blue Line
runs through Wicker Park/Buck-
town west-northwest to O'Hare Airport; the
Brown Line
runs in a northern
zigzag route; and the
Orange Line
runs southwest, serving Midway airport. The
Purple Line,
which runs on the same Loop elevated tracks as the Orange and
Green lines, serves north-suburban Evanston and runs only during rush hour.
I highly recommend taking at least one El ride while you're here—you'll get a
whole different perspective on the city (not to mention fascinating views inside
downtown office buildings and North Side homes as you whiz past their windows).
While the Red Line is the most efficient for traveling between the Magnificent Mile
