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Taxi - What Time?

Taxi - What Time?

Old May 22, 2014, 7:41 am
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Taxi - What Time?

Tomorrow (Friday) morning I want to pull up at ORD departures @ 7:30 AM.

I'm at the Waldorf Astoria @ Walton & Rush. What time should I get into a cab? 6:30 AM? 6:15?

Should I give up on the cab idea altogether and get on the train?
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Old May 22, 2014, 8:25 am
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Originally Posted by gglave
Tomorrow (Friday) morning I want to pull up at ORD departures @ 7:30 AM.

I'm at the Waldorf Astoria @ Walton & Rush. What time should I get into a cab? 6:30 AM? 6:15?

Should I give up on the cab idea altogether and get on the train?
I would get on the train, as I have been caught in some MASSIVE traffic jams to/from ORD.
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Old May 22, 2014, 8:38 am
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I am totally baffled by traffic patterns in Chicago, which seem to be completely random and arbitrary. I'd personally give myself an hour at anytime, just in case.
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Old May 22, 2014, 8:57 am
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It's the start of our Memorial day weekend tomorrow, so morning rush hour could go either way.

Personally, I'd take the train.
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Old May 22, 2014, 10:59 am
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I live in Lakeview (10 minutes north of the Waldorf on the lake, but also further from the highways) and I'd leave at 6:45 am. But, as others have mentioned, Memorial Day throws a bit of a wrench into the works.
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Old May 22, 2014, 11:24 am
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Originally Posted by gglave
Tomorrow (Friday) morning I want to pull up at ORD departures @ 7:30 AM.

I'm at the Waldorf Astoria @ Walton & Rush. What time should I get into a cab? 6:30 AM? 6:15?

Should I give up on the cab idea altogether and get on the train?
I would see if the house car can take you to Clark/Lake and take the train. Technically they aren't supposed to cross the river but if you ask nice the driver often will. You could also grab a cab to the same station.
If you don't want to do that I would set aside at least an hour. A few months back doing this same transfer I watched train after train go by while sitting stuck in traffic; it took an 1:15 to make it to ORD. That said I've done the same xfer in about the same time in 45 minutes.
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Old May 22, 2014, 12:05 pm
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Originally Posted by gglave
Tomorrow (Friday) morning I want to pull up at ORD departures @ 7:30 AM.

I'm at the Waldorf Astoria @ Walton & Rush. What time should I get into a cab? 6:30 AM? 6:15?

Should I give up on the cab idea altogether and get on the train?
I actually live in Streeterville, and having done Friday am taxi/uber to the airport few times in last few months, and tomorrow being the beginning of mem. weekend, I'd be in a cab no later than 6 am, just to be safe.

Blue line might be quicker option (station is on Chicago/Milwaukee ave) about 2 miles west of your location and you don't have to deal with loop traffic to go to clark/lake.
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Old May 22, 2014, 12:55 pm
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Originally Posted by Roadrunna
Blue line might be quicker option (station is on Chicago/Milwaukee ave) about 2 miles west of your location and you don't have to deal with loop traffic to go to clark/lake.
Traffic in the loop at 6:30 on a Friday is going to be non-existent, so I wouldn't be worried about slightly backtracking to Clark/Lake if the house car will take you there.
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Old May 22, 2014, 1:06 pm
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Looks like Chicago Station on the Red Line is only a few blocks away. If I hopped on there, where's the best place to connect to the Blue Line? Jackson?
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Old May 22, 2014, 1:10 pm
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Originally Posted by gglave
Looks like Chicago Station on the Red Line is only a few blocks away. If I hopped on there, where's the best place to connect to the Blue Line? Jackson?
Jackson has a tunnel that doesn't require you to leave the station, but you can get off at Lake and walk through the Pedway tunnel under Block 37 to avoid going so far south.
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Old May 23, 2014, 6:22 am
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Thanks everyone for the speedy replies.

I wound up taking a cab - Was in the cab at 6:15 and pulled up at ORD at 6:55.

Now enjoying delightful United Club coffee in an "eco skies" cup
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Old May 28, 2014, 7:35 am
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Originally Posted by gglave
I wound up taking a cab - Was in the cab at 6:15 and pulled up at ORD at 6:55
do not expect same speedy ride on a Monday morning
Originally Posted by rjque
I am totally baffled by traffic patterns in Chicago, which seem to be completely random and arbitrary.
agreed, just crazy.

I can recall that if I had a meeting in the Loop (in the 90s) yet was in my car at 4:45, traffic would be very heavy getting out to the burbs but it would be moving at near or above posted speed limits.

Now it is usual to see slow jammed traffic inbound on the Kennedy most afternoons from 3pm on. Also most Saturdays inbound at 11pm are packed as well.

I'm hoping someone can help out, for the life of me I can't figure out why there is almost always a slowdown outbound for the couple miles between Lawrence & Harlem, there aren't that many cars merging onto the Kennedy at that point, yet for some reason almost always a slowdown there.
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Old May 28, 2014, 12:06 pm
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Originally Posted by Sweet Willie
do not expect same speedy ride on a Monday morning

agreed, just crazy.

I can recall that if I had a meeting in the Loop (in the 90s) yet was in my car at 4:45, traffic would be very heavy getting out to the burbs but it would be moving at near or above posted speed limits.

Now it is usual to see slow jammed traffic inbound on the Kennedy most afternoons from 3pm on. Also most Saturdays inbound at 11pm are packed as well.

I'm hoping someone can help out, for the life of me I can't figure out why there is almost always a slowdown outbound for the couple miles between Lawrence & Harlem, there aren't that many cars merging onto the Kennedy at that point, yet for some reason almost always a slowdown there.
And hasn't research shown that there are more people doing the so-called "reverse commute" (city to burbs in the morning, burbs to city at night) than the regular commute, but reversable lanes, etc., still follow traditional/historic traffic patterns?
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Old May 30, 2014, 3:03 pm
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Originally Posted by chgoeditor
And hasn't research shown that there are more people doing the so-called "reverse commute" (city to burbs in the morning, burbs to city at night) than the regular commute, but reversable lanes, etc., still follow traditional/historic traffic patterns?
As a daily "reverse" commuter on the Ike, I would be interested in such research. I definitely think it is increasing in popularity, but am not sure if it has surpassed "regular" commuting.
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Old May 31, 2014, 9:08 am
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Originally Posted by Sweet Willie
I'm hoping someone can help out, for the life of me I can't figure out why there is almost always a slowdown outbound for the couple miles between Lawrence & Harlem, there aren't that many cars merging onto the Kennedy at that point, yet for some reason almost always a slowdown there.
There are busy onramps through that stretch. Lawrence and Foster are both arterials with lots of traffic. There are almost always a lot of cars getting on at Nagle. Devon to Nagle is one of the best routes to the Kennedy/ORD from the far north side/south Evanston/Lincolnwood/south Skokie. Harlem has lots of traffic too.

It may not seem like there are that many cars merging, but it adds up.
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