Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
63
Park, and on the near West Side. But for
longer distances, the fares will add up.
Taxis ar e easy to hail in the Loop , on
the Magnificent Mile and the Gold Coast,
in River North, and in Lincoln P ark, but
if y ou go much bey ond these key ar eas,
you might need to call. Cab companies
include
Flash C ab
(
&
773/561-1444
),
Yellow C ab
(
&
312/TAXI-CAB
[829-
4222]), and
Checker C ab
(
&
312/
CHECKER
[243-2537]).
The meter in Chicago cabs curr ently
starts at $2.25 and costs 20¢ for each
1
/
9
of
a mile, and 20¢ for each 36 seconds of
time elapsed, with a $1 sur charge for the
first additional passenger, and 50¢ for each
person after that.
BY CAR
Chicago is laid out so logically that it 's
relatively easy for visitors to get around the
city b y car . Although r ush-hour traffic
jams are just as fr ustrating as they ar e in
other large U.S. cities, traffic r uns fairly
smoothly at most times of the day . The
combination of wide str eets and strategi-
cally spaced expr essways makes for gener-
ally easy riding. B ut Chicagoans hav e
learned to be pr epared for unexpected
delays; it seems that at least one major
highway and several downtown streets are
under r epair thr oughout the spring and
summer months. (S ome say w e have two
seasons here: winter and construction.)
Diagonal corridors—such as Lincoln
Avenue, Clark Street, and Milwaukee Ave-
nue—slice through the grid pattern at key
points in the city and shor ten many a trip
that would other wise be tedious on the
checkerboard sur face of the Chicago
DRIVING RULES
One bizarre anomaly
in the organization of Chicago 's traffic is
the occasional absence of signal lights off
the principal avenues, notably in the River
North and S treeterville neighborhoods. A
block east or west of the Magnificent Mile
(North Michigan Ave.)—one of the most
traveled str eets in the city—y ou will in
some cases encounter only stop signs to
control the flo w of traffic. O nce y ou've
become accustomed to the system, it
works v ery smoothly, with all—pedestri-
ans and motorists alike—adv
ancing in
their proper turn.
Unless otherwise posted, a right turn on
red is allo wed after stopping and signal-
ing.
PARKING
Parking r egulations ar e vig-
orously enforced throughout the city. Read
signs carefully: The streets around Michi-
gan A venue hav e no-par king r estrictions
during r ush hour—and believ e me, y our
car will be to wed immediately . M any
neighborhoods have adopted resident-only
parking that prohibits others from parking
on their streets, usually after 6pm each day
(even all day in a fe w areas, such as O ld
Town). The neighborhood ar ound Wrig-
ley F ield is off-limits during C ubs night
games, so look for y ellow side walk signs
alerting driv ers during the doz en-and-a-
half or so times the Cubs play under lights.
You can par k in r esident-only permit
zones if y ou're visiting a friend, who can
provide y ou with a pass to stick on y our
windshield. B eware of to w z ones, and, if
visiting in winter , make note of curbside
warnings regarding snow plowing.
A safe bet is v alet parking, which most
restaurants pr ovide for ar ound $10.
Downtown you can also opt to par k in a
public garage, but y ou might hav e to pay
the premium prices common in any met-
ropolitan area. (Several garages connected
with malls or other major attractions offer
discounted par king with a v
2
streets.
Lake Shore Drive
(also kno wn as
the Outer Dr.) has to be one of the most
scenic and useful urban thor oughfares
anywhere. You can travel the length of the
city (and bey ond), nev er far fr om the
Great Lake that is Chicago
's most aw e-
alidated
some natural feature.
ticket.)
