David Michael Burrow
Scooping the Loop in Chicago
LEFT: An 'L' train rounds a curve in the Loop
RIGHT: Signs and a CTA Map at Cicero/Cermak station
(Click either image for full-size picture.)
While I didn't have a chance to ride the el until adulthood, the CTA was one of the first rapid transit systems I took in America. Since my first trip, I've been back time after time. Today I know the el much better than any of the other transit systems described in these pages, and I know Chicago better than any of the other cities. I've ridden every mile of the CTA tracks, and I've seen all of the more than 100 CTA stations. Now it seems as if I'm as familiar with the Cumberland, Rosemont and Forest Park park-and-rides as the commuters who use them every day. The el is now second nature to me, and I wouldn't think of seeing Chicago by any other mode of tranportation.
For me the CTA is the standard by which all other transit systems are judged. It's far from a perfect system, but it is always trying to improve, and it does a pretty good job on an always tight budget. And, for me, CTA is like the home team--and rooting for the home team is definitely a Chicago tradition. I like the el a lot, even with its faults. Keeping that in mind, I hope I can provide you with a balanced perspective on the system.
System Name and Operator: The Chicago Transit Authority celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 1997. Chicago's rapid transit system is called the 'L', which is short for "elevated railroad". Chicago has the oldest el system still in use anywhere on earth.
Background: Chicago has one of the oldest and most historic transit systems anywhere. The first elevated line in Chicago was built to connect the downtown area with the Jackson Park fairgrounds for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1892. That original route still exists as the south side portion of the green line. By 1897 'L' lines extended to other areas of the city, and the main downtown area was completely ringed by elevated tracks--the famous "Loop" from which central Chicago got its name. The majority of the original 'L' tracks still exist and are still in use. In fact, to this day the CTA uses extra-short rolling stock in order to negotiate the tight corners that were required to get around existing buildings in some neighborhoods.
In the 1940s, 50s, and 60s the 'L' system was extended to the suburbs following the medians of modern expressways, and in those same decades new subway lines were built under downtown streets. At one time it was proposed that subways entirely replace the traditional elevated tracks. To this day, though, the old 'L' lines remain an integral part of Chicago's character, and the entire system--whether above, below, or at ground level--is still called the " 'L' ".
In addition to the CTA, Chicago is also well served by Metra, a commuter railroad network that connects the city to diverse and distant suburbs via old freight rail lines. Metra connects with the 'L' both downtown and at outlying stations such as Jefferson Park and Davis. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District also operates commuter trains (slow and over-priced, compared to CTA and Metra), which connect downtown Chicago with city neighborhoods on the southeast side and with Hammond, Gary, Michigan City, and South Bend.
System Design: The CTA operates eight lines which fan out from the loop into various corners of the city. Oldest among these is the green line, which was re-opened in the mid-1990s after a two-year restoration. The green line runs from Harlem Avenue in suburban Oak Park above Lake Street on the west side, around the north and east sides of the Loop, and through alleys and nearly abandoned South Side neighborhoods to twin terminals on 63rd Street. It was traditionally referred to as the Lake/Jackson Park/Englewood line. Today destination signs read "Harlem/Lake", "East 63rd" (the Jackson Park branch), and "63/Ashland" (the Englewood branch).
The brown line runs the complete loop and then extends to rapidly gentrifying residential areas on the near northwest side. Its terminal is a street-level station in the Kimball Avenue business district. The line is invariably called the Ravenswood (after the heavily Asian neighborhood to which it leads), though destination signs read "Kimball" or "Loop". This line is currently under on-going renovation. It continues to operate, but not all stations are open and some delays may occur, especially during morning rush.
The red line runs from Howard Avenue at the northern city limits, above the north side of the city, under the downtown area as the State Street subway, and then down the middle of the mammoth Dan Ryan Expressway (I-94) on the south side to 95th Street. Its usual name is the Howard/Dan Ryan line ("Howard" and "95/Dan Ryan" appear on its signs), and it is the busiest line in the system. It connects the wealthiest and poorest neighborhoods of the city--not to mention Chicago's two famous ballparks.
