Traffic Is Going To Be A Real Clusterfudge This Weekend
By Mae Rice in News on Jun 9, 2016 8:40PM
The forecast this weekend: gridlock in 90-degree heat. Due to an unusual number of special events throughout the city, traffic in and around Chicago is going to be a hot (literally) mess for drivers starting Friday, according to a warning issued by Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communication (OEMC).
First off, EDM-leaning music festival Spring Awakening is running this weekend in Adams/Medill Park, featuring acts like Kaskade and Crystal Castles. Other events bound to draw large crowds and traffic jams this weekend: the Copa America Centenario soccer game at Soldier Field Friday night, a faceoff between Argentina and Panama; the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series of Sailing in Lake Michigan and at Navy Pier; the White Sox's Friday-Saturday-Sunday series against the Kansas City Royals; and University of Chicago's convocation, which is happening this Saturday.
(That really doesn't even skim the surface of what's going on: OEMC has a fuller, even more terrifying roundup.)
Public transit, or Divvy biking, may be the answer for people who want to go somewhere without driving themselves insane in the process. The CTA will be running extra-long Red, Blue, Brown, Orange and Pink Line trains at peak times this weekend to accommodate crowds, and Divvy recently announced an expansion of its free valet service. This guarantees bike-share riders a drop-off slot at giant events—specifically including this weekend's Wells Street Art Fest and Andersonville's Midsommarfest.