{"id":29196,"date":"2016-03-09T15:04:17","date_gmt":"2016-03-09T22:04:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/soulofamerica.com\/?page_id=29196"},"modified":"2023-05-08T10:50:22","modified_gmt":"2023-05-08T17:50:22","slug":"chicago-transportation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.soulofamerica.com\/us-cities\/chicago\/chicago-transportation\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Transportation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"3

3 airlines at O’Hare International Airport<\/strong>; credit City of Chicago<\/p><\/div>\n

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Chicago Transportation<\/h2>\n
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Airport<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Chicago O\u2019Hare International Airport<\/strong><\/a> (ORD) anchors Chicago Transportation is the 2nd busiest airport in America and the world. It features so many international and transnational flights that it affects global flight schedules. In what seems like a quirk, the airport’s four passenger terminals are labeled 1, 2, 3, and 5. There is no terminal 4. You won’t find an airport with more restaurants, lounges, shops, business services, music, passenger amenities, emergency services, nearby hotels, or one that is more ADA-friendly. <\/p>\n

There’s WiFi and plenty of electric outlets to recharge computers and mobile devices spread around the airport. Those features come in handy in case your connecting flight is delayed. To its credit, O’Hare has a bevy of “green” projects underway to reduce its environmental footprint. O’HARE AIRPORT TERMINAL MAP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Airport Transit System<\/strong><\/a> is a 24\/7, people mover that runs every 8 minutes from all terminals to Chicago Transit Authority<\/a><\/strong> (CTA) Airport Station, Car Rental Center and the offsite parking lot. The CTA Blue Line runs at a very convenient 24\/365.<\/p>\n

Taxi<\/strong> pick-up is available outside all terminals. Taxi rides to downtown take 40 to 70 minutes, depending on commute hour. To schedule a return taxi, call Yellow (312-829-4222) or Checker (312-243-2537). <\/p>\n

Shuttle<\/strong> by Continental Air Transport (312-454-7800) goes from O’Hare to dozens of downtown hotels for about $25 from 6am-11:30pm. Car Rental<\/strong> by Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, and National provides 24\/7 counter service in the baggage claim area. Turn your car radio to 800 AM for Airport-Dan Ryan Expressway traffic news.<\/p>\n

Midway Airport<\/a> <\/strong>(MDW) has frequent flights to popular nationwide destinations. Since it is a hub for Southwest Airlines and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)<\/strong><\/a> runs a frequent Metro Rail line from downtown Chicago, MDW Airport has grown in popularity for domestic flights.<\/p>\n

Taxis<\/strong> are outside the main terminal (Yellow 312-829-4222 and Checker 312-243-2537). Taxi rides to downtown Chicago take 25 to 50 minutes. Shuttle<\/strong> by Continental Air Transport (312-454-7800) from MDW Airport to downtown hotels from 6a-10p. Car Rentals<\/strong>: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, and National operate a 24\/7 car rental counter service and shuttle buses to their lots.<\/p>\n

\"The

The Atrium of Chicago Union Station<\/strong>; (c) Soul Of America<\/p><\/div>\n

Train Station<\/h3>\n

In a Beaux Arts-style building with soaring Corinthian columns, terracotta walls, a pink marble floor crowned with a barrel-vaulted atrium ceiling, Chicago Union Station<\/strong><\/a> is located at West Adams Street & South Canal Street<\/strong><\/a> in what’s called the West Loop of Downtown. <\/p>\n

The station’s barrel-vaulted Great Hall is an architectural looker and features 16 adjacent cafes, 1 restaurant, 1 spa & salon, and 2 newsstands. Its marble staircase had a real shoot-out between Al Capone’s gangsters and policemen. The shoot-out is accurately portrayed in The Untouchables<\/em> movie. <\/p>\n

During World War II, over 100,000 passengers passed through the station each day. Today, nearly one-quarter of that number traverse Union Station. Chicago Union Station hosts Metra commuter rail, Greyhound, Megabus, a taxi depot, Uber\/Lyft, local buses, and a car rental center. Chicago Union Station is critical to America’s train service because it hosts the most Amtrak Regional and Long-Distance<\/strong><\/a> train routes:<\/p>\n

