27th Ward Newsletter

CTA to Begin Faster Bus Boarding Pilot on Loop Link Downtown

Prepaid CTA bus boarding at Madison/Dearborn Loop Link bus station aims to increase speed and efficiency on seven downtown bus routes

As part of CTA's continuing efforts to improve service for customers, the CTA announced today that it will launch a pilot that would allow customers to board buses more quickly by pre-paying their fares at the Madison and Dearborn bus station along Loop Link.

Beginning on September 19th, customers will no longer have to pay fares as they board westbound Loop Link buses during evening rush periods ( 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.). Instead, they will be able to prepay their fares before entering the bus station on Madison at Dearborn, allowing them to board buses more quickly and therefore allowing buses to depart more efficiently, improving the quality of bus service in the Loop.

"By allowing CTA bus customers to pay fares in advance much like they do to ride the "L", we will be able to determine how much more quickly customers are able to board buses and how bus service reliability is improved," said CTA President Dorval Carter. "This pilot is the latest in a series of improvements we are making to CTA bus service, as part of our commitment to enhancing service and providing a world-class transit experience."

Loop Link launched in December 2015 to make service in the downtown Loop easier, safer and more reliable. Loop Link provides a balanced separation of CTA bus, bike and regular traffic with dedicated lanes on Washington, Madison and Clinton (improvements to Canal and Randolph to complete the project are coming soon). The new configuration has helped to improve speed and service for seven CTA bus routes that travel the corridor.

CTA bus routes included in pilot:

By prepaying fares during the pilot, customers at the Madison/Dearborn station will be able to board more quickly and reduce bus delays that can occur from the high volume of customers. More than 2,300 customers board buses at the Madison/Dearborn Loop Link station each day. Current boarding times during evening peak periods can take as long as 4 minutes per bus due to heavy ridership which can lead to slower service or delays along the route.

During the period in which the pilot is in effect, customers traveling west on the #J14, #19 (used for special events only), #20, #56, #60, #124 and #157 routes will touch their Ventra card/ticket or personal credit/debit card at a special Ventra fare reader to enter the prepaid boarding area prior to boarding the bus.

The modernized bus station at Madison and Dearborn offers a large canopy for weather protection, raised platforms for easier boarding, CTA Bus Tracker screens as well as additional seating for customers. The area will also be staffed by designated CTA employees, similar to train stations, to assist customers.

Customers who need to add transit value or unlimited ride passes to their Ventra account can easily add transit value or purchase 1-, 3-, 7- or 30-day unlimited ride passes at the Walgreens directly behind the platform; at any nearby rail station; and via the free Ventra app.

The structure of the Loop Link pilot is similar to a pilot the CTA is currently conducting on the #77 Belmont route at the bus stop at the Belmont Blue Line station, a busy rail-to-bus transfer location in Avondale. Both pilots will help provide the CTA with valuable feedback on prepaid boarding, which the CTA will look to expand pending the results of each pilot.

CTA to Provide Extra Service for Riot Fest; Chicago Bears Home Opener

Next week: construction work at Harlem (O'Hare branch) will impact Forest Park-bound service

The Chicago Transit Authority is a convenient and affordable transit option for traveling to and from events around Chicago this weekend, including the 2016 Riot Fest and Carnival, the Chicago Bears game at Soldier Field and the Northwestern football game at Ryan Field.

CTA is also notifying customers that for two hours after the Chicago Bears game on Monday, free train rides will be available at Roosevelt (Red, Orange & Green lines) station courtesy of MillerCoors' Miller Lite.

The CTA is also notifying customers of upcoming construction work as part of Your New Blue planned at Harlem (O'Hare branch) station that will temporarily affect service.

Riot Fest

The CTA will provide extra bus and rail service for this weekend's Riot Fest at Douglas Park that runs Friday, September 16 to Sunday, September 18.

Rail Service

Pink Line: Longer trains will operate from approximately 9 a.m. until 1:30 a.m. Friday through Sunday. Pink Line trains will also operate more frequently on Friday from 10 a.m. until 11:45 p.m., and from noon until 11:45 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday

The California Pink Line station is located approximately two blocks from the Festival's east entrance at Douglas Park.

Bus Service

CTA will also provide extra bus service on the #12 Roosevelt beginning at 3 p.m. Friday and 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday until approximately 7:30 p.m. each night. In addition, extra service will be provided on the #49 Western, #52 Kedzie/California and #94 South California from approximately 5 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.Each of these bus routes - the #12, #49, #52 and #94- will have extra service provided until approximately one hour after the festival ends each night.

All buses will stage on the south curb of Ogden, in the local lane, between Sacramento and California.

Chicago Bears Home Opener at Soldier Field

The Chicago Bears will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday, September 19 at 7:30 p.m. The CTA will operate the #128 Soldier Field Express between Union Station, Ogilvie and Soldier Field and will provide additional #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express service for customers heading to the game. Additional service will begin at approximately two hours before game time and continue until one hour after the game ends.

Free train rides will also be available for two hours after the game at Roosevelt (Red, Orange & Green lines) station courtesy of MillerCoors' Miller Lite.

