Downtown Transit Sightseeing Guide Fall 2006 www.transitchicago.com All Aboard! This guide will show you how to use CTA to see downtown Chicago, North Michigan Avenue, and a few places beyond. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) runs buses and elevated/subway trains (the ‘L’) serving Chicago and 40 nearby suburbs. From Downtown, you can get to most attractions on just one bus or train. We Have Answers Get travel information and questions answered about CTA buses and trains, Metra commuter trains, and Pace suburban buses by calling 836-7000 from any local area code, 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. daily. TTY: (312) 836-4949 (for hearing and speech impaired). Or, try the trip planner at http://rtachicago.org. Maps, train and bus schedules, and brochures can also be ordered through the RTA Travel Information Center. CTA Bus & Rail Maps and this brochure are also available at CTA rail stations. We Are Listening Comment, commendation or inquiry? Call 1-888-YOUR-CTA (1-888-968-7282) weekdays 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., or leave a voice mail message at other times. TTY: 1-888-CTA-TTY1 (1-888-282-8891). Write us at CTA Customer Service, P.O. Box 7566, Chicago, IL 60680-7566. Or, e-mail us at ctahelp@transitchicago.com. Visit Us Online CTA’s web site is www.transitchicago.com. You can get information, see our map, purchase CTA-themed gift items, and even buy your fare in advance! Metra’s web site is www.metrarail.com. Pace’s web site is www.pacebus.com. Groups are Great We’ll help you plan your CTA trips and purchase your fares in advance. Call us weekdays at 1-888- YOUR-CTA (1-888-968-7282); TTY: 1-888-CTA-TTY1 (1-888-282-8891). Buses Riding CTA Buses CTA buses stop at bus shelters or signs that look like this. Signs list the service days/general hours, route number, name and destinations, and in the downtown area, the direction of travel. When a bus approaches, look at the sign above the windshield. It will first show the route number and route name, then change to show the destination. If it’s the bus you want, flag it down. First: 151 SHERIDAN Then: UNION STATION When paying your fare, remember that dollar bills go into the center slot of the farebox and coins into the slot on the left side. All cards and passes are inserted into the slot on the right side of the farebox. How They Operate Bus routes shown on the map operate every day, including all holidays, unless the route number is in parentheses, such as (10). Buses run every 10 to 15 minutes, except for route (10) — see below. Routes that operate every day do so from early morning until at least 10:00 p.m., with some exceptions: 65 Grand operates until 7:00 p.m. daily. 124 Navy Pier daily until midnight in summer between Union, Ogilvie, and Millennium stations and Navy Pier. 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express until 8:50 p.m. daily from Museum Campus; midnight daily from Downtown. 147 Outer Drive Express until 8:30 p.m. Sundays. Routes that do not operate every day have service as follows: (10) Museum of Science & Industry (accessible) weekends/holidays year-round; daily Memorial Day to Labor Day and Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. Hours are from about 9:00 a.m., Monday through Saturday (10:25 a.m. Sundays/holidays) to 4:40 p.m. every 20 or 30 minutes. No service on Christmas Day. (X28) Stony Island Express weekdays 6:45 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (130) Grant Park Treasures operates mid-May through Labor Day, weekends and holidays, from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Also, provides service after all Notherly Island concerts, including weekdays. (157) Streeterville weekdays 6:45 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Accessibility All CTA buses are accessible to people with disabilities. Trains Riding CTA Trains Each rail line has a color name. All trains operate Downtown daily until at least midnight, except the Purple Line Express (see map for hours). Trains run every 5 to 10 minutes during the day and early evening, and every 10 to 15 minutes in later evening. Here’s a quick guide to boarding in the Downtown area: Blue Line - Dearborn Street subway Brown Line - Loop elevated Green Line - Loop elevated (along Wabash Ave. & Lake St.) Orange Line -Loop elevated Pink Line –Loop elevated Purple Line - Loop elevated Red Line - State Street subway At the Station There are Customer Assistants or Security Guards at rail stations to help you. Accessibility Fifty (50) percent of rail stations are accessible and every train has at least two cars that are accessible to customers with disabilities. For information on current accessible rail stations, visit our web site at www.transitchicago.com, see CTA’s Bus & Rail Map or call 836-7000 from any local area code. Taking a Ride Entering the Station – Signs list train routes and destinations. On the Platform – Signs overhead and on the columns tell you which trains stop there, their directions and destinations. When the Train Arrives – Train destination appears on front and sides of train. On the Train – Rail maps are above the doorways. Stops and connections are announced. Watch and listen for your stop. Trains to Planes Take the Blue Line between O’Hare and Downtown. From the airport, follow the “Trains to City” signs. From Downtown, board in the Dearborn Street subway; 45 minute trip. Take the Orange Line between Midway and Downtown. From the airport, follow the “Trains to