I hate you you hooker bus! Three opposite-direction bound…read morebuses will pass by while you stand there fuming waiting for your own. Before you flip out and punch everything in the neck because this is making you late, you ask someone else at the bus stop to please, PLEASE light a cigarette so that the bus will come. And when that cigarette is lit, TWO if not THREE freakin' buses in a pack will come.

The Halsted Bus is the main artery of my transportation crux when I'm not riding my bike or taking…read morethe auto-gyro. Tis' quick, quaint, and quiet, in fact, I found a winning lottery ticket for 20 bucks on the seat yesterday. I cashed it in and got engaged to the woman behind the counter because all we could do was talk about how much we love the #8 bus.

My husband and I took the L train during our weeklong stay in Chicago. Grand is an underground…read moretrain station run by the CTA. It's on the Red line, which is one of the lines that runs 24/7. Grand station was the closest to the hotel where we stayed, so we often went to this one whenever we traveled to further neighborhoods in the city. It's a busy station and very reminiscent of the NYC subway.

The CTA in Chicago in general is pretty good for getting around, especially to and from the airport…read morein my opinion. I think it's slightly nicer than the NYC subway, but not by much. The platforms really look similar, and are pretty easy to navigate. There is usually a staff member in the help booth and they're pretty nice if you're confused (I had to ask one of them a question the first time I rode the CTA). Overall, I think the number of stops/lines available is pretty good; it's not quite as good as NYC or other countries e.g. Seoul, SK -- but if you're staying downtown for instance, you can get around pretty easily and to/from the airport with minimal walking to get to a nearby station and either connect to or go direct to the airport. I'm very glad the CTA is available as an option for visitors and folks who live here since parking is paid almost everywhere, and definitely limited (especially downtown!).

Don't get me wrong, Granville is fine, only as several others have noted, it's just really freakin'…read morenarrow! The only way in or out is on the north side, and if you're exiting, the path you have to walk can only fit people single file, unless someone wants to take the chance and tip-toe the blue safety line (definitely do not recommend). Otherwise, the station is reasonably clean. A pressure washing wouldn't really hurt, but there is no trash or 'other' waste to be found. There is a large cover that extends over the platform and part of the tracks to offer protection from the elements, and areas with electric heaters for those winter months. There are also a handful of benches and ample signage with arrival times. Some other features of this station include an up escalator, an elevator free of foul smells (only a little chlorine), a bike rike, and a large mural. The station also appears to be staffed during peak hours. Finally, I appreciate that the station is very well lit at night. Thus, Granville is not my favorite stop on the red line due to its size. However, with the worst thing being a slight queue to exit, Granville gets an A-OK in my book.

This station is conveniently located in the heart of Edgewater, and CTA personnel do a pretty good…read morejob of keeping the station clean. However, as others have noted, the platform is very narrow, and unlike other nearby stations (such as Thorndale or Wilson), Granville has only one entrance and exit, which is on the north side of the platform. This results in a two-way bottleneck of people entering and exiting the station. Unfortunately this problem has become much worse since last May, when the station's lone escalator was taken out of service for repairs. This has forced both entering and exiting passengers to use the same narrow stairwell. Repairs to the escalator were originally promised to be finished by July, then the contractor pushed the date back to end of August. When August came and went, the contractor once again changed the completion date to mid-September. Mid-September came and went, and the contractor changed the completion date yet again to Oct. 31, 2023 (...beginning to see a pattern here?) It's now Nov 8th and the sign shows November 15, 2023 as the completion date, but nobody around here is holding their breath. You get used to this sort of nonsense living in a place like Chicago (who wants to make a bet that the project won't be done by next Wednesday as promised? I'll offer generous odds). CTA has posted signage explaining why their escalators need repairs and refurbishment, and I get it. However, the signage only explains why the repairs need to be made, it does not explain why the project has taken so long to complete and why the contractor has continually pushed back their own forecasted completion date. I'm sure the contractor will offer up some lame excuse that they had to order a special part from Taiwan which is taking months to be shipped in. I don't mind the length of time that the repairs are taking, what I do mind is that the contractor continually dangles and then revises their project completion date. Alas, this is what happens when you use union labor. There are no consequences for half-assing the job as the union will protect its members time and time again for missing deadlines which would land any private sector worker into serious trouble. You can't blame the CTA though, because if they were to hire a non-union outfit, a bunch of those overpaid union guys would be picketing outside all the CTA stations with that giant inflatable rat. So to avoid this, they just give in. This is your "Welcome to Chicago" moment, folks. The same exact thing happened at O'Hare Airport when the ATS trains were taken offline back in 2019. The project was originally supposed to take just eight months, but the contractor kept continually pushing back the completion date, and it took almost three years before the ATS trains were back up and running. And they pathetically tried to use the pandemic as the excuse for the delays, when in fact the delays began occurring long before the pandemic or lockdowns. Sheesh. No wonder why Jack and Bobby Kennedy hated unions so much.

