The best way to savor Chicago is by walking its streets. Walking is not always practical, however, particularly when moving between distant neighborhoods and on harsh winter days. In those situations, Chicago's public train and bus systems are efficient modes of transportation.
By Public Transportation
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates an extensive system of trains and buses throughout the city of Chicago. The sturdy system carries about 1.5 million passengers a day. Recently, the CTA has been trying to reverse declining ridership by sprucing up some of the grittier stations and introducing more efficient operating procedures, such as timetables and fare cards. Subways and elevated trains (known as the El) are generally safe and reliable, although it's advisable to avoid long rides through unfamiliar neighborhoods late at night.
Fares for the bus, subway, and El are $1.50, with an additional 30¢ for a transfer that allows CTA riders to make two transfers on the bus or El within 2 hours of receipt. Children under 7 ride free, and those between the ages of 7 and 11 pay 75¢ (15¢ for transfers). Seniors can also receive the reduced fare if they have the appropriate reduced-fare permit (call tel. 312/836-7000 for details on how to obtain one, although this is probably not a realistic option for a short-term visitor).
Adopting a system used by other urban transit agencies, the CTA uses credit-card-size fare cards that automatically deduct the exact fare each time you take a ride. The reusable cards can be purchased with a preset value already stored ($14 for 10 rides, or $17 for 10 rides and 10 transfers), 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 $3 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 (30¢). 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 $1.50 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 (tel. 836-7000 or TTY 836-4949 from any area code in the city and suburbs) 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.transitchicago.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 (tel. 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.
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 Aquarium); the trolleys run only on weekends in the fall and spring. Free trolleys also run year-round between Navy Pier and the Grand/State El station on the Red Line (you can check out the routes and get details on schedules at www.cityofchicago.org/Transportation/trolleys). While the trolleys are supposed to make stops every 30 minutes, waits can be far longer during peak tourist season -- and the trolleys aren't air-conditioned. If you get tired of waiting, remember that CTA public buses travel the same routes for only $1.50 per person.
Ticket to Ride--Visitors may consider buying a Visitor Pass, which works like a fare card and allows individual users unlimited rides on the El and CTA buses over a 24-hour period. The cards cost $5 and are sold at airports, hotels, museums, Hot Tix outlets, transportation hubs, and Chicago Office of Tourism visitor information centers (you can also buy them in advance online at www.transitchicago.com or by calling tel. 888/YOUR-CTA). Also available now are 2-, 3-, and 5-day passes. While the passes save you the trouble of feeding the fare machines yourself, remember that they're economical only if you plan to make at least three distinct trips at least 2 or more hours apart (remember that you get two additional transfers for an additional 30¢ on a regular fare).
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/Bucktown west-northwest to O'Hare Airport; the Brown Line runs in a northern zigzag route; and the Orange Line runs southwest, serving Midway airport.
A separate express line, the Purple Line, services Evanston, while a smaller, local line in Skokie (the Yellow Line) is linked to the north-south Red Line. Skokie and Evanston are adjacent suburbs on Chicago's northern boundary.
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 and points south, your only views along this underground stretch will be of dingy stations. For sightseers, I recommend taking the aboveground Brown Line, which runs around the downtown Loop and then north through residential neighborhoods. You can ride all the way to the end of the line at Kimball (about a 45-min. ride from downtown) or hop off at Belmont to wander the Lakeview neighborhood. Avoid this scenic ride during rush hour (before about 9am and between 3:30 and 6:30pm), when your only view will be of weary, sweaty commuters.
Study your CTA map carefully (there's one printed on the inside back cover of this guide) before boarding any train. While most trains run every 5 to 20 minutes, decreasing in frequency in the off-peak and overnight hours, some stations close after work hours (as early as 8:30pm) and remain closed on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. The Orange Line train does not operate from about 11:30pm to 5am, the Brown Line operates only north of Belmont after about 9:30pm, the Blue Line's Cermak branch has ceased operating overnight and on weekends, and the Purple Line does not run overnight.
The CTA recently posted timetables on the El platforms so that you can determine when the next train should arrive.
Sky Train: Chicago's El--Watch any Hollywood film or TV series set in Chicago, and chances are they'll feature at least one scene set against our screeching elevated train system, more commonly known as the "El" (witness The Fugitive, ER, and others). The trains symbolize Chicago's gritty, "city-that-works" attitude, but they actually began as a cutting-edge technology.
After the Great Fire of 1871, Chicago made a remarkable recovery; within 20 years, the downtown district was swarming with people, streetcars, and horses (but no stoplights). To help relieve congestion, the city took to the sky, building a system of elevated trains 15 feet above all the madness. The first El trains were steam-powered, but by the end of the century all the lines -- run by separate companies -- used electricity. In 1895, the three El companies collaborated to build a set of tracks into and around the central business district that all the lines would then share. By 1897, the "Loop" was up and running, but it would take almost 100 years before the "El" would connect the whole city.