Hiawatha<\/strong>: Chicago-Milwaukee
\nLincoln<\/strong>: Chicago-Springfield-St. Louis
\nWolverine<\/strong>: Chicago-Hammond-Kalamazoo-Ann Arbor-Detroit-Pontiac
\nIllinois<\/strong>: Chicago-Carbondale
\nCalifornia Zephyr<\/strong>: Chicago-Omaha-Denver-Salt Lake City-Oakland
\nIllinois Zephyr:<\/strong> Chicago-Naperville-Princeton-Quincy
\nCity of New Orleans:<\/strong> Chicago-Memphis-Jackson-New Orleans
\nEmpire Builder:<\/strong> Chicago-Milwaukee-Minneapolis-Seattle or Portland
\nCardinal:<\/strong> NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Cincinnati-Indy-Chicago
\nLake Shore Limited:<\/strong> Chicago-South Bend-Cleveland-Buffalo-NYC
\nMissouri<\/strong>: St. Louis-Jefferson City-Kansas City
\nCapitol Limited<\/strong>: Washington-Pittsburgh-Cleveland-Toledo-Chicago
\nSouthwest Chief<\/strong>: Chicago-Kansas City-Albuquerque-Los Angeles
\nTexas Eagle<\/strong>: Chicago-St. Louis-Little Rock-Dallas-San Antonio<\/p>\n

Amtrak services in Chicago-Springfield-St. Louis corridor<\/strong><\/a> and Chicago-Kalamazoo-Ann Arbor-Detroit corridor run up to 110 mph in patches. Projects are underway to completely upgrade those corridors to 110 mph and shorten Chicago-Detroit and Chicago-St. Louis trip times by 1 hour. Another project will upgrade Amtrak’s Milwaukee-Chicago corridor to 90 mph. By 2025, anticipate Amtrak Hiawatha, Lincoln & Wolverine routes increasing to 10 daily roundtrips.<\/p>\n

Bigger plans lie ahead for Chicago Union Station. West Loop Transportation Center<\/strong><\/a> will interconnect Chicago Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center underground, permitting intercity passenger trains to run through Chicago Union Station, rather than terminate at each station, as they do today. The four-level underground center will form the hub of rapid buses, local rail, regional rail, Greyhound, and more intercity passenger trains in a Midwest High Speed Rail Network<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Once completed, the Chicago Union Station project will enable higher Amtrak Regional train and commuter train frequency to\/from Chicago. For example, Amtrak and the state DOTs could upgrade Hiawatha to 110 mph and merge Hiawatha & Wolverine into one Milwukee-Chicago-Gary-Kalamazoo-Ann Arbor-Detroit service.<\/p>\n

\"CTA

A CTA L train running in the Loop District<\/strong>; credit City of Chicago<\/p><\/div>\n

Rapid Transit<\/h3>\n

Chicago Transit Authority<\/a><\/strong> (CTA) is the nation\u2019s 2nd longest Metro Heavy Rail system at 222 miles, 143 stations, and 7 rail lines. Pre-pandemic CTA served nearly 800,000 daily passengers from 5a\u201312p, daily, it has the third-highest ridership in America. CTA has a single-zone fare and reduced fares for ages 7-11, age 12-18 students, age 65+, and the disabled. Though the CTA system is mostly elevated, it also has subway mileage and subway stations. <\/p>\n

The CTA’s “L”, short for “Elevated”, dates from 1892, making it the second oldest Metro Rail system in America. Old vintage, however, means many projects are underway to bring trains, tracks, and stations up to modern standards. CTA already has WiFi at stations and plans to expand Red Line several stations further south. Like Washington Metrorail, CTA goes directly into two major airports. CTA System Map<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The CTA’s most beloved elevated L line circles the Loop District — the heart of the business, government, culture, and architecture downtown. Some lines run less frequently during weekends and holidays, so check the schedule. Single travelers are advised to use the L only during the daytime, except for the two airport lines well-patronized day or night, and lines from the two major baseball parks or United Center after games to Downtown.<\/p>\n

Check out this short Youtube video by Luis Gusto on “How to Ride the Chicago L System<\/em>“, including ticketing options.<\/p>\n