CLEguy

Yep, and that would require a transfer in the Loop since it's the blue line goes to ORD

TWA884

I am well aware; I have done that transfer numerous times in both directions between ORD and River North.

GUWonder

It's like a 20-35 minute walk from just about any CTA Bue Line stop?

Beside the option of doing a transfer to a bus or doing a transfer to the Red Line while in the Loop is the option to transfer to a taxi/Uber/Lyft from one of the CTA Blue Line stops. But at that point it may just as well be worth it to take an Uber/Lyft direct from ORD instead.

garethmorgan

Is the blue - red transfer difficult?

touringuy

Not difficult at all. Just get off the Blue Line downtown at the Washington Station and walk across the hallway to the Red Line. You’ll need your farecard again in order to swipe through but it’s a free transfer. This CTA page does a great job of explaining which passenger exit to look for when hopping off the Blue Line :

https://www.transitchicago.com/station/wasb/

Make sure to take the Red Line train *northbound* toward Howard Street when transferring, as opposed to riding south toward 95th Street.

GUWonder

Not generally, but at times I have chosen to avoid it anyway. I guess it depends on how nimble you/your fellow travelers feel with whatever is being ported at CTA stations and on the trains. For some, that transfer is one step too much at times. Others just consider it easy enough.

garethmorgan

We'll have a couple of suitcases, are there escalators / elevators?

TWA884

There are two locations where you can transfer from the Blue Line to the Red Line en route from ORD to River North.

The first one is at Washington, where there are elevators and escalators; however, there you exit the Washington Station and walk a short distance through an indoor mall to enter the Lake Station. You need your ticket to enter the Lake Station (there is no extra charge).

The second transfer point is the second station past Washington, at Jackson. There, you do not exit the station, however there are a few steps into and out of the tunnel connecting the Blue Line platforms and the Red Line platforms.

Here is a link to the CTA Rail System Map. Take at look at the enlargement of the Loop detail at the bottom left.

garethmorgan

Thanks; Washington sounds better. Wheeled cases and walking beats stairs.

paule123

That's what I have done in the past when visiting family in the gold coast neighborhood. Grab an Uber at the blue line Chicago Ave. stop. It's a busy intersection, safe neighborhood, should be relatively easy to get an Uber there. IMO transferring from blue to red line in the loop would add at least 30 mins to the trip because you have to go all the way south into the Loop, walk with luggage to the Red line, wait for the Red line train, then travel back up north to the hotel. Escalators may be broken. Elevators may be inop or "fragrant"

_kurt

It’s an extra three stops on the blue line before the transfer, and three stops on red line after the transfer. The extra time on the train is minimal. But yes, the transfer from blue to red could add 15 minutes or more because sometimes there are long gaps between trains. I personally would either fully commit to public transit and ride it as close as it would take me to my destination, or just take a cab / uber from the airport to begin with. Mixing CTA and Uber, to me, brings the worst of both and optimizes for neither time nor money nor convenience.

One perk of sticking with the CTA all the way is traversing two of only three tunnels under the Chicago River that are open to the public. You can feel the change in depth and humidity.

JimInOhio

Picking nits but isn't it an extra two stops on both the Blue and Red lines to transfer at Jackson vs Washington/Lake?

_kurt

I meant to compare transferring at Washington vs. getting off the blue line at Chicago and taking an Uber. I stated it was an extra six stops plus a transfer. But in light of your post I re-counted and it’s actually 5 unless you count the transfer from Washington to Lake as a stop

CLEguy

If one gets off at Chicago, the 66 bus is always an option, and fairly frequent.

GUWonder

When coming into the city from ORD and not destined to go straight somewhere that is convenient to one of the stops on the Blue line around the Loop, then I am also one of those who hop off at the Chicago or Grand Blue line CTA stops and then make my way above ground the rest of the way via Uber/Lyft/taxi, bus or even on foot at times.

If someone isn't able and willing to walk stairs, carry luggage on the stairs, and even lift luggage over "obstacles" at times while using the CTA, then I would suggest that maybe it's a good idea to consider just eating the cost of the taxi/Uber/Lyft directly from the airport. But if it's two highly-mobile adults with luggage they don't feel would be cumbersome going up steps, then the risk of the escalators being out isn't as much an issue even when transferring to the Red line is in the picture.

Indeed those elevators at CTA stations can be pretty nasty at times. I'd rather walk up the stairs than gamble on guessing what food/drink some earlier user of the elevators must have had in order to give the elevator it's "perfume du jour".

When coming from ORD by CTA, I try to avoid the Red train transfer even when wanting to get over to around the Water Tower. For me, it's been close enough to a wash time-wise between using the 66 Bus from Chicago or doing the Red line transfer somewhere. But since sometimes I just want to walk or want a taxi/car to get me to my destination and not necessarily have to deal with being underground for even longer.

When using the CTA Blue line stops at Chicago or at Grand, the 5-6 way "intersections" around them can be disorientating to some. Had more than my share of calls asking me "which way should I go"/"where should I be standing".