The blue line runs from O'Hare International Airport down the median of the Kennedy Expressway (I-90), above much of the northwest side, under Milwaukee Avenue west of downtown and then under Dearborn Street in the Loop. It then heads west in two branches. The main branch runs down the median of the Eisenhower Expressway to its terminal in suburban Forest Park, while the shorter (and newly restored) southern branch runs above an alley near 22nd Street through the mostly Hispanic southwest side to a street-level terminal at 54th Ave. & Cermak Road in the suburb of Cicero. The traditional line name is the Congress/Douglas/O'Hare. (Congress Parkway is an archaic name for the Eisenhower Expressway, or Interstate 290, and Douglas Park is the area through which the Cermak branch runs.) Today signs read "O'Hare", "Forest Park", and "54/Cermak". Because it has three convenient park-and-rides, an airport station, and easy access to the downtown area, this is by far the most convenient line for visitors to the city. Note that service on the Cermak branch of the blue line currently runs only at rush hour.
The pink line mostly consists of the Cermak branch of the blue line. It was created in 2006 by restoring service on the Paullina Connector, a century old elevated track that runs just east of United Center. The pink line is entirely elevated. It starts on at 54th & Cermak in Cicero, runs on the blue line tracks to just west of 18th Street station by the Medical Center complex. Then it runs up the Paullina Connector to the green line tracks. It follows the green line through the gentrifying near west side and on into downtown, where it circles the complete Loop and returns to Cicero.
The purple line mostly serves the city of Evanston, the home of Northwestern University. Most trains on the line run from Howard station in a dumpy neighborhood on the Chicago/Evanston border to Linden, which is in the "old money" suburb of Wilmette. At rush hours (continuing until mid-morning and starting again at mid-afternoon) purple expresses continue south from Howard to the loop, paralleling the tracks of the red line on the north side and using the brown line's tracks downtown. The local service is usually called the "purple line shuttle", while the long-distance service is called the "Evanston Express". Signs on this line read "Linden", "Howard", or "Loop". Purple express service has been periodically interrupted by construction on the brown line.
The yellow line is a weekday shuttle service that runs from Howard to a street-level terminal and park-and-ride across from a strip mall on Dempster Avenue near I-94 (the Edens Expressway), in the northwest suburb of Skokie. It is called the Skokie Swift. Signs read "Howard" and "Skokie". If the Skokie Swift operated on weekends, it would be convenient for tourists, but except for special circumstances (such as the Christmas shopping season), it is intended strictly for commuters.
The final line is the orange line. Until the creation of the pink line, this was the CTA's newest line. It was only opened in the mid-1990s. The line circles the loop completely and then extends southwest to a ground-level terminal across the street from (and connected by a skywalk to) Midway Airport. Parts of the line are on new concrete elevated structures, while others use pre-existing ground-level tracks. The route is called the Midway line, and signs read "Midway" or "Loop".
All the Loop lines share tracks. The brown and purple lines parallel part of the red line's elevated section on a vast four-track elevated structure on the city's north side.
The CTA system includes surface, subway, and elevated tracks. Probably half the system is elevated, with most of the rest at surface level--mostly in the medians of expressways. Only a tiny part of the system is subway--mostly beneath State and Dearborn streets downtown and beneath Milwaukee Avenue on the near northwest side. The entire system uses third-rail power and interchangeable rolling stock, though until recently the Skokie Swift was powered by overhead lines.
Chicago is a very large city, and metropolitan "Chicagoland" is truly enormous. The CTA train lines are extensive, but they don't even come close to serving the entire city. Even with Metra's twelve suburban lines, there are vast areas of the region that are nowhere close to a station. CTA has an extensive bus network, but bus/rail connections can be awkward. While the 'L' goes near most places tourists would want to go, the stations themselves can be a fair hike from some of the points of interest.