City” signs. From Downtown, board at any Loop elevated station; 35 minute trip. Fares Visitor Passes Our 1-Day ($5) pass offers 24 hours of unlimited CTA riding from the first use. This pass cannot be shared or recharged. You can also buy 2-Day ($9), 3-Day ($12) and 5-Day ($18) passes. Passes are sold at Visitor Information Centers, select downtown Currency Exchanges and Jewel Food Stores, Sears Tower, Navy Pier, Union Station, O’Hare and Midway airports, and the Rosemont and Cumberland CTA rail stations. For advance sales and other sales locations, call 1-888-YOUR-CTA or visit CTA’s web site at www.transitchicago.com. Transit Card Deducts full fares and transfers on CTA and Pace. First ride – full fare: $1.75 bus, $2.00 rail; reduced fare: 85¢ 1st transfer within 2 hours - 25¢ full fare; 15¢ reduced fare 2nd transfer within 2 hours - FREE Cards can pay for up to seven full-fare rides at once. Add value at rail station farecard machines. Maximum card value is $100. Buy full-fare Transit Cards ($1.75 to $100) at rail station farecard machines. Or, buy full-fare Transit Cards ($10 or $20) and full-fare Transit Card packs ($17.50) at Currency Exchanges, select Jewel, Dominick’s and Cub Foods stores, and online. Cash Fare Full fare: $2.00 (bus and rail); Reduced Fare*: $1.00 (bus)/85¢ (rail); cash transfers are not available. Cash fares are accepted on buses only. On buses, deposit the exact fare in coins or bills into the farebox. Rail station turnstiles do not accept cash. Purchase Transit Cards from the rail station fare vending machine. Connections are free between CTA rail lines at stations marked with a T, no Transfer Card needed. Exceptions: Customers must use a Transit Card or pass for free connections between State (elevated) and Lake (accessible) (Red Line subway) stations; and between Library-State/Van Buren (accessible) (elevated) and Jackson (accessible) (Blue and Red subway) stations. No transfer charge or use is deducted. *Reduced fares are for children ages 7-11; elementary and high school students with a CTA student riding permit; seniors 65 years and older; and customers with disabilities who have an RTA Reduced-Fare Permit. For more information, call 836-7000 from any local area code. At rail stations, qualified Reduced-Fare customers should obtain a Reduced Fare Transit Card from the Customer Assistant and add 85¢ value at the fare vending machine. The station Customer Assistant will help children through the turnstile. Quick Ride Guide From the Loop Attraction Art Institute, Chicago Cultural Ctr. -- Short walk from most buses and all rail lines. Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island Park – Take 146 south on State or 130 east on Jackson (summer weekends) Chinatown – Take Red Line (95th/Dan Ryan) train in the State Street subway south to Cermak-Chinatown DuSable Museum – Take 4 bus south on Michigan (starting at Randolph) Garfield Park Conservatory – Take Green Line (Harlem) train on the Loop ‘L’ west to Conservatory- Central Park Drive (accessible) John Hancock Observatory – Take 10, 145, 146, 147, 151 buses north on State or 3 north on Michigan Lincoln Park Zoo – Take 151 bus north on State McCormick Place – Take 3 and X3 buses south on Michigan Museum Campus (Soldier Field/Adler Planetarium/Field Museum/Shedd Aquarium) – Take 146 bus south on State (daily), or 130 east on Jackson (summer weekends) Museum of Science & Industry – Take 6 or 10 bus south on State daily; or X28 east on Jackson (weekday rush hours only). See “Buses” panel for 10 and X28 days/hours. Navy Pier – Take 29 bus north on State or 124 bus east on Washington North Michigan Avenue – Take 10, 145, 146, 147, 148, 151 buses north on State or 3 north on Michigan River North & Old Town areas – Take 22 or 36 buses north on Dearborn Sears Tower/Union Station – Take any bus west on Adams Soldier Field (Bears) – Take 146 south on State United Center (Bulls, Blackhawks) – Take 19 or 20 west on Madison U.S. Cellular Field (White Sox) – Take Red Line (95th/Dan Ryan) train in the State Street subway south to Sox-35th (accessible); or Green Line (East 63rd or Ashland/63rd) train to 35th-Bronzeville-IIT (accessible) Wrigley Field (Cubs) – Take Red Line (Howard) train in the State Street subway north to Addison (accessible) Loop Tour Train (Saturday midday, May-September). Must get free tickets in advance at Chicago Cultural Center (Randolph/Michigan); 40 minute trip. From North Michigan Avenue Attraction Art Institute, Chicago Cultural Ctr – Take 3 (starts at Superior), 145, 147 or 151 buses south on Michigan Lincoln Park Zoo -- Take 151 bus north on Michigan McCormick Place – Take 3, X3 (starts at Superior) buses south on Michigan Museum Campus (Soldier Field/Adler Planetarium/Field Museum/Shedd Aquarium) – Take 146 bus south on Michigan Museum of Science & Industry – Take 10 bus south on Michigan. See "Buses" panel for 10 days/hours. Otherwise, 6 bus west on Wacker at Michigan Navy Pier – Take 66 bus east on Chicago; 29, 65 buses east on Illinois Sears Tower/Union Station – Take 151bus south on Michigan State Street Shopping – Take 2, 10, 145, 146, 151 or 157 buses south on Michigan Soldier Field (Bears) – Take 146 south on Michigan United Center (Bulls, Blackhawks) – Take 19 (starts at Superior) south on Michigan U.S. Cellular Field (White Sox) – Take Red Line (95th/Dan Ryan) train in the State Street subway south to Sox-35th (accessible) Wrigley Field (Cubs) – Take Red Line (Howard) train in the State Street subway north to Addison (accessible)