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84-710: Surface transportation networks and public ways within the city are the responsibility of the Chicago Department of Transportation . Mass transit in much of the Chicago metropolitan area is managed through the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), which was installed by a referendum in 1974. The RTA provides transportation services through the funding of three subordinate agencies: the Chicago Transit Authority , Metra , and Pace . Operation of

168-605: A 13.3-mile (21.4 km) extension of the Blue Line, from its current western terminus at Forest Park to Yorktown Center in Lombard, Illinois . Several feeder bus services would also be implemented in this plan. The prospect of this extension was also listed in the Chicago region's 2030 master plan. In 2013, the idea of an infill station at Nagle and Bryn Mawr Avenues was postponed. Such a station remains only idea but may come to fruition in

252-553: A curbside bus stop at Union Station, on Canal Street north of Jackson Boulevard, and connects Chicago with Rockford and Madison. Several bus companies catering to Hispanic passengers connect Chicago with points in Texas, and with connections throughout Mexico. These companies include El Expreso Bus Company , Omnibus Express , Los Paisanos Autobuses , Tornado Bus Company , Turimex Internacional , Price 4 Limo ., National Charter Bus , Chicago Charter Bus Company and GOGO Charters . Metra

336-443: A day and serve more than 12,000 posted bus stops. The city's rapid transit system, known as the " Chicago 'L' " or variations of 'L', "El", or "el" to Chicagoans, operates 1,190 rapid transit cars along eight routes and 222 miles (357 km) of track. CTA trains provide about 745,000 customer trips each day and serve 144 stations in Chicago, Evanston , Skokie , Wilmette , Rosemont , Forest Park , Oak Park , and Cicero . Chicago

420-484: A lack of immediate response to the issue, Mayor Richard M. Daley requested Acting Commissioner John N. LaPlante for a letter of resignation after the tunnel was patched and the flood contained. Upon LaPlante's resignation, Gery J. Chico , Mayor Daley's Deputy Chief of Staff, took control of the Department of Transportation eventually handing the reins to a newly appointed Commissioner, Joseph Boyle. In October 2005,

504-570: A perception that the CTA was uninterested in serving the West Side. On September 10, 2001, the CTA began a historic reconstruction of the Douglas Branch to repair its aging stations and tracks. The work was officially completed on January 8, 2005, with new elevated structures, tracks, rebuilt stations, new communication networks and an upgraded power system along the route. On January 1, 2005, weekend service

588-625: A plan in the form of another subway corridor in the Downtown area was proposed, which was to be routed from UIC-Halsted Station through the north portals, then north under Des Plaines Street to Monroe Street and east under Monroe Street to Grant Park and Millennium Park , where it was to split into two branches: one north to Walton Street serving the North Michigan Avenue area and the other southeast to McCormick Place utilizing Metra Electric right-of-way. Though these portals are still not used,

672-435: A result of budget cuts that also eliminated owl service on several other lines. Congress (Forest Park) service was effectively doubled through much of the day since service frequency from O'Hare required shorter headways than what would have been left. While the CTA claimed Douglas branch reductions were due to low ridership, community activists also pointed to badly deteriorated infrastructure and funding shortfalls, as well as

756-456: A series of 'L' lines servicing the West Side of Chicago beginning in 1895. The first section to be built by the Metropolitan extended west in the vicinity of Van Buren Street from an independent terminal at Canal and Jackson Streets to Marshfield Avenue, and then northward in the vicinity of Paulina Street to Damen and Milwaukee Avenues. Service on this section began on May 6, 1895. The structure

840-592: A series of massive service cuts and station closings (that would last until the 1980s). The Metropolitan lines began to be reshaped into the current Blue Line on February 25, 1951, when the CTA opened the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway, connecting the Logan Square Branch with the Loop on a fast, efficient and more direct routing to downtown, rather than the previous circuitous route that saw these trains entering

