Few things can get me to write about a transit system - but this is the third transit review I've…read morewritten regarding the CTA! I've only taken the 146 out and back to the museum campus once, while visiting your fair city. Clean, quick, efficient... those terms all come to mind regarding the 146. The only shot of local color came in the afternoon, after a LONG day at the museum. Having been in the queue for two full double-buses, we finally got on the next one. The driver noticed a young man in a motorized wheelchair, and politely commanded everyone else to get out of the way while he deployed the ramp and allowed the young man and his family to get on - and then allowed the throng of humanity to continue boarding. I was lucky enough to snag a seat near the front, because it allowed me to witness what happened 10 or so blocks later... At a regular stop, there were a number of riders waiting to board the bus - including a woman that was also on a motorized wheelchair. The driver repeated his instructions to the others waiting to board, and allowed her to get on first. ...but that's when things started to unravel. She claimed she couldn't get past the young man in his wheelchair, although he was apparently scooted over as far as he could go, and was secured properly. Instead of waiting for assistance or reasoning things out, she decided to 'floor it' and ram on past him - and she did - taking a piece that attached a wire harness to his chair in the process, and interlocking her wheels with his. To this, she spouted venom... ...and along came the driver, who helped to extricate her (as she continued to rant) and then he retrieved the pieces of the young man's chair, and handed them to his father. Grace under fire. The driver kept good humor and a positive attitude throughout the ordeal. Kudos to the 146 driver!

HAHAHAHAHAHA Anybody complaining about how slow a bus is... seriously... Ummmm how many times in a…read morecar have you cut one off? Or has the driver seeing you running for it and been cool and waited? Or maybe crazy enough it stops to let people on and off. Yes - once you get on the bus, it is going the route slow. & at busy times when it is crazy full of tourists from the museum campus... yes it acts in tandem. Welcome to Chicago... we have lot's of people who live here & visit here if you haven't noticed. So often busy times on a route the CTA is cognizant and adds more bus's to the route to carry the route demand. That explains why a packed bus will pass you, because one right behind it won't treat you like a sardine. You are Welcome. So I organized a field trip to the Shedd for the ladies in our River North building today & we had a nice trip there with a Yellow taxi large enough to accommodate our group of 5. I recommend visitors calling if they need group transportation. Not a bad trip back on the bus. Slow as it is going down State st. & then Michigan of which neither are renowned for not being bogged down with traffic. If you are in a hurry hoof it or hop off at the Roosevelt stop for Red, Orange or Green lines. Go a few more blocks for Brown or Red. Our group hopped off to see the Macy window's and then a short walk home with a stop at the always awesome Nonina for dinner.

Armitage is not bad as far as El stations go…read more What I like: + Armitage is among the cleanest I'd been to on the CTA + The station is easy to navigate + There are elevators for both the inbound and outbound platforms + The platforms have more than ample width + I can't fully write off that but if old school charm + While I've not used this station late at night, it feels safe What I don't like: - Coverage from the elements is limited - There is no countdown signage at platform level. The signs up there are old, red/green/orange LED ones. All they do is give you the time and remind you to step away from the edge. Thus, while there are some negatives, with help from the Transit app, this station is one of the better ones in the CTA.

I love taking public transportation everywhere because you don't have to deal with traffic. You can…read morebuy an all day pasta for five dollars for 24 hours which I think is a great deal and this station is nice because it's a link to so many food places around here and it's a very safe and fun neighborhood.

It's awesome to see a main station be spacious. What struck me was being told the bus service was…read morecut back... This is way better than the other locations with a small roof and tight platform. If only they can keep this consistency at all other locations!

I always took this train some times they are delayed but this week they are really really late I…read morewas waiting for 40 Minutes to took this train

This is a nice station. It opened in the 1960s and has been well kept over that time; it's very…read moremuch a picturesque suburban train stop. The interior of the station is nice and comfortable with many wooden benches for folks to wait when it's cold outside, which of course is quite often in this climate. Although there was once an agent at this location, I'm pretty positive they have replaced that with a ticket vending machine. There are still bathrooms in use here, which is helpful. And parking is available in the lots on both the east and west sides of the tracks, and along Busse Highway as well. The Park Ridge station is in a great location right in the heart of Uptown Park Ridge. There are several restaurants, shops, the library, the farmer's market, and more that takes place steps away from the station. It's really handy if you come by for one of the events or to visit the Pickwick or something.

Poor Metra is plagued by the occasional careless person or car that gets in the way of the trains,…read morewhich basically cannot be stopped once in full blast. Metra is a good suburban train system, as they run fairly close to the official schedules. I like to ride on the upper levels to get those elevated views.

This station is fine--easy to get to, safe enough and a place to stay warm. A lot of fun things to…read moredo close by for walking (a bunch of parks) and food/drink (cafes, restaurants and grocery stores).

Convenient train station nearby lots of restaurants and shopping with a simple station building…read morethat gets the job done. I like this spot more than some other local metra stops due to a pretty large amount of available parking (some only have street parking nearby)

The drivers are top notch in their professionalism I am in a wheelchair and they get me in the bus…read morestrap me in and then unstrapped me in and push me to my program Tuesday through Friday I really appreciate it

Pace Bus Paratransit really sucked four years ago. But it was transformed into a really decent…read moretransportation alternative for me and others like me two years ago by Mv Transportation. But after an initial stellar start, Pace has really begun to slide in the service provided. I may be disappointed but the current service is still much better than years before. The personnel could not be more friendlier or helpful. My guess is that budgets are being cut and, as a result, fewer drivers and buses are being sent out to handle the same load of passengers. The other day it took me over two hours to travel 10 miles. The financial cost to use the service is extremely reasonable. So, I can only complain so much. Though I wish service would improve, I appreciate what is available for me to use.

