Commuters worry about transit disruptions during DNC in Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Those who need to get around Chicago when the Democratic National Convention comes to town will need to prepare for some changes to public transit.
Commuters are worried about it, because of what they have seen in the past when large events are in town and service is impacted—and not just in the aeras around those events.
Commuters are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.
Driving is a concern unto itself—especially for anyone who lives near one of the convention sites.
"I actually live really close to McCormick Place, so I'm expecting a lot of traffic," said Iyana Joli Cour.
Cour wants to avoid that traffic, and thus, she says she will be sticking to the Chicago Transit Authority next week.
"I'm going to just avoid the expressways altogether," Cour said.
But there are changes to expect with the CTA too.
A CTA spokesperson wrote: "We are making some targeted service adjustments on the Blue, Orange and Green Lines to address anticipated ridership increases; we make similar adjustments to our service for more large events in the city, such as Cubs Games, Lollapalooza, and other events."
There were no other details on changes for the 'L' train system. The CTA did, however, note that the recently-opened Damen Green Line station is close to the United Center and improves access to the area.
For buses, the CTA has issued a list of routes the agency says will definitely be impacted:
- #1 Bronzeville/Union Station
- #3 King Drive
- #4 Cottage Grove
- #X4 Cottage Grove Express
- #20 Madison
- #21 Cermak
- #50 Damen
- #126 Jackson
- #192 U. of Chicago Hospitals Express
These buses will be rerouted due to the security perimeters around the United Center and McCormick Place.
Meanwhile, Metra is offering a special shuttle during the convention. Hourly shuttle trains cost $3.75 and will run between O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Union Station—a 35-minute trip.
The shuttle trains will operate in addition to regular service on the Metra North Central Service Line.
Suburban bus transit and regional paratransit agency Pace said three of its routes—850, 851, and 855—will be affected. These routes run on the Stevenson Expressway, which will be closed between State Street and DuSable Lake Shore Drive for the McCormick Place security perimeter.
These routes will continue running, but will use an alternate route to get on the Stevenson—and delays are expected, Pace said.
The Cermak/Chinatown exit from the northbound Stevenson will also close through Friday, Aug. 30, Pace noted. Thus, the inbound bus stop on the three affected Pace routes at Clark Street and Cermak Road will not be served, but all outbound bus stops will remain in service, Pace said.
Pace also said it will provide paratransit services for those with disabilities attending the convention—with pickup and dropoff details to come.
Still, even with all the plans outlined, some local commuters who rely on public transit entirely, like Owen Driscoll, are concerned heading into next week.
"I was just taking a Blue Line train downtown. It was like 30-minute headways. That train was packed. People were going in between doors, smoking," Driscoll said. "It's wild, and there's no accountability or anything. We are not hearing anything from leadership about what they are going to do to change or fix anything."
Driscoll said reliability is already an issue, and becomes a bigger one when public transit is bogged down during large events.
"There was a giant music festival, and that was a complete disaster too," said commuter Owen Driscoll, "and we're not showing the good side of Chicago, everything the city has to have, and that's really what these events are supposed to be—showing the world or the country what Chicago is and how wonderful it is—and we're failing at that."
Meanwhile, electric scooter service will also be an option. The company Lime is working on software upgrades ahead of the convention—upgrading its e-scooters to the new Gen 4.1 model.
Lime said it will also provide a 25% discount off one ride for all riders throughout the DNC, with promo code DNC2024. The company will also create a Lime Valet Station at Jackson Boulevard and Malcolm X College for easy access to the convention, and add foot patrols to high-traffic and important areas to ensure scooters can be found and are parked properly.
The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications has also set up a "Getting Around" page, and a page with frequently asked questions.