924-791: A station at River Road in Rosemont , which is also the location of the northern storage yard and served as a temporary terminal from 1983 to 1984 while the O'Hare station was being completed. The tracks then tunnel beneath the Kennedy Expressway / Northwest Tollway interchange near the Des Plaines River . The line runs in the median of the Kennedy Expressway ( Interstate 90 ) until a point southeast of Addison Street, making stops at Cumberland , Harlem , Jefferson Park , Montrose , Irving Park and Addison . Between Montrose and Irving Park,

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1008-458: A subsidiary of Coach USA, departs from a curbside bus stop near Union Station, on Canal Street south of Jackson Boulevard, and connects Chicago with Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, Cleveland, Columbus, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Omaha, St. Louis, Memphis, Kansas City, intermediate points, and connecting with other points beyond. Van Galder Bus Company , another subsidiary of Coach USA, departs from

1092-609: A suburban town (e.g., Wilmette Wilbus ) or a private company. Suburban operators ran into the same funding problems as those operating inside Chicago and evoked a similar response from area governments. Pace is the regional public sector response to keep local and regional bus service available in the Chicago metro area. With its vast service area, Pace had a weekday daily ridership of 1,195,308 in November 2023. Several intercity bus companies offer service to other cities in Illinois and across

1176-464: Is 6.3 miles (10.1 km), while 28.% travel over 7.5 miles (12.1 km) in a single direction. Chicago taxicabs are privately operated under a medallion license from the city. Chicago taxi regulations were revamped in a 2012 reform package backed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel ; the package raised the "flag pull" initial hire charge by $ 1, mandated credit card readers and GPS, and placed new limits on fleet age. City and private initiatives have increased

1260-480: Is Chicago's commuter railroad, with eleven lines that serve 200+ stations across Cook County and the five collar counties . 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. There are eleven lines, three of which also have service along additional branch lines: in addition to

1344-557: Is a proposed high speed rapid transit line connecting the Loop to O'Hare airport. The City of Chicago offered free tourist trolleys that served the downtown area. The "trolleys" were actually buses painted to look like historical streetcars. They ran every 20 to 30 minutes and served areas popular with tourists that did not have 'L' stations, such as the Museum Campus , Navy Pier , and the Magnificent Mile . The Free Trolley service

1428-567: Is a separate but analogous quasi-governmental entity, partially funded by the RTA. The South Shore Line is an interurban railroad that operates between Chicago and South Bend , Indiana . Like the Metra Electric District, it arrives and departs from Millennium Station. Amtrak owns and operates Union Station , the fourth-largest intercity passenger hub in the United States. The station is

1512-806: Is also the nexus of Amtrak ); the Rock Island District arrives in the LaSalle Street Station ; and the Metra Electric District arrives in Millennium Station (formerly Randolph Street Terminal). The Metra Electric District is Chicago's oldest continuing commuter train (1856), and shares the railway with the South Shore Line , operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transit District (NICTD), which

1596-512: Is an executive department of the City of Chicago responsible for the safety, environmental sustainability, maintenance, and aesthetics of the surface transportation networks and public ways within the city. This includes the planning, design, construction, and management of streets, sidewalks, bridges, and alleys. CDOT is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation, an appointee and cabinet member of

1680-473: Is connected to downtown Chicago via a South Shore Line station . Chicago maintains a 290-mile network of bikeways - including shared use paths , cycle tracks , and bike lanes - for private, public, and commercial bicycle use. Bicycles are allowed to operate on all Chicago roadways, except limited access highways. A bicycle sharing system known as Divvy operates 1,000 bicycle stations in Chicago, Evanston , and Oak Park , with 400 more planned over

1764-989: Is handled by commercial water taxis operating on defined routes on published schedules. 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 . Wendella Boats operates the Chicago Water Taxi which offers scheduled service along the Chicago River with stops at Michigan Avenue, Clark Street, Madison Street (Ogilvie and Union train stations), Chicago Avenue, North Avenue, and Ping Tom Park in Chinatown . Recreational boat traffic in Chicago includes tour boats, sailboats, powerboats, electric boats, canoes, and kayaks. This traffic originates from numerous private and commercial marinas and slips, and

