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Posted: Thursday, 31 December 2009 6:41AM
CTA offers penny rides for New Years Eve celebration
Bob Roberts Reporting
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CHICAGO (WBBM) -- The CTA is making no apologies for suspending its normal fare collection for 10 hours, beginning at 8 p.m. Thursday, to coax New Year's Eve revelers out of their cars.
"This is something we budgeted for in 2009. We think it's an important service to offer our customers and it's well received," said spokesperson Noelle Gaffney. "The new year is something many people enjoy welcoming in with friends and family and we want to do our part to get the year off right for everyone."
Gaffney said that, despite intense cost pressures, CTA is ending its 2009 with a balanced budget, as required by law.
A year ago, 150,000 riders made CTA their designated driver.
It's difficult to calculate the fares lost, because of the heavy everyday pass usage on CTA trains and buses. Using the average fare paid of just more than 90 cents, that works out to about $135,000, assuming that just as many riders would use CTA. If calculated at the cash fare of $2.25, which is paid by relatively few everyday riders, it would work out to $337,500.
Despite that, Gaffney said CTA management gave no thought to dropping the program. In fact, she said the 2010 CTA budget, despite all its cuts, has built in the program for next New Year's Eve.
"People will be able to celebrate the new year and get home safely," she said.
Officially, to comply with state law, the rides cost a penny, but don't hold your breath waiting for anyone to collect the fare.
Nine bus routes serving Navy Pier, the Loop, Union Station, Ogilvie Transportation Center (North Western Station) and the Millennium (Randolph Street) Metra Electric/South Shore Line terminal will operate later than usual, and the last trains on the Brown, Orange, Pink and Green lines will leave downtown stations at 1:30 a.m. Purple and Yellow Line trains will operate from Howard Street terminal until 2 a.m.
The Red and Blue Lines, which run 24 hours, will see more frequent service all night.
The bus lines running extended hours early Friday will include the 4/Cottage Grove, 6/Jackson Park Express, 20/Madison, 22/Clark, 29/State, 65/Grand, 66/Chicago Avenue, 124/Navy Pier and 151/Sheridan.
CTA plans to run regular weekday service on other lines New Year's Eve and a Sunday/Holiday schedule on Friday. Normal fare collection will resume at 6 a.m. Friday.
Regular fares apply on Metra, but the commuter rail agency will operate its last trains on the Union Pacific North, Union Pacific Northwest, Union Pacific West, Milwaukee District North, Milwaukee District West, BNSF and Rock Island Districts at 1:15 a.m. Friday, and on the Metra Electric District at 12:50 a.m. (with a connection to the South Chicago branch only).
For those attempting a pub crawl New Year's Eve, Miller Lite beer is offering free rides on a double-decker bus between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. Stops will include the Merchandise Mart 'L' stop; the Mother Hubbard's, Theory and O'Callaghan's bars on Hubbard between Dearborn and State; Corcoran's, at Wells and North; the Armitage 'L' stop and Kincade's; State, McGee's and Kelly's at Webster and Sheffield; the Fullerton 'L' stop; Mad River, Vaughan's and Kirkwood on Sheffield between Oakdale and Wellington; the Addison 'L' and the adjacent Harry Caray's at Addison and Sheffield; Murphy's Bleachers at Waveland and Sheffield; the Cubby Bear at Clark and Addison; Houndstooth and Rebel at Clark and Newport; Victory Liquors at Halsted and Wrightwood; and finally Kendall's, Wise Fools Pub and Halligan's at Belden and Lincoln.
CTA and Metra information can be obtained by calling 836-7000 from any Chicago-area area code or by going online to www.rtachicago.com. Miller Lite bus times can be obtained by calling 800-FREE-RIDES, by texting "RIDE" to 44636 or by going online to www.MillerLiteFreeRides.com.
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