Station Design: Chicago has three main types of stations. The nicest are the historic elevated stations. While some of these are showing their age, they are fairly well kept up and exude lots of "character". Many of the elevated stations have wooden platforms with metal canopies. Others, while still retaining their historic appearance, have been modernized with concrete platforms. Most often there are two platforms with the tracks in the middle. Stations are usually located where the 'L' line crosses the street for which they are named. Access to downtown stations is most often by metal steps up to the platforms. Away from the Loop most stations have a small station house with a doorway to the street.
The more recently built lines follow expressway rights-of-way and have surface-level (actually open-cut) stations. These invariably have concrete island platforms that are accessed by either stairs or a ramp leading down from the overpass above the expressway. They usually have either plastic or metal canopies to provide some protection from the elements. The surface stations are adequate and relatively clean, but they lack the old-time charm of the elevated stations.
While many have been refurbished, the downtown subway stations remain by far the worst stations in the system. Lighting has recently improved, but they still come across as dim and dirty. The platforms are extremely narrow, and they get very crowded at rush hour. The single good thing about the subway part of the 'L' is that the stations often have interesting streetlife--singers, mimes, vendors, and the like.
Signage for 'L' stations has improved greatly in recent years, but stations are still not marked as well as in most cities. At most stations there will be one or more colored stripes showing the lines that serve the station, together with words such as "BLUE LINE TRAINS: O'HARE - FOREST PARK - 54/CERMAK". Especially downtown, you should look for such signs before taking stairs that look like they lead to the subway, as there are steps form the sidewalk that lead to underground streets and lower-level shopping areas. Also realize that one of the largest 'L' stations, Clark & Lake, has no street entrance, but is integrated into office buildings on opposite sides of Lake Street. The stairs that lead down from the 'L' platforms at Clark & Lake are for exiting only.
Most 'L' stations have newspaper machines by the bus stops outside. Many also have news vendors. Some stations have cafes or convenience stores in the station entry lobbies, while others have only ticket kiosks. Some are just steps from major points of interest, while others seem close to nothing. Centerstage Chicago's Virtual El provides information about the stores, restaurants, bars, galleries, and points of interest near many el stations. Unfortunately it covers only those in trendy neighborhoods, so much of the city is left out.
Metra and NICTD stations vary a lot from place to place. The nicest are historic small-town train stations that have found new life as commuter waiting rooms. Far more, though, are either glorified bus stops or badly maintained wooden elevated platforms. Especially in the city and nearest suburbs, many Metra stations are in questionable neighborhoods, and unlike 'L' stations, there usually is no barrier between the street and the platforms, so anyone can enter the station at will. Outside of rush hour, check the schedules to avoid a long wait at these stations. Most Metra stations have park-and-rides, though these often fill early with commuters on business days. For those traveling from the city to explore the suburbs, it can be a long walk across the parking lot into an area of interest.
How to Use: CTA has definitely improved its user-friendliness in recent years. One aspect that remains confusing is that because most stations are named after streets rather than neighborhoods or landmarks, the same names are used for completely different stations. For instance, there are four different 'L' stations called "Pulaski". The blue line alone has three stops that are all called "Western" (one each on the Cermak, Forest Park, and O'Hare branches). People call all of them "Western", so it can get confusing when someone tells you a nice restaurant is located by the "Western" station, though. (By the way, of the three choices, a trendy restaurant would most likely be near Western & Milwaukee on the O'Hare branch.) In recent years on-train announcements have changed so they now refer to intersections rather than individual street names.
Also confusing things is the fact that many Chicagoans still don't refer to the lines by color or destination, but rather by the traditional line names given above. Signs might have this system, they might have the new color/terminal system, or they might just say something like "to loop", "south side trains", "west suburbs", or "State Street subway". Once you've seen the system, the signs make sense, but this lack of uniformity is really confusing to first-time users. As signs are replaced, they are fairly quickly switching to the color/destination system, and passengers under age 30 and those born outside Chicago invariably refer to the lines by color. It is useful to know the old names, though.
In most stations there is a very small lobby area. All stations now have vending machines that sell transit cards. A transit card is a fairly sensible fare medium for most casual users. The CTA used to accept tokens, but these were discontinued in 1999. Cash fares have also been discontinued, so all fares are now electronic. When buying a farecard, realize that CTA vending machines do not make change, nor will station attendants make change for you.
An initial ride costs $2, the first transfer is $.25, and the second transfer is free. CTA has a very generous transfer scheme, so even round-trips within a two-hour period count as transfers. To use a farecard, insert it in the turnstile slot with the picture (and magnetic stripe) facing you and the arrow pointed down. The machine will "eat" your card, spit it out again, and unlock the turnstile in the process. There is almost always an attendant near the main entrance to each station who can help you if you have a problem. In recent years CTA has opened a number of previously closed entrances by installing high-level two-way turnstiles. There are no vending machines near these entrances, so you must already have a farecard to use them. The main entrance to each station will always have vending machines.
Children, the handicapped, and the elderly ride at half fare, but they may need to contact a station attendant to enter. If your traveling party includes a reduced fare customer, you are advised to always use the main entrance to a station--which will either be staffed or have a call button to signal the attendant. Auxiliary entrances are often for full-fare passengers only. (All fares were current in spring, 2008.)
If you are planning to ride the CTA more than once or twice, you will probably save money with a pass. You can get an unlimited travel 24-hour tourist pass for $5, which is one of the best deals in transit anywhere. Tourist passes are also available for 2, 3, and 5 days, and 7-day and 30-day general passes are also available. Passes work like transit cards, except their value does not decrease. Tourist passes are sold at bookstores and gift shops at O'Hare and Midway and at the Amtrak counter at Union Station. They are also available at the airport stations, at the Rosemont and Cumberland park-and-rides on the blue line, at downtown tourist attractions and hotels. CTA even has tourist passes and other fare media available online through their virtual store. If you are able to plan ahead, the online store is your best option, as tourist card vending machines are notorious for being out of order.
Yet another fare option is the "Chicago card", an electronic "smart card" that stores fare value without magnetic media. You use these by touching them to a pad on top of the turnstile. The touch instantly debits your account and unlocks the gate. Chicago cards have the advantage that they can be replaced (complete with the stored fare) if they are lost or stolen. They also offer a 10% discount over the cash fare or transit card. While this is probably the wave of the future, at present it is really not a viable fare option for most tourists.
Before you go through the turnstile, make sure this entrance leads to the platform you want. At some downtown 'L' stations you can't transfer from one platform to the other without leaving the station. Check the signs, and ask the station attendant if you can't figure it out. (If you do get to the wrong platform, ride the "wrong" way to a station with an island platform, where you can turn around for free.)
In many stations the turnstiles are right by the platforms. Double-check the signs to tell the direction of the trains, and wait for the next one. Realize that at all the loop stations and some northside el platforms different lines share the same tracks. For this reason, it is important to double-check that this train is the correct line. Also, westbound rush hour passengers on the blue line need to realize that the trains alternate between the Forest Park (Congress) and 54/Cermak (Douglas) branches. Similarly the southbound green line alternates between Ashland/63 and East 63rd (though tourists are much less likely to care about the green line branches). Check the signs in the windows.
Trains run fairly frequently, but you'd be wise to budget at least a ten-minute wait if you're in a hurry to get someplace. Ten minutes is the typical spacing between trains. They run as frequently as every five minutes at rush hour and as seldom as every half hour in the wee hours. Realize on the branches of the blue and green lines, it is twice as long between trains as it is on the main line.