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1848-822: Is one of the few cities in the United States that provides rapid transit service to two major airports . From the downtown area, the Blue Line reaches O'Hare International Airport in about 40 minutes, while the Orange Line takes customers to Midway Airport in about 25 minutes from the Loop . Pace , another service board within the Regional Transportation Authority, operates a primarily-suburban bus service that also offers some routes into Chicago. Pace came into existence in 1985 under that name, and as an operating agency in 1995. It absorbed routes previously operated by

1932-705: Is two blocks south of Union Station ). The tracks then emerge from a portal near UIC-Halsted in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway (Interstate 290) and continue west. After exiting the subway, the tracks continue west in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway as the Forest Park branch , formerly called the Congress branch , successor to the Garfield Park Branch. Immediately west of Racine ,

2016-637: The Chicago Area Waterway System , which forms the only inland link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River . This potential link was a major factor in the establishment of Chicago itself. The Port of Chicago , once centered on the Chicago River but since moved to the Lake Calumet area, is responsible for Chicago's commercial shipping traffic. Passenger ferry service in Chicago

2100-400: The Chicago Department of Public Works . The Department of Public Works was first recognized as a branch of the city administration in 1861, at which point it consolidated the services of water, sewerage, parks, streets, river and harbor, and public buildings. Initially, the department was headed by an elective board of public works. In 1867, the board became appointive, and in 1876, the board

2184-558: The Chicago Park District operates a municipal harbor system for the seasonal storage of recreational watercraft in Lake Michigan. With accommodations for 6000 boats, it is the largest system of its kind in the nation. Boat rentals are available on both the Chicago River and within harbors on Lake Michigan. Chicago Department of Transportation The Chicago Department of Transportation ( CDOT / ˈ s iː d ɒ t / )

2268-581: The Chicago River opened into a breach which flooded basements and underground facilities throughout the Chicago Loop with an estimated 250 million US gallons (950,000 m ) of water. Investigation into the incident revealed that the tunnel damage was a result of new pilings installed near the Kinzie Street Bridge , which created a slow leak that had been discovered in January of that year. Citing

2352-460: The Chicago River , and makes a stop at Clark/Lake , where in-system transfers are provided to 'L' trains on the Loop. East of Clark/Lake, the tracks swing south under Dearborn Street, with a continuous platform similar to the continuous platform used in the adjacent State Street subway , with stops at Washington , Monroe , and Jackson . South of Jackson, the line turns west under Ida B. Wells Drive (with stops at LaSalle and Clinton , which

2436-495: The Chicago Sun-Times reported on CDOT's 50/50 Sidewalk Program . The program was billed as a way for home-owners to evenly split the cost with the city to replace public sidewalks in front of their homes. The report found that most homeowners paid more than 50% of the final construction cost. CDOT subsequently renamed the 40-year-old program to Shared-Cost Sidewalk Program . In late 2010, executives from Redflex Holdings,

2520-682: The Hollywood Freeway in 1952, but the Pacific Electric service was an interurban streetcar rather than true rapid transit.) The new line connected with the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway at the Chicago River and extended westward to Des Plaines Avenue in Forest Park. Loomis Ramp, built at this same time, permitted Douglas trains to be rerouted through the subway as well combining the Logan Square, Garfield Park (now Congress) and Douglas routes into

2604-1018: The Humboldt Park Branch , splitting off from the Logan Square Branch at Damen and running west alongside North Avenue to a terminal at Lawndale Avenue. This was followed by still another addition when the Douglas Park Branch was placed in operation as far south as 18th Street on April 28, 1896. As the southwest area of the city developed, the Douglas Park Branch was extended from 18th Street to Western Avenue in September 1896; to Pulaski Road in June 1902; to Cicero Avenue in December 1907; to Central Avenue in August 1912; to 62nd Avenue in August 1915, and to Oak Park Avenue in Berwyn on March 16, 1924. The Douglas Park branch

