Getting around Chicago is simple
and quick, thanks to buses and
the "El," a system of
elevated trains operated 24
hours a day by the Chicago
Transit Authority (CTA; tel
312/836-7000, ). Pick up a CTA
System Map, available at most
subway stations and visitor
centers or from the CTA office
on the seventh floor of the
Merchandise Mart.
Buses
run every five to fifteen
minutes during rush hours and
every eight to twenty minutes at
most other times.
Rapid
transit trains run every
five to fifteen minutes during
the day and every fifteen to
sixty minutes all night. Lines
are color-coded and denoted by
route rather than destination.
The Howard-Dan Ryan is the Red
Line; Lake Englewood-Jackson
Park is the Green Line; the
O'Hare-Congress-Douglas is the
Blue Line; the Ravenswood is the
Brown Line (whose trains circle
the Loop, giving the area its
name); the Evanston Express is
the Purple Line; and the Skokie
Swift is the Yellow Line.
The CTA no longer accepts
tokens; instead, riders purchase
a transit card (available
in all El stations) and add
value to it. One ride costs
$1.50; another ride within two
hours costs just 30¢. If you
plan to be on the move, passes
good for one ($5), two ($9),
three ($12) or five ($18) days
of unlimited rides might be a
good idea. They're available at
O'Hare, Midway and Amtrak subway
stations.
Chicago's taxis ,
despite a recent increase in
fares, are more reasonable than
those of many other major US
cities. Charges are $1.50 at the
drop of the flag, $1.20 per mile
and 50¢ for each additional
passenger. Cabs can be hailed
anytime in the Loop and other
central neighborhoods; otherwise
call Yellow (tel 312/829-4222)
or Checker taxis (tel
312/243-2537).
A River Bus
(April-Oct; $2; tel
312/337-1446) operates on the
river during rush hour in
summer, running from the
Michigan Avenue Bridge to Union
Station in eight minutes.