If you are trying to save money to get to your hotel downtown this is a good alternative. It…read morereminds me of public transportation in Baltimore in a way. As most public transportation drop off locations it smelled like urine once off the train.

CTA has an L station on Roosevelt close to Soldier Field. It connects a few Lines. Very busy…read moreespecially on football Sundays. Also close to the museums. There's trains coming at all times. Get a train to almost anywhere. It serves the Green, Orange, and Red Lines. This is a very busy station. Close to here is Soldier Field. Needless to say, it gets busy when there's a game. Of course, there's other stuff here too. Get off here to go to the Adler Planetarium, Field Museum, and Shedd Aquarium, along with other less known museums. There's also buses that take you right there. Better than driving. There's also no paying for parking. Here you can walk over to many attractions. It's best known for being close to Soldier Field and museums. There's buses for those not wanting to do as much walking.

My husband and I took the L train during our week long stay in Chicago. Clark/Late station is the…read moremajor transfer station because you switch off onto multiple lines. We were headed to Chicago Music Exchange on N Lincoln. Our route was Cermak-McCormick to Clark/Lake, where we transferred to the Brown line for the Paulina train stop. The station gets crowded! We were there midday on Tuesday on one of the hottest days in June. Fortunately, the signage was clear and we got to the correct platform. Plus the wait for the train wasn't long. Chicago has a great public transportation train system.

クラーク駅はオヘア空港に向かうブルーラインの駅です。 空港に直通で便利ですが1時間はかかります。…read more地上にはシカゴ名物のループの駅もあります。 シカゴの真冬はミシガン湖の風も相まって射すような寒さ。 駅すぐのリバーウオークは真冬には川に流氷が現れます。 冬以外は観光船で大賑わいです。 昔の話ですが、地下鉄は冬でも暖房はなかったです。 真冬のある日、私は空港に行くため朝4時に地下鉄に乗ると、 男性がベンチに横たわって寝てました。 車両には他に男性ふたり、私は少し離れて座りました。 次の駅で身なりの良い40代位の男性と、 中学生位の男の子が乗ってきました。 確実に親子だとおもいます。 3つ先の駅で降りる寸前、父親は寝てる男性のズボンのポケットに いくらかのお札をねじ込んで降りていきました。 息子は父の姿を見て無言で後ろについて降りていきました。 当然、寝てる男性は気づいてます。 でも、それから1時間近く終点の空港まで微動だにしませんでした。 空港到着、皆が降りていきます。 彼はどうするのだろう。私は最後まで座席にいました。 すると、彼は身体を動かすでもなく、顔を動かすでもなく、 寝たままポケットのお金をだして、 片目で確認するとそのままポケットに戻し目を閉じました。 夜が明けるまで　地下鉄で往復して過ごすのだと思います。 このふたりの男性、住む世界は天と地ほど違うと思うけど、 私は二人に共通する人間の奥にある何かを感じずにはいられませんでした。 帰宅して夫に話すと、そうだねと一言。 昔のことですが、今も鮮明に残っている光景です。 私は数年前から夫に次いで年金生活者になりました。 結婚時からお金は葬式代と僅かなものを残すだけでよいと 若い頃からふたりでたくさん旅に出ました。 歳を重ね、夫と旅の思い出を語る時間が本当に幸せです。 これからも旅に出て、（今は夫はお留守番、土産話聞き役となる） この世を去る寸前まで、この素晴らしい世界を見て行きたいです。 WBC観戦、4年後また絶対に行きます。 その時はシカゴから長距離列車でマイアミへ。 目標ができました。 おしまい。