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2688-748: The Mayor of Chicago . The second in command at CDOT is the First Deputy Commissioner, who serves as a liaison between the Commissioner's office and the various operational sections. Managing Deputy Commissioners may also be placed by the Commissioner for assistance in policy and operational oversight. CDOT is organized into several Divisions each headed by a Deputy Commissioner, including the Divisions of Administration, Project Development, Engineering, In-House Construction, Electrical Operations, Sign Management, Traffic Safety, and Infrastructure Management. CDOT

2772-530: The Regional Transportation Authority , 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 (3,658 km). Buses provide about 1 million passenger trips

2856-602: The Blue Line borrows from the Pink Line for weekday rush hour service. The Forest Park branch remains in the median of the expressway through the west side of Chicago until it reaches a portal at Lotus Avenue. At this point the tracks pass beneath the eastbound expressway lanes and before emerging on the south side of the expressway next to the CSX Transportation ( Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad ) tracks. The route passes through Oak Park and into Forest Park . In

2940-506: The Blue Line in between the Logan Square and Belmont stations. In the future this will mean that the CTA will be the largest rapid transit system with 4G coverage in subway tunnels and stations, this is targeted for the end of 2015. The Cermak branch , formerly known as the Douglas branch, was once operated as part of the Blue Line. On April 28, 2008, the CTA eliminated Blue Line service on

3024-543: The Blue Line on September 17, 2018. In addition to the mix of the 2600-series and 3200-series cars, two 5000-series trainsets assigned to the Pink Line make trips on the Blue Line during weekday rush hours, although these cars remain officially assigned to the Pink Line and are operated by Pink Line operators. The Blue Line is the successor to the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad , which built

3108-516: The Blue Line ranges between 3–4 tph. The Blue Line is operated with the 2600-series , 3200-series , and 7000-series railcars. In 2018, some of the 2600-series cars from the Blue Line fleet were replaced with the recently rehabbed 3200-series cars from the Brown and Orange Lines , with some of the 2600-series cars being reassigned to the Orange Line to replace them. These cars entered service on

3192-518: The Cermak branch, having been replaced by the Pink Line . The Loomis ramp that connects the Congress branch to the Cermak branch remains intact for non-revenue equipment moves as the only track connection between the Blue Line and the rest of the system. On April 26, 1998, the Douglas Branch lost its overnight (owl) and weekend service and began operating between 4 a.m. and 1 a.m. on weekdays only as

3276-481: The Chicago Department of Environment was disbanded and absorbed by other city departments including General Services, Public Health, Family and Support Services, and Water Management. The Department of Transportation took over Environment's Clean Vehicles Initiative. Prior to the 1991 reorganization, the responsibilities of the Department of Transportation (and several other current city departments) belonged to

3360-586: The Douglas branch and to make the Pink Line permanent. For years, there has been discussions of extending the O'Hare terminus of the Blue Line westward to Schaumburg , but that has been changed, due to recent developments involving the planning of the Metra STAR Line and various other transportation projects. However, in 2008, the Regional Transit Authority revealed a plan to the RTA board to expand commuter rail and bus service, which included

3444-521: The Douglas segment was replaced in April 2008 by the Pink Line . The Blue Line is one of five "L" lines that run into Chicago suburbs, with the others being the Green, Purple , Pink, and Yellow lines. The Blue Line runs in three suburbs: Rosemont, Oak Park, and Forest Park. The O'Hare branch is the longest section of the Blue Line (14.6 miles (23.5 km)) and comprises both the oldest and newest segments of

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3528-422: The Forest Park and 54th/Cermak terminals. Due to community fears that the Pink Line would not be enough, however, the CTA decided to retain limited Douglas Branch Blue Line service during weekday rush hours. On February 15, 2006, the CTA approved the separate operation of the Douglas Branch plan. All non-rush hour trains would all be routed via the Loop, Green Line and Paulina Connector. During rush hour, service

3612-464: The Forest Park branch tracks diverge to permit a ramp up to the Cermak Branch elevated structure. This ramp was formerly used in revenue service from 1958 to 2008 when the Blue Line operated over the Cermak branch and the Forest Park branch. With the replacement of Cermak branch Blue Line service with the Pink Line, the ramp is now non-revenue trackage used for the transfer of 5000 series trains that

