The Chicago Traveler

I’ve mentioned before how small bits of Paris occasionally pop up here in Chicago. This includes the entrance to the Metra Van Buren Street Station on Michigan Avenue (across from the Auditorium Building). It is a replica of a Paris subway entrance designed by Hector Guimard. The entrance was given to Chicago by the city of Paris in 2001.

Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) Atelier Teee, swanksalot, jima
Metra Van Buren Street StationPublic trans: Bus # 1, 3, 4, X4, 6, 7, 14, 26, X28, 126, 145, 147, 148, 151Metra Electric Line (Van Buren)

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One of the reasons I love living in Chicago is the availability of mass public transit. Even though it may be slow at times and the CTA is threatening yet another fare increase, I know that no matter the time of day, I can usually get where I’m going (or at least close to it).
But I have to admit, even though I can ride the bus or train at all hours, that doesn’t mean I’d necessarily want to. Rowdy Cubs or Sox fans on the Red Line might be annoying, but shady characters on the ‘L’ overnight can make …read more

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About two weeks ago, the CTA began testing its new “max capacity” reduced-seat ‘L’ cars on the Brown Line in an attempt to provide more space (and garner more revenue) from overcrowded rush-hour trains.
About a dozen seats were removed from the trial rail cars, allowing each to hold approximately 25 more riders than normal cars. Originally, the CTA planned on removing all of the seats from these cars, but engineering studies showed that this would actually provide too much capacity. If filled, they would have exceeded the train’s maximum weight limits.
With more people on their feet, the CTA has improved …read more

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Years ago, while riding the ‘L’ underground, I always found it amusing to see passengers confusedly looking at their cell phones and wondering why they didn’t have any signal. Didn’t they realize that they were several feet below the surface?
Nowadays, being under the streets doesn’t have to stop you from texting, gabbing, Twitter’ing, Flickr’ing, and other cell-phone what-not, depending on your carrier. More than two years ago, U.S. Cellular signed a lease with the CTA to use the wireless infrastructure in the subways, allowing customers to get a cellular signal even while underground. Earlier this month, Verizon Wireless also struck …read more

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The Chicago Traveler and all of us here at b5media send our thoughts and well-wishes to all those along the Gulf coast who have been affected by Hurricane Ike.
I also want to extend my sympathies to many in the Chicagoland area. The hurricane’s residual effects brought two days of steady, pouring rain. Rivers and creeks overflowed their banks, and many communities were flooded. Streets, cars, and hundreds of homes were submerged in several feet of water. Families were encouraged to evacuate their homes and take shelter in locations designated by the American Red Cross.

In Northbrook and Prospect Heights, firefighters had …read more

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As a few of you already know, I was vacationing in New Orleans, Louisiana for Labor Day weekend. Or rather, I planned to vacation there. I arrived last Thursday afternoon, and by Friday night, I was fleeing from Hurricane Gustav.
Let me just say it was quite an adventure. That Friday evening, my friends and I received a letter in our hotel room stating that Mayor Ray Nagin had ordered all guests and visitors to evacuate starting at 8 a.m. Saturday morning. We had arrived by train, but we could not leave that way because (I think) FEMA was using the …read more

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• The African Festival of the Arts is Chicago’s largest neighborhood festival, featuring three music stages, ethnic cuisine, and more than 300 vendors selling everything from fine art to skin care products. Presentations include book discussions and dance workshops. (Aug 29 – Sept 1)
• The 30th annual Chicago Jazz Festival is the city’s longest-running lakefront music festival and features local, national, and international performers on several stages. (Aug 28-31)
• Get your fill of pierogi, Polish sausage, and sauerkraut at the Taste of Polonia, where you can listen to live bands play everything from rock to polka. (Aug 29 – Sept …read more

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Time-Out Chicago dutifully posts updates, reviews, and photos of the Pitchfork Music Festival.
The PBLT (a cross between a peanut butter sandwich and a BLT) at Lula Cafe is a bit more than you’d bargain for, according to Drive-Thru.
Yesterday, today, and…? You know the word I’m looking for, but do you know how to spell it? Don’t ask the employees at the Jade Dragon Tattoo parlor, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
How’s this for something different? A blog wrap-up linking to another blog wrap-up. The Chicago Tribune explores some of Chicago’s Best Blogs. This week, check out some “Around Chicago” blogs and …read more

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Now that seniors can ride the CTA for free and with the rising costs of gas, more and more people have been using the city’s public transit. While this is great in terms of “traveling green,” this means that there are more commuters during rush hour on already crowded buses and trains. But due to limited funding, the CTA cannot afford to buy more buses nor more rail cars.
The answer to the problem? Cattle cars!
Okay, not exactly, but not far from it. According to the Tribune and the Sun-Times, the Chicago Transit Authority is considering removing seats from at least …read more

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With the rising costs of gas, more and more people are turning to public transit to get where they’re going. Now, Google Maps can help guide your way.
Just enter your start and end points. If available for your route, you’ll see the option to “take public transit.” You can even see bus and train schedules, so you’ll know when to set your departure time. Step-by-step directions are available both in text and on the map.

In addition, the Chicago Transit Authority has recently released the CTA Bus Tracker. Select a route, direction, and transit stop in the Estimated Arrival Times Window, …read more

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