The red and blue lines run twenty-four hours a day, while other lines run from about 4am to 1:30am (which is still much longer than trains run in most other cities). In general the 'L' is surprisingly safe even at night. For security purposes the overnight trains are shorter (often only two cars long), which keeps them fairly crowded. In high-crime neighborhoods guards with muzzled attack dogs ride the late night trains. Passengers should be somewhat more cautious after dark, though, and you should also be advised that some station entrances (mostly in deserted downtown areas) are closed at night, and service is infrequent.
Metra is more difficult to use for a beginner. Trains leave four different downtown terminals (Union, LaSalle, Randolph, and "OTC", the former Northwestern terminal). LaSalle Street Station is extremely difficult to locate from the street (buried on the second floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange building, with virtually no directional signs), but it is the smallest and by far the easiest to use. The other downtown terminals can be quite confusing. There are numerous platforms, and you have to watch and listen closely to see which platform your train will leave from. It is not uncommon to have the platform change at the last minute, and train employees are usually not very helpful (i.e., downright rude) in giving directions.
You should have a ticket to ride on Metra. Agents are on duty most of the time at the downtown stations, except at Randolph, where there are ticket vending machines. You can buy tickets on board trains, but it will cost more. Note that while the South Shore line (NICTD) is technically associated with Metra, tickets are NOT interchangeable (and South Shore tickets are MUCH more expensive than Metra tickets, because they are not subsidized by the state of Illinois).
On weekends and holidays, Metra provides one of the best transit deals anywhere. For just $5 you can buy a weekend pass that allows you to ride all weekend on any line Metra operates--even to distant satellite cities like Joliet, Aurora, Elgin, and even Kenosha, Wisconsin. You could even make a round-trip from Kenosha to Joliet (which would normally cost about $50) for just that $5 pass. Except on weekends, fares operate on a zone-based system, but even the shortest rides will cost more than a ride on the 'L'.
Once you find the platform, it can sometimes be difficult to find a car with an open door where you can board. I've never figured out why, but not all cars are available for boarding downtown. When in doubt, follow the crowd. The regular commuters seem to know instinctively where to go.
It is somewhat easier to board trains at suburban stations. However, even there it is a lot more complicated than the 'L'. Metra runs both local and express trains, so you need to carefully check the schedule to make sure when the train you want will stop. (Oddly, though, schedules are neither posted nor available as brochures at many suburban stations; you need to know ahead of time.) Most stations have multiple tracks, and trains in either direction might stop on any track. There are sometimes (but not always) signs that say "To Chicago" or "From Chicago" by the platforms. The signs mean to or from the Loop, so don't get confused if you are in an outlying area that still happens to be in the city of Chicago.
Except on the South Side's "Electric" line, Metra stations do not have formal platforms. Because of this the conductor must open the doors and help people up and down steps. This means that again not all cars will be available for boarding or disembarking. You need to watch and make sure the door you plan to use has a conductor.
Metra trains usually run on time, or just slightly late. Downtown trains start boarding about half an hour before departure. At suburban stops, passengers should be at the station at least 5 minutes before departure. While stops are longer than on CTA, the train rarely stops for more than 1 minute at any outlying stop.
On the train, a conductor will ask for your ticket. Depending on the nature of the ticket he or she may take it and replace it with a seat tag, punch it, or just give it back to you. Always make sure you have some sort of ticket or receipt until you reach your final destination.
Stations are announced, and announcements are usually audible, but it doesn't hurt to take a schedule or map with you so you know where you want to get off.
Finally, remember that Metra service is infrequent--except at rush hour. Plan your trip carefully, so you don't get stranded for several hours at your destination.
MORE INFORMATION IN PART 2
Links to other sites on the Web
MORE (CTA Guide -- Part 2)
RETURN (Rapid Transit Page)
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago-L.org (History of the Chicago 'L')
Chicago Transit on nycsubway.org
The Weekly Breakdown (Riders' Comments on CTA and Metra)
HOME
© 2008
davidmburrow@yahoo.com
The background music on this page is the pop classic "Downtown". It seemed appropriate in honor of the Chicago loop.
Get your own Free Home Page