3696-649: The Loop at the southwest corner. With opening of the Dearborn Subway, the old elevated alignment between Evergreen Portal and Marshfield Junction was decommissioned, used only for moving out-of-service rail cars. The northern section of the connection between Evergreen Avenue and Lake Street was demolished in the 1960s, leaving the Lake Street to Douglas Branch section—better known as the Paulina Connector—the only section still in operation. The Humboldt Park Branch

3780-533: The Loop), and does not share tracks with any other 'L' line. Before the adoption of color-coded names, the Blue Line was referred to as the West-Northwest Route, or more commonly, the O'Hare-Congress-Douglas route for its three branches. The Congress and Douglas branches were renamed for their terminals, Forest Park and 54th/Cermak , when the current color naming system was adopted in 1993. Blue Line service on

3864-682: The Metropolitan Elevated's Logan Square branch , is the oldest portion of the Blue Line, and the sole section of the line on an elevated viaduct. The three stations on this section ( California , Western , and Damen ) are also the only three stations on the line to use side platforms instead of island platforms. At the intersection of Ashland and Milwaukee Avenues, the Blue Line descends underground, swings over to Milwaukee Avenue, and continues southeast towards downtown under Milwaukee Avenue (with stops at Division , Chicago and Grand ). The line then turns east under Lake Street, crossing beneath

3948-513: The Super Bowl and White Sox spring training over many years, valued at up to US$ 2 million. In February 2013, Chicago's Department of Procurement Services notified Redflex they would not be considered for an upcoming red light camera RFP. In April 2012, the Chicago Sun-Times reported on vendor selection improprieties for the new public bike share program, known as Divvy . That program contract

4032-959: The United States. Most operate to and from the Greyhound Lines terminal , located at 630 West Harrison Street (corner of Des Plaines Street). Greyhound Lines operates the majority of the intercity bus service to and from Chicago, with routes connecting Chicago with Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, Atlanta, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, New York, Detroit, Toronto, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Madison, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Memphis, intermediate points, and connecting with other points beyond. Both Barons Bus Lines and Miller Transportation connect Chicago with Fort Wayne and Columbus. Indian Trails connects Chicago with Kalamazoo, Lansing, Flint, and Bay City. Burlington Trailways connects Chicago with Rockford, Dubuque, Davenport, Burlington, Des Moines, Omaha, and Denver. Other intercity bus companies use their own separate intercity bus terminals. Megabus ,

4116-417: The abolishment of the three-man board in 1876, the department was composed of the bureaus of water, sewerage, streets, special assessment, engineering, and maps. Since the Department's inception in 1991, the position of Commissioner of Transportation has been filled fourteen times by thirteen individuals, including five official "Acting Commissioners". On April 13, 1992, a damaged utility tunnel wall beneath

4200-413: The city's airports is the responsibility of the Chicago Department of Aviation . There are several other smaller commercial airports in the Chicago area, these include: Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee is also used by residents of Chicago's northern suburbs looking to avoid the congestion of the two main Chicago airports. South Bend International Airport in South Bend, Indiana

4284-445: The contractor responsible for providing red-light enforcement cameras to CDOT, were implicated in a bribery scandal. The Chicago Tribune reported that a Redflex 'consultant' had been making improper payments to a City of Chicago transportation official, John Bills, who was responsible for overseeing the awarding of contracts for the installation and operation of the widely hated red light camera system. The consultant, Marty O'Malley, who

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4368-440: The entire route. The line starts at O'Hare International Airport in an underground station below the airport's main parking garage, with direct pedestrian access to Terminals 1, 2 and 3. The line emerges in the median of the O'Hare main access road ( Interstate 190 ) just northwest of Terminal 5, about a mile (1.6 km) west of Mannheim Road. The line runs in the median of Interstate 190 east through Rosemont . The line has