I mean it's kinda your old mediocre Evanston station. It's old but manageable. A tetanus trap a…read morebit. Flood spots ground level, no handicap accessible but there's an awesome mural you get to stare at by Ryan Tova Katz. I mean every station should have cool art. They'll get an extra star. Noyes not Art, same style station no extra star. Wilson they got an extra star. It's artsy. But hey it's convenient enough

It's part of the Purple line in Evanston. It's a smaller stop that lacks the enclosed waiting area…read moreamenity that the next inbound stop (Davis Station) has. Which will be a concern when it's ridiculously cold. But other than that, the nearby area appears safe and the stairs are clean. The only reason I'm writing this review is because this page was created because of my request. And I felt like bragging about that!

Hopping on a CTA #81 (Lawrence) bus used to be my daily commute to/from work when I lived in Albany…read morePark. This particular route runs 24/7, and many TSAs and ORD workers catch this one. Yes, together in the same bus we were like a large, happy family. At around 10pm, working professionals coming from ORD and Rosemont would get on the blue line train. As many of us were getting discharged at the Jefferson Park stop, we had the last exercise of the day: running all the way to #81 and hoping everyone of us had a seat (unlikely...because this one is always crowed during that time). Eastbound #81 begins at Jefferson Park Transportation Center. Immediately there's the first point of interest: - Copernicus Center: the annual north side Polish Fest on Labor Day weekend is hosted here. They have different activities going on throughout the year. Let's get back on the bus and continue our journey, or you may remain in the neighborhood and get a new tattoo at Chitown Tattoo, off Leclaire and I-90. I've heard many good reviews on their work. As we are heading east, we will be passing Mayfair and Albany Park. Albany Park is known to be one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Chicago. There are a few hole-in-the-wall places that actually were gems in my opinion: - Fish N' Go (cash-only): ask Nick, the owner, if there are oysters available. My parents used to surprise me with their delicious fried oysters after a long day of work. - Lawrence Fish Market (cash-only): affordable prices on quality sashimi, sushi, and maki rolls. Put their number on your speed dial and call ahead. - Markellos (cash-only): lights are on 24/7. I guarantee that you will never go hungry cruising through Albany Park. Ladies and gentlemen, now you've arrived at the CTA Kimball Brown Line station. That's probably what I'm missing the most living in Albany Park. The brown line provides an easy access to the Chicago Loop. From there it connects to other transportation options to the south/ southwest side of neighborhoods. By the way, "Hot Dog Station" on Kimball by Kimball Brown Line station is a good place to grab a quick bite. I don't know or can't recall the owner's name, but he resembles "Aiden" from Sex and the City. Wow, this review is becoming very long, and I should wrap it up ASAP. "Ravenswood" is the next neighborhood. It overlaps with Lincoln Square, near CTA Western Brown Line station. Many people love to hang out here during summer for the farmer's market on select Thursday evenings, trendy bars, and cool small businesses. Metra Union Pacific/North Line has a stop at Ravenswood. This particular Metra routine starts at Chicago-Ogilvie Transportation Center (OTC) and goes to all the way up north in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Attention passengers...we are approaching to Uptown. "Little Vietnam" is within the Uptown neighborhood. Many Vietnamese or other Asian-themed restaurants, bakeries, and businesses are nearby. If you ever wanna see some skimpily-dressed young men and women, come to "Aragon Ballroom" across from CTA Lawrence Red Line station. I almost got hurt by random glass bottles flying over my head while I was waiting for the bus on a late Saturday night. The CTA #81 (Lawrence) bus tour is officially coming to the end. Now it's time to take a quality break at the beautiful, magnificent Lakeshore Path.

The magic #81 Lawrence bus is open 24/7/365, is as clutch and critical as it gets. It starts by…read moreLake Shore Drive and flows through Uptown to pick you up from The Green Mill, Uptown Lounge, Kinetic Playground, The Aragon, The Riv, WIld Pug, or Crew. It goes on west in quick fashion, passing by El Quijote for late night eats, passes by Crafty Beaver and also Golden Nugget. If you need to hop on the Metra, the #81 Lawrence can drop you off at Lawrence and Ravenswood to hop on over. A giant Chase branch exists there that used to be BankOne that used to be First Chicago. Keep going west and you'll find Wendy's, CVS on Damen and Lawrence, El Taco Loco for late night snackery and Walgreen's open until Midnight. Not going to Lincoln Square? That's all right, the #81 will take you on over past Harvest Time for groceries, past by Restaurant Sarajevo, Greek bakeries and a world of small businesses. If it's late and you still haven't stopped try some George's Kebob by Kedzie and the new Mediterranean joint on the corner. Want something less ethic? How bout some Huddle House diner food that's open 24/7? The Filipino grocery is nearby, Popeye's Chicken, Subway, Donut Doctor and a world of $5 hair salons. Want some late night high carb fare? How bout some 24/7 Markello's Bakery? You can take the bus all the way to Jefferson Park, but I am getting off here, see you.