Mass transit in Chicago

Mass Transit in much of the Chicago metropolitan area is managed through the Regional Transportation Authority ("RTA"), which was installed by referendum in 1974. The RTA provides transportation services through the funding of three subordinate agencies:

*Chicago Transit Authority
*Metra
*Pace

Mass transit

The Chicago Transit Authority or CTA, operates the second largest public transportation system in the United States (to New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority) and covers the City of Chicago and 40 surrounding suburbs. The CTA operates 24 hours a day and, on an average weekday, 1.6 million rides are taken on the CTA.

CTA has approximately 2,000 buses that operate over 152 routes and 2,273 route miles. Buses provide about 1 million passenger trips a day and serve more than 12,000 posted bus stops. CTA's 1,190 rapid transit cars operate eight routes and 222 miles of track. CTA trains provide about 650,000 customer trips each day and serve 144 stations in Chicago, Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette, Rosemont, Forest Park, Oak Park and Cicero. The elevated train is also known as the "Chicago L" or "El" to Chicagoans.

Chicago is one of the few cities in the United States that provides rapid transit service to two major airports. From the downtown area the CTA's Blue Line takes customers to O'Hare International Airport in about 40 minutes and the Orange Line takes customers to Chicago Midway International Airport in about 30 minutes from the Loop.

Commuter rail

The Northeastern Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation, under its trademark Metra, operates eleven commuter rail lines that serve 200+ stations across the RTA's six-county service area. Unlike the 'L' lines, fare pricing is based on zones instead of a flat boarding fee. In addition, being mainly commuter rail service, frequent service is generally only provided during rush hours, although Metra is known for its speed and reliability. The eleven lines (while there are eleven, the Metra Electric line has three different branches) connect into one of four different downtown stations: Union Pacific North, West, and Northwest arrive in the Richard B. Ogilvie Transportation Center (known more casually as the "Northwestern Station"); Milwaukee District North and West, North Central Service, Southwest Service, Burlington Northern, and Heritage Corridor converge in Union Station (along with being the nexus of Amtrak); the Rock Island Line arrives in the LaSalle Street Station; and the Metra Electric arrives in Millennium Station (formerly Randolph Street Terminal).

The Metra Electric Line is Chicago's oldest continuing commuter train (1856), and shares the railway with the South Shore Line, operated by the Northwest Indiana Commuter Transit District ("NICTD"), which is a separate but analogous quasi-governmental entity from the RTA. The South Shore Line is an interurban railroad that operates between Chicago and South Bend, Indiana. Like the Metra Electric Line, it arrives and departs from Millennium Station.

uburban bus transit

Pace operates a primarily-suburban bus service that also offers some routes into Chicago.

Transit information

The CTA offers a trip planner on its web site that provides information for public transit in Chicago and surrounding areas. It is multi-modal, combining schedule information for buses, trains, and commuter rail. Riders enter their intended origin and destination, along with optional time, date, and other information, and the trip planner displays itineraries showing the stops, departure and arrival times, and times to get from the origin to the destination.

Trolleys

The City of Chicago offers free trolleys that serve the downtown area. [cite web|title=Chicago free trolleys|url=http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalContentItemAction.do?BV_SessionID=@@@@0081815226.1196990642@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfaddmjlljilfcefecelldffhdfhg.0&contentOID=536935323&contenTypeName=COC_EDITORIAL&topChannelName=Dept&blockName=Transportation%2FChicago%27s+Free+Trolleys%2FI+Want+To&context=dept&channelId=0&programId=0&entityName=Transportation&deptMainCategoryOID=-536896085] The "trolleys" are actually buses painted to look like historical streetcars. They run every 20 to 30 minutes and serve areas popular with tourists that don't have an El station, such as the Museum Campus, Navy Pier, and the Magnificent Mile.

The free trolleys shouldn't be confused with the private-sector Chicago Trolley Company, which offers guided tours and charge fares. They serve different routes but largely the same downtown area. Their vehicles are also buses rather than real trolleys.

Boats

Shoreline Sightseeing offers water taxi service along the Chicago River with stops at Navy Pier, Michigan Avenue and Adams Street. They offer a separate route from Navy Pier to The Museum Campus. Shoreline Sightseeing also offers architecture cruises departing from Navy Pier. [cite web|title=Shoreline Sightseeing|url=http://www.shorelinesightseeing.com]

Wendella Boats operates the Chicago Water Taxi which offers service along the Chicago River with stops at Michigan Avenue, Clark Street and Madison Street. On weekends, Chicago Water Taxi service extends to Ping Tom Park in Chinatown. Wendella Boats also offers architecture cruises departing from Michigan Avenue. [cite web|title=Chicago Water Taxi|url=http://www.chicagowatertaxi.com/]

ee also

*Chicago City Railway
*Taxicabs in Chicago

External links

* [http://www.transitchicago.com Chicago Transit Authority] - official site, including trip planner and system maps.
* [http://www.thisisgrand.org/ This is Grand] - Stories of Chicago's Rapid Transit
* [http://mapmash.googlepages.com/chicagotransit.html Metra and CTA on Google Maps]

References