4452-419: The far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee–Dearborn subway and across the West Side to its southwest end in Forest Park , with a total of 33 stations (11 on the Forest Park branch, 9 in the Milwaukee–Dearborn subway and 13 on the O'Hare branch). At about 27 miles, it is the longest line on the Chicago "L" system and second busiest, and one of the longest local subway/elevated lines in

4536-411: The first section between Jefferson Park and River Road opening on February 27, 1983, and the final section to O'Hare on September 3, 1984. On February 21, 1993, the CTA adopted a color-coded naming system to the rapid transit system, and the West-Northwest route (O'Hare-Congress/Douglas) became the Blue Line. On October 15, 2015, the CTA announced the completed installation of 4G wireless service on

4620-540: The focus of many of Amtrak's transcontinental routes. Unlike most of Amtrak's major stations, all trains calling at Union Station either originate or terminate there; passengers coming through Chicago must transfer to another train to reach their destination. It provides connections to Metra and the "L". Before Amtrak's takeover of passenger service in 1971, trains ran out of Central Station , Dearborn Station , LaSalle Street Station and Chicago and North Western Terminal as well as Union Station. The Chicago Express Loop

4704-419: The future because that particular stretch of the line, between Jefferson Park and Harlem, is the second longest on the 'L' system without a station, behind the gap on the Yellow Line between Oakton-Skokie and Howard , although the Yellow Line was designed this way to quickly shuttle passengers to/from the Howard station ( the Howard station serves the Red and Purple Lines). In December 2016, Pace introduced

4788-437: The line tunnels beneath an express lane exit. South of Addison Street, the line descends into a subway and turns south under Kimball Avenue. The line travels under Kimball Avenue and Milwaukee Avenues through Logan Square , making stops at Belmont and Logan Square . South of Logan Square, the line emerges above ground onto an elevated structure parallel to Milwaukee Avenue. This section of structure, built in 1895 as part of

4872-576: The main lines, the Metra Electric District has two branches, and the Rock Island District and Union Pacific Northwest have one branch each. Each line connects 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 "North Western Station", its original name under Chicago and North Western ); Milwaukee District North and West , North Central Service , SouthWest Service , BNSF Railway , and Heritage Corridor converge in Union Station (which

4956-494: The midday and nighttime. On Saturdays, service runs 8tph in the early morning, then increase to 10 tph during the day, then 8 tph at night. On Sundays, service runs 6–8 tph early morning, then increase to 10 tph all day, then 6 tph at night. On the weekends, every other Blue Line train operates between O'Hare and UIC-Halsted only during the daytime, doubling the headways up to 5 tph. Between approximately midnight and 5:30 a.m., night owl service on

5040-467: The next few years. Pedicabs are available for hire at various locations and events around Chicago with high pedestrian traffic. Bicycles are available for rent at rental shops concentrated along the lakefront in the Loop and Near North Side community areas. Several delivery companies operate bicycle courier services mainly in the Loop area. Bicycles are permitted on CTA buses via front-mounted bicycle racks and onboard CTA trains weekdays excluding

5124-508: The north of the Blue Line portals, which extend only a few dozen feet beyond the portals. These were intended to accommodate future expansion, including a new CA&E line to a new terminal. Among those plans were a loop subway system via Congress, Dearborn, Lake, and Clinton when the Milwaukee-Dearborn-Congress Subway was completed between 1951 and 1958, and a shuttle subway route under Jackson Street to Grant Park (1958, "New Horizons for Chicago Metropolitan Area", CTA ). Between 1968 and 1978,

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5208-464: The on-highway BRT I-90 Express service. The successor to the Blue Line Extension and the STAR Line, this service serves as an extension of the Blue Line and provides rapid service along I-90 all the way to Elgin. The surface right-of-way for the Congress Branch, including overcrossings, undergrade bridges and two short tunnels under the expressway, contains space for one extra track between Forest Park and Kenton Avenue and two extra tracks from Kenton to

5292-434: The proportion of hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles from less than one percent to over 74 percent of the city's cab fleet since 2008. Chicago waterways are used extensively for commercial shipping, passenger ferry service, and recreational boating. Navigable waterways within Chicago include Lake Michigan , the Chicago River , the Calumet River , and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal . In part, these waterways comprise

