Here's Hoping The CTA Won't Be A Mess During The NFL Draft
By Rachel Cromidas in News on Apr 27, 2016 7:00PM
Whether you're more excited or perplexed by downtown Chicago's upcoming transformation into "NFL Draft Town," The CTA doesn't want you to get stuck on any crowded trains.
The CTA is expecting large crowds taking trains to and from the Loop from Thursday through Sunday, and they've announced a slate of service changes intending to make travel a bit easier. On Thursday and Friday the CTA is operating longer trains on the Blue Ride, Brown and Orange lines. On Saturday, the CTA will have longer trains running on the Red, Brown and Orange lines from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., with Red Line trains running more frequently than usually between 11 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.
The buses will be a different story: A dozen downtown bus routes will be temporarily rerouted during the weekend-long NFL Draft festivities, with new routes posted on the CTA website. If you're taking the #1, 3, 4, 6, 7, J14, 26, 28, 126, 132, 143 or 147, take note.
And because it wouldn't be springtime in Chicago without some CTA construction, there are several station closures to be aware of this weekend: The Montrose Blue Line station will be temporarily closed from Friday, April 29 at 10 p.m. to Monday, May 2 at 4 a.m., meaning Blue Line trains will be skipping that stop all weekend. Free shuttle buses will travel between Montrose and Irving Park Blue Line stations. O'Hare-bound Blue Line trains won't return to Montrose until May 17.
Track work on the Green Line this weekend also means that Green Line trains will not stop at the Central, Austin, Ridgeland, Oak Park or Harlem/Lake CTA stations from 10 p.m. Friday, until 4 a.m. Monday.
The NFL Draft is taking place in Grant Park April 28 through 30.