Chicago's El wasn't the nation's first. That honor belongs to New York City, which started running its elevated trains in 1867, 25 years before Chicago. But the New York El has almost disappeared, moving underground and turning into a subway early last century. With 289 miles of track, Chicago has the biggest El in the country, and the second-largest public transportation system.
By Bus -- Add to Chicago's gridlike layout a comprehensive system of public buses, and virtually every place in the city is within close walking distance of a bus stop. Other than on foot or bicycle, the best way to get around Chicago's warren of neighborhoods -- the best way to actually see what's around you -- is by riding a public bus, especially if you're staying near the lakefront, where the trains don't run. Look for the blue-and-white signs to locate bus stops, which are spaced about 1 or 2 blocks apart.
A few buses that are particularly handy for many visitors are the no. 146 Marine/Michigan, an express bus from Belmont Avenue on the North Side that cruises down North Lake Shore Drive (and through Lincoln Park during nonpeak times) to North Michigan Avenue, State Street, and the Grant Park museum campus; the no. 151 Sheridan, which passes through Lincoln Park en route to inner Lake Shore Drive and then travels along Michigan Avenue as far south as Adams Street, where it turns west into the Loop (and stops at Union Station); and the no. 156 LaSalle, which goes through Lincoln Park and then into the Loop's financial district on LaSalle Street.
PACE buses (tel. 836-7000 from any Chicago area code, or 847/364-7223, Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; www.pacebus.com) cover the suburban zones that surround Chicago. They run every 20 to 30 minutes during rush hour, operating until midevening Monday through Friday and early evening on weekends. Suburban bus routes are marked no. 208 and above, and vehicles may be flagged down at intersections where stops aren't marked.
By Commuter Train
The Metra commuter railroad (tel. 312/322-6777 or TTY 312/322-6774 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; at other times, call Regional Transportation Authority [RTA] at tel. 312/836-7000 or TTY 312/836-4949; www.metrarail.com) serves the six-county suburban area around Chicago with 12 train lines. Several terminals are located downtown, including Union Station at Adams and Canal streets, LaSalle Street Station at LaSalle and Van Buren streets, North Western Station at Madison and Canal streets, and Randolph Street Station at Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue.
To view the leafy streets of Chicago's northern suburbs, take the Union Pacific North Line (previously known as the North Western train), which departs at the North Western Station, and select from among the following destinations: Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, and Lake Forest.
The Metra Electric (once known as the Illinois Central-Gulf Railroad, or the IC), running close to Lake Michigan on a track that occupies some of the most valuable real estate in Chicago, will take you to Hyde ParkYou can catch the Metra Electric in the Loop at the Randolph Street Station and at the Van Buren Street Station at Van Buren Street and Michigan Avenue.
Commuter trains have graduated fare schedules based on the distance you ride. On weekends and holidays and during the summer, Metra offers a family discount that allows up to three children under age 12 to ride free when accompanying a paid adult. The commuter railroad also offers a $5 weekend pass for unlimited rides on Saturday and Sunday.
By Taxi
Taxis are a pretty affordable way to get around the Loop and to get to the dining, shopping, and entertainment options found beyond downtown, such as on the Near North Side, in Old Town and Lincoln Park, and on the Near West Side. But for longer distances, the fares will add up.
Taxis are easy to hail in the Loop, on the Magnificent Mile and the Gold Coast, in River North, and in Lincoln Park, but if you go much beyond these key areas, you might need to call. Cab companies include Flash Cab (tel. 773/561-1444), Yellow Cab (tel. 312/TAXI-CAB or 312/829-4222), and Checker Cab (tel. 312/CHECKER or 312/243-2537).
The meter in Chicago cabs currently starts at $1.90 for the first mile and $1.60 for each additional mile, with a 50¢ surcharge for each additional rider age 12 to 65.
By Car
Chicago is laid out so logically that it's relatively easy for visitors to get around the city by car. Although rush-hour traffic jams are just as frustrating as they are in other large U.S. cities, traffic runs fairly smoothly at most times of the day. The combination of wide streets and strategically spaced expressways makes for generally easy riding. But Chicagoans have learned to be prepared for unexpected delays; it seems that at least one major highway and several downtown streets are under repair throughout the spring and summer months (some say we have two seasons: winter and construction).
Great diagonal corridors -- such as Lincoln Avenue, Clark Street, and Milwaukee Avenue -- slice through the grid pattern at key points in the city and shorten many a trip that would otherwise be tedious on the checkerboard surface of the Chicago streets. On scenic Lake Shore Drive (also known as the Outer Dr.) you can travel the length of the city (and beyond), never far from the great lake that is Chicago's most awesome natural feature.
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 Streeterville neighborhoods. A block east or west of the Magnificent Mile (North Michigan Ave.) -- one of the most traveled streets in the city -- you will in some cases encounter only stop signs to control the flow of traffic. Once you've become accustomed to the system, it works very smoothly, with everyone -- pedestrians and motorists alike -- advancing in their proper turn.
Unless otherwise posted, a right turn on red is allowed after stopping and signaling.
Parking -- Parking regulations are vigorously enforced throughout the city. Read signs carefully: The streets around Michigan Avenue have no-parking restrictions during rush hour -- and I know from firsthand experience that your car will be towed immediately. Many neighborhoods have adopted resident-only parking that prohibits others from parking on their streets, usually after 6pm each day (even all day in a few areas, such as Old Town). The neighborhood around Wrigley Field is off-limits during Cubs night games, so look for yellow sidewalk signs alerting drivers about the dozen-and-a-half times the Cubs play under lights. You can park in permit zones if you're visiting a friend, who can provide you with a pass to stick on your windshield. Beware of tow zones, and, if visiting in winter, make note of curbside warnings regarding snow plowing.
A safe bet is valet parking, which most restaurants provide for $6 to $9. Downtown you might also opt for a public garage, but you'll have to pay premium prices. (Several garages connected with malls or other major attractions offer discounted parking with a validated ticket.)
The very best parking deal in the Loop is the city-run Millennium Park garage, which charges $10 for 12 hours or less (enter on Columbus Dr., 1 block east of Michigan Ave., between Monroe and Randolph sts.). Also relatively affordable are two lots underneath Grant Park, with entrances at Michigan Avenue and Van Buren Street (tel. 312/745-2862) and Michigan Avenue and Madison Street (tel. 312/742-7530). Parking costs $9 for the first hour, $12 for 1 to 2 hours, $15 for 2 to 10 hours, and $18 for 24 hours. You'll find higher prices at most other downtown lots, including McCormick Place Parking, 2301 S. Lake Shore Dr. (tel. 312/747-7194); Midcontinental Plaza Garage, 55 E. Monroe St. (tel. 312/986-6821); and Navy Pier Parking, 600 E. Grand Ave. (tel. 312/595-7437).
Car Rental -- Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131), Avis (tel. 800/831-2847), National (tel. 800/227-7368), and Budget (tel. 800/527-0700) all have offices at O'Hare Airport and at Midway Airport. Each company also has at least one office downtown: Hertz at 401 N. State St., Avis at 214 N. Clark St., National at 203 N. LaSalle St., and Budget at 65 E. Lake St.
By Boat
During the summer, boat traffic booms along the Lake Michigan shoreline and the Chicago River. The water taxi service offered by Shoreline Sightseeing (tel. 312/222-9328) ferries passengers on the lake between Navy Pier and the Shedd Aquarium, and on the Chicago River between Navy Pier and the Sears Tower (Adams St. and the river). The boats run daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day every half-hour from 10am to 6pm and cost $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $3 for children.
The "RiverBus" operated by Wendella Commuter Boats (tel. 312/337-1446) floats daily April through October between a dock below the Wrigley Building (the northwest side of the Michigan Ave. bridge) and North Western Station, a commuter train station across the river from the Loop (near the Sears Tower). The ride, which costs $2 each way (or $3 round-trip) and takes about 8 minutes, is popular with both visitors and commuters. The service operates every 10 minutes from 7am to 7pm.
By Bicycle
The city of Chicago has earned kudos for its efforts to improve conditions for bicycling (designated bike lanes have been installed on stretches of Wells St., Roosevelt Rd., Elston Ave., and Halsted St.), but it can still be a tough prospect trying to compete with cars and their drivers, who aren't always so willing to share the road. Make sure that you wear a helmet at all times and stick to the lakefront path or area parks if you're nervous about veering into traffic.
The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation (tel. 312/42-PEDAL; www.chibikefed.org), a nonprofit advocacy group, is a good resource for bicyclists. The group publishes several bicycling maps with tips on recommended on-street routes and parkland routes as well as a guide to safe cycling in the city.
Bike and Roll rents all sorts of bikes, including tandems and four-seater "quadcycles," as well as in-line skates, from two locations: at Navy Pier (tel. 312/595-9600) and North Avenue Beach (tel. 773/327-2706). Bikes rent for $9.75 an hour or $34 a day. Helmets, pads, and locks are free. The shops are open daily from 9am to 7pm, weather permitting.