5376-585: The rush hours from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. On weekends and holidays, bicycles are allowed on trains all day except for special events. Bicycles are allowed onboard Metra commuter rail service during off-peak and non-event times and in reverse peak directions during rush hours. Bicycles are only allowed on designated South Shore Line commuter rail service trains as part of a pilot program active during non-winter months. Bicycles are allowed on water taxis during off-peak and weekend hours. The Chicago Transit Authority , or CTA, one of three service boards within

5460-407: The same name, with the Green Line being the other. (The Blue Line has two stations at Harlem Avenue: one in the Kennedy Expressway on the Northwest side and one on the Eisenhower Expressway in Forest Park, Illinois . It also has two stations on Western Avenue: one on the segment between downtown and O'Hare, and one immediately west of downtown.) The Blue Line also has two in-system transfers (both in

5544-411: The second through service in Chicago, the Congress/Douglas-Milwaukee Line. A five-mile (8 km) extension of the route via a short subway connection and the Kennedy Expressway median from Logan Square to Jefferson Park opened on February 1, 1970. It was also built by the City of Chicago using federal money. Just before Logan Square, trains diverted off of the old elevated structure and entered

5628-407: The service cut was an experiment, the CTA immediately covered Blue Line stations' directional signage for trains to 54th/Cermak with paint rather than temporary covering, suggesting it was a permanent discontinuation instead of a temporary one. All Douglas Branch operations are now served by the Pink Line. On December 4, 2008, CTA announced its decision to permanently discontinue Blue Line service on

5712-414: The subway corridor plan under Monroe Street was never officially canceled when the Crosstown and Loop Subway projects were deferred in 1979. It remains to this day an active program. Between Grand/Milwaukee and Clark/Lake in the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway, two more stub tunnels exist, continuing west under Lake Street while the in-service tracks turn northwest under Milwaukee Avenue. This junction (actually

5796-424: The subway under Milwaukee and Kedzie Avenues to a portal just south of Addison Street, then emerged in the median of the Kennedy Expressway to the temporary terminal at Jefferson Park. The increased ridership that resulted from the extension prompted the CTA to build the second phase of the project, and extend the line the rest of the way to O'Hare. In March 1980, construction began on the O'Hare Airport extension, with

5880-431: The tunnel portals at UIC-Halsted. It was intended that the interurban Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad, which had utilized the Garfield Park Elevated until 1953 to reach its Loop terminal at Wells Street, would use these extra tracks. However, the CA&E ceased passenger service on July 3, 1957, before track construction had started. The CTA also considered plans of its own to add these as express tracks (and service) over

5964-536: The vicinity of Desplaines Avenue the tracks rise and make an S-curve north over the expressway before terminating at the Forest Park station. Like the Red Line , the Blue Line runs 24 hours a day. Most trains run between O'Hare and Forest Park stations, but others terminate at a different station along the line. On weekdays, service runs very frequently (10–20 tph (trains per hour)) during rush hour (with some trains running short-turn services between UIC-Halsted and Jefferson Park or Rosemont), and 6–8 tph during

6048-428: The world. It has an average of 72,475 passengers boarding each weekday in 2023. Chicago's Blue Line and Red Line offer 24-hour service, every day, year-round. This makes Chicago, New York City, and Copenhagen the only three cities in the world to offer local nonstop rail service throughout their city limits 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Blue Line is one of two lines in Chicago with more than one station having

6132-643: The years, as well as a rerouting of the Lake Elevated onto the Paulina Elevated (today's Pink Line ) into a new quadrant of the junction with the Douglas Line at Racine, but these plans were discarded for alternative plans and today the system has an entirely separate line in the system, the Pink Line. The dual portals of the Congress Branch at UIC-Halsted are actually quadruple. Two extra portals exist to