As of Jan. 4, 2009, Chicago's Free Trolley service has ended…read more I heard the inevitable news of your passing this weekend. (See the link at the end of this post to see the official announcement from the City of Chicago.) I was in such denial and did not want to believe it was all true. I was with you on your last day and didn't even know it was your last. I didn't even get to tell you in person, that ... I .. LOVE.. YOU... Thank you for keeping me warm in the freezing temps of winter, carrying my shopping bags, and my suitcase (whenever I came from Ogilvie) without charging me one cent. Thank you for the cheery music that made the ride all the more pleasureable. R.I.P. Chicago FREE Trolleys. You will be missed. He is the information from the City of Chicago (sorry for the long link as I couldn't use html codes in Yelp! reviews): http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalDeptCategoryAction.do?deptCategoryOID=-536896557&contentType=COC_EDITORIAL&topChannelName=Dept&entityName=Transportation&deptMainCategoryOID=-536896085

Sometimes free isn't that great- for instance a free taste of stinky cheese at a fancy supermarket…read morewhen you are lactose intolerant; You have a possible situation on your hands instead of being able to bask in the glow of FREE! My friends- the free trolley is a chance to bask. I randomly came across this free trolley and I was certainly glad I did. Instead of arriving at the Navy Pier hot and aggravated after a long walk in the heat, I followed the signs, waited a few minutes and hopped right on the train. The driver was extremely pleasant, the seats were clean, the trolley is well maintained, and there were no noxious toxic smells to complain or report about (thank goodness). There were plenty of seats available, and everyone on the train was in high spirits. We arrived at the Pier in no time at all, and I was able to experience this Chicago highlight in full tourist fashion, well rested and excited. At the end of my excursion, I was able to get back on the trolley- not the same one, but just as immaculate, and the driver was equally as inviting- and returned to where I began. Thanks Chicago!!

CTA has a station at LaSalle and it's amazingly clean. It has a charm about it. Lots of old decor…read moreand signs on the walls. Good location close to many attractions. The station is mostly safe. I like how easy it is to get to places from here. It serves the Blue Line. This is a good stop. Many bars and restaurants are right outside. The tourist attractions are pretty close too. Also you can go all the way to O'Hare from here. The best thing is the friendliness and helpfulness of CTA staff. Good place to get off at. It also isn't as crowded. The trains usually come often and on time.

I just dropped my air pod to the rail. Rich helped me to get it quickly. Awesome man. Nice customer…read moreservice.

Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today 2 get through…read morethis thing called life Electric word life... It means forever and that's a mighty long time Especially, on public transit. I guess you can say I'm a Darling Yelpie. Well, it's superior to the Redline Corvette, when you take it, and it rivals bus156 as far as eye candy or comfort (156 stops more often, baby it's much too fast, and is much more crowded, but good for some- def when one goes to Oldtown or Lincoln Park or Lincoln Park Zoo-loveeee them). I've met/struck up connections/been hit on with people on the 135 route. And at least the last few were normal/hawt. I take it weekdays, since it is faster and less stinky than the Red Line. Anyhow. . . try it; at least you have friends. No more Prince references, unless you have a Charlie Murphy story for me. Then you pwn me even more than my dumdum public trans review.

Sometimes I take this bus to and from work, and I have never had a problem with this bus. The…read moreriders are always courteous and so are the drivers. This is a quick and easy way to get to and from the loop if you are on the North Side. That being said, I really wish that there were more express buses offered to other geographic locations in the city. Northsiders aren't the only ones who need to get to places on time!