For more information on getting to the game on the CTA, please visit: http://www.transitchicago.com/riding_cta/popdest/sports.aspx .

Northwestern Football Games

The CTA will provide extra rail service for the upcoming Duke vs. Northwestern football game at Ryan Field on Saturday, September 17 at 7 p.m.

For each game, CTA will provide longer trains on the Purple Line beginning approximately two hours before the game. Ryan Field is located a few blocks west of the Purple Line's Central station in Evanston.

Next Week: partial platform closure at Harlem Blue Line (O'Hare branch)

Your New Blue station and platform renewal work at the Harlem (O'Hare branch) Blue Line station will require the temporary closure of a portion of the platform beginning 9 p.m. Tuesday, September 20 through 9 p.m. Tuesday, October 4. During this time, Forest Park-bound trains will not stop at the station.

With the exception of customers who use the Harlem (O'Hare branch) station, Blue Line riders will see little to no impacts to service. Customers affected by project work are advised to allow extra travel time.

Train Service at Harlem

For service from Harlem station, take an O'Hare-bound train to Cumberland and transfer to a Forest Park-bound train.

For service to Harlem station, take a Forest Park-bound train to Jefferson Park and transfer to an O'Hare-bound train.

Alternate Service Options

Consider using the adjacent Blue Line stations at Cumberland and Jefferson Park, where trains in both directions will continue to stop.

The #68 Northwest Highway, #88 Higgins and #81W West Lawrence buses connect with the Jefferson Park Blue Line station. Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line service to downtown is also available at the Metra Norwood Park station.

Park & Ride space is also available at the Cumberland station, for the same rate as the Park & Ride lot at the Harlem station (for the first 12 hours; rates vary thereafter - visit transitchicago.com/parking for more information).

In December 2013, the CTA and Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Your New Blue, the largest modernization investment on the Blue Line since it was extended to O'Hare International Airport in 1984.

STAY IN THE LOOP ON CTA SERVICE

Plan your trip using the Google Transit Trip Planner. Be sure to also check out CTA on Facebook or Twitter (@CTA) for system travel updates and alerts. For details about all CTA service, call 312-836-7000 or visit the CTA website at www.transitchicago.com.

CTA Hires World-Renowned Artist to Create Artwork for Austin Bus Turnaround

As part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's commitment to expand public art at CTA stations and terminals, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) today announced the hire of world-renowned artist Shinique Smith to commission a new, one-a-of-kind artwork for the Austin Avenue bus turnaround - the CTA's first permanent public art installation at a bus facility.

"Much like rail stations, CTA bus turnarounds are often located in highly-trafficked areas and serve as gateways to the surrounding community," said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. "The addition of new public artwork at our Austin and Chicago bus turnaround will create a more inviting transit space for hundreds of bus riders each day and enhance the surrounding community by sharing a part of its story through new original artwork created by a world-renowned artist."

Under the leadership of Mayor Emanuel, CTA's collection of public art has nearly doubled since 2011 - with now more than 60 works of art across all eight rail lines. It includes mosaics, art glass and sculptures created by nationally and internationally acclaimed artists, many of whom are local.

This collection of art will further expand over the next few years to include nearly a dozen new works of art, including the one announced today along with commissioned works as part of the recently completed Your New Blue station projects and the upcoming Wilson Station Reconstruction and 95th Street Terminal Improvements projects.

Smith was one of nearly 350 artists who submitted qualifications in response to CTA's Call for Artists issued in December 2015 for the bus turnaround, which serves the #66 Chicago bus route, one of CTA's busiest routes, and nearly 1,000 people each weekday. After reviewing all submissions, an evaluation committee selected Smith based on her artistic merit, qualifications, professional recognition and her written statement of interest.

CTA will hold a public meeting at a future date to provide community members with an opportunity to meet the artist and provide feedback on the type of artwork that will be created.

Smith, who is based in New York, is best known for using discarded everyday personal items and transforming them by incorporating elements of graffiti, Japanese calligraphy and abstraction to create complex and vibrant visuals that rejuvenate a space. Her work has been exhibited at prestigious venues including The Studio Museum of Harlem; The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The Brooklyn Museum of Art; Denver Art Museum; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; The Bronx Museum of the Arts; The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery (Washington DC); and The New Museum (New York) among others.

Funding is provided by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and will cover the entire project budget, which is not to exceed $200,000, and includes costs associated with artist fees, fabrication, shipping/delivery and a project contingency fund.

Fall 2016 Youth Art Classes

Old Town Art Explorers ages 3 to 6 Saturdays, 10:00 am - 11:00 am

6 weeks from September 17 - October 22, 2016.

Can you paint a Chicago-style Pizza? Sculpt a bird or building? Imagine a place you'd like to play, and draw it on paper or shape it with clay? Come explore the tools and techniques of fine artists while having fun discovering the neighborhood, Introductory concepts of interesting papers, photos, maps, and imagination. Examples of projects include button and sticker design, drawings, paintings, sculpture, and more. Stretch your imagination, build your artistic toolbox, and dream big!

Enroll for classes at: www.artonsedgwick.org

Visit us at: 1429 N. Sedgwick Street

E-mail us with questions or to register for classes in person: [email protected]