6216-418: Was a long time friend of Bills hired to oversee the Chicago contract, had received US$ 570,000 in commissions for the contract which had provided approximately US$ 100 million in revenue for Redflex. A hired investigator found that Redflex had provided Bills with lavish vacations expensed directly on the expense report of Redflex Executive Vice-President Aaron Rosenberg, who had also 'gifted' Bills with trips to

6300-412: Was available on the new route as well as the existing route via the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway. These changes were scheduled to be implemented for a 180-day trial period beginning June 25, 2006, and after their evaluation in early 2007, the Pink Line remained in service. Beginning April 28, 2008, the CTA began a six-month experimental ceasing of Blue Line operations on the Douglas. Despite maintaining that

6384-431: Was awarded to Alta Bicycle Share, however, Josh Squire, the owner of the competing vendor, Bike Chicago, claimed that then current Commissioner Gabe Klein failed to disclose former ties to the winning bidder, specifically that he had worked for Alta in 2011. Blue Line (Chicago Transit Authority) The Blue Line is a 26.93-mile-long (43.34 km) Chicago "L" line which runs from O'Hare International Airport at

6468-536: Was completed from Damen Avenue to Logan Square on May 25, 1895. The next stage in the development of the West Side 'L' came on June 19, 1895, when the Garfield Park Branch was added, extending west in the vicinity of Van Buren Street and Harrison Street from Marshfield Avenue to Cicero Avenue. An extension of service over the tracks of the Aurora, Elgin and Chicago Railroad to a new terminal at Desplaines Avenue

6552-469: Was completely abolished in favor of a single commissioner. Mayor Heath served as the first temporary head of the department until a commissioner was provided in May, 1879. The office of deputy-commissioner was created in 1892. At the time of creation (but no longer the case), the position was at the appointment of the mayor, which created a confusing line of responsibility for the heads of the department. After

6636-579: Was cut back to a full-time shuttle between Damen and Lawndale, and discontinued a year later on May 3, 1952. The Garfield Park elevated was replaced by the Congress line on June 22, 1958, pioneering the world's first use of rail rapid transit and a multi-lane automobile expressway in the same grade-separated right-of-way. ( Pacific Electric Railway "Red Car" tracks ran in the median of the Cahuenga Parkway in Los Angeles from 1944 until its expansion into

6720-481: Was established by order of the Chicago City Council on 11 December 1991 when Mayor Richard M. Daley restructured the Chicago Department of Public Works into the new Chicago Department of Transportation. The restructuring took effect on 1 January 1992. John N. LaPlante, who was appointed as Acting Commissioner of Public Works in September 1991, continued as the first Acting Commissioner of CDOT. In 2011,

6804-543: Was established on March 11, 1905. A subsequent extension to Westchester opened on October 1, 1926, over tracks that had originally been built by the CA&;E with the intentions of building a bypass route. (Low ridership would prompt the CTA to discontinue service on the Westchester extension on December 9, 1951. ) Another branch line was added to the rapidly growing Metropolitan on July 29, 1895, when trains began operating over

6888-518: Was later cut back to 54th Avenue in Cicero . The Metropolitan West Side Elevated began service onto the Loop on October 11, 1897, and a rush period stub terminal at Wells Street was added October 3, 1904. For much of the early 20th century and through the 1940s, service on the West Side Elevated lines went unchanged until 1947, when the Chicago Transit Authority took control of the 'L', initiating

6972-593: Was permanently discontinued in 2009. The free trolleys should not 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 . The average Chicago commuter spends 86 minutes every day traveling to and from work on public transit. Of public transit riders, 28.% ride for more than 2 hours every day. On average, commuters wait at stops or stations for 15 minutes; 21% of riders wait for over 20 minutes. The average trip

7056-528: Was restored. In January 2005, the CTA held hearings on a proposal to reroute Douglas Branch service via the recently rebuilt Paulina Connector to the Lake Street Green Line , carrying Douglas trains to and around the elevated Loop for the first time since 1958. It was the first stage of what became the Pink Line . This would have allowed a doubling of Blue Line trains to Forest Park on the Congress Branch, since service would no longer be divided between

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