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CTA Expands Service Because Traffic Will Be Pure Insanity This Weekend

By Stephen Gossett in News on Oct 6, 2016 5:14PM

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Photo via Scott L on Flickr

Chicago traffic has a strong potential of reaching a 10 on the International Clusterfuck Scale this weekend thanks to Cubs playoff hysteria and the Chicago Marathon—not to mention a homecoming visit from president Obama. Luckily, the CTA has planned ahead and announced on Thursday extra service to accommodate the big events ahead.

The Cubs open up their 2016 playoff run with Game One of the National League Division Series against the Giants on Friday, at 8:15pm, and Game Two on Saturday, at 7 p.m. For the weekend, the CTA will provide extra bus service along the #80 Irving Park and the #152 Addison bus routes to help with game-related travel demand. (The #8 Halsted and #22 Clark bus routes to Wrigley Field will run as normal.)

For weeknight home games, Red Line trains will make more frequent runs leading up to each start time. For night games, the Yellow Line will run from Howard to Skokie until midnight; and on Friday, Yellow Line trains will run until 1 a.m.

On Sunday, there will be a host of expanded rail service in the morning and early afternoon on most CTA lines to ease marathon-related travel. Service notes are listed below:

Red Line: Longer trains will be running earlier and with more frequent service, from 5 a.m. until 4 p.m. Blue Line: Longer trains will be running from 5 a.m. until 4 p.m., with more frequent service from 9:35 a.m. until 11:20 a.m. Brown Line: Longer trains will be running from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. with more frequent service. Green Line: Longer trains will be running from 5:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Orange Line: Longer trains will be running from 5:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Purple Line: Will provide earlier service, with the first train departing Linden at 5:30 a.m.
A rundown of street closures is available here.

Be sure to look over it carefully, otherwise your weekend could like Weekend: