You're right, Jackson was a typo - I've corrected my message.

Track work and weekend shuttles are back from their winter hibernation! Today's Trib:

"Meanwhile, work to eliminate slow zones on the O'Hare branch of the Blue Line resumes this weekend.

Rail service between the Jefferson Park and Cumberland Blue Line stations will be temporarily suspended from 9 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Monday while crews replace deteriorated rail ties, tie plates and spikes.

Bus shuttles will operate as a substitute for rail service between the Jefferson Park, Harlem and Cumberland stations."

EDIT: Also, trains will run single-track during weeknights this week, according to CTA's site: "8 p.m. nightly until 4 a.m. the next morning, Monday, March 31 through Thursday, April 3, 2008. Due to tie replacement work to eliminate slow zones, southbound Blue Line (O’Hare branch) trains will operate on the northbound track at the Harlem (accessible) station. Please board all trains on the northbound side of the platform."

As obnoxious as this is, I very much appreciate the work done to date -- my train ride time has been cut in half since the tracks in the subway were restored.

I noticed some nice high speed runs where they had worked last fall. Should be nice when they're done.

It makes me want to take the train now that I see it zooooooming by the cars on the Kennedy-- that is until it hits one of the unfinished zones and crawls just like the traffic. Only takes time and money to fix.

In Chicago there are two seasons - Winter and Construction. Winter is over.

SO....

For the next six months, if you are planning to take the CTA Blue or Red line 9pm-5am or on a weekend, check

http://transitchicago.com/news/whatsnewa.wu

to see whether you will be shuttled or re-routed...

No Blue Line service to O'Hare station at all from 8-28 July. (Not even weekdays!) Instead, shuttles will run to Rosemont.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=29909

CTA's site has a few more details: buses will board at the ORD Bus & Shuttle Center (of course), which I suppose is a bit closer to some terminals and the ATS. The next phase is this fall, from Jeff Park to Addison. Hope they use this opportunity to give the ORD station a good cleaning and light-bulb-changing.

http://yourcta.com/news/ctaandpress....ticleid=100473

That sucks, but thanks for the heads up.

I only have one trip booked for that time period, so if it will make things faster in the long-run, I'm all for it.

I took the blue line home last night at a little after 5pm, and it was only about 40 minutes from ORD to Clark/Lake, so it is definitely getting faster with the newly installed tracks between Jeff Park and Rosemont. WAY faster than the Kennedy at rush hour, that's for sure!

Here's a prettier, better organized look at upcoming Blue Line service changes:
http://transit.elevatedconsulting.com/bluestatus.asp

I suspect that the shuttle buses will actually be FASTER than the current blue line service on that last four miles. There have been times when I could have walked faster. At Rosemont they'll hop pretty much right on the expressway I would think, and that end of the Kennedy is usually pretty open.

I will be Sooooo glad when this last stretch is finished, the trip from the loop to Rosemont has improved greatly, but they you hit that last little bit. 20 days of a shuttle bus is little to pay for what will be a vast improvement in the end.

Hope to catch someone's eye quickly as I'll be in Chicago on thurs, july 24.

I have ridden the blue line shuttle last week from Rosemont (where I disembarked from the cta) to ORD and have a pretty good idea how it works. Now the question: if I were to park at Rosemont station to go for an hour or so to ORD, would the shuttle cost me anything? I won't be staying at hotel with a free shuttle.

took

I took the shuttle both ways this weekend, and no one asked for any proof that I actually took the Blue Line to get to the shuttle service. I am sure you could just jump on the shuttle buses and ride to the airport for free. You will have to pay for parking at Rosemount..

What stngfn said. You shouldn't have a problem.

I used it last night. The driver said it was free. And there were a few people who were not riding the L - just getting a free ride between Rosemont and ORD.

How about the other direction? Do you have to pay to get on the bus from O'Hare?

Actually I was talking about from ORD. I didn't use the shuttle on the way TO ORD, but I can't imagine you'd have a problem. It's not like the CTA employees really care. You could just say you threw your pass away after you got on the train downtown.

Just in case I want to hang out in Rosemont after a trip instead of going home! :D