Your Obama Rally Guide

Obama Rally Details and Interactive MAP
CBS 2/Newsradio 780 Voter Guide

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CHICAGO (STNG/CBS 2/WBBM/AP) - If you’re planning to come to Barack Obama’s election night rally in Grant Park, be ready to stand in long lines and be prepared to get turned away if the park gets too  crowded.

Here are tips for attending:

Getting there

Underground garages will be open, but the city is urging people to take the CTA or Metra. Expect numerous CTA re-routes downtown. The transit agency will offer longer trains and more buses. They will run till 2 a.m. Wednesday or later. Buy fare cards ahead of time, or face lines, said CTA chief Ron Huberman. No bicycles are permitted on the CTA from 4 p.m. today to 4 a.m. Wednesday. Prepare for sweeping street closures and parking bans.

There is parking in Millennium, Grant Park North and East Monroe garages for tonight’s rally, but starting at 3 p.m. the rate is $30 for all night. There are more than 9,000 parking spots amongst the four garages.

For more information, go to:
www.transitchicago.com
www.metrarail.com
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/oemc
Obama Rally Interactive MAP

Getting in

Go east on Congress Parkway to the only Grant Park entrance that will be open: Congress Parkway and Michigan. “There could very well be a long line,” said Ray Orozco, chief of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications. Security concerns dictated one entry, he said.

To prevent early bottlenecks, wait until after the evening rush to go, said OEMC’s Jennifer Martinez. Entry starts at 8:30 p.m.

Obama Rally Interactive MAP

If you have tickets

Once people enter the park, those with tickets will be directed south to Hutchinson Field, where Obama is to appear. Hutchinson Field accommodates about 78,000.

At Hutchinson Field, expect metal detectors. Don’t bring cans or bottles. Security may view them as projectiles. Blankets are OK. No alcohol, coolers, chairs, strollers, signs or large bags allowed. Hot dogs, pizza, hot chocolate and merchandise will be sold. Portable toilets will be provided.

If you don’t have tickets

Those without tickets will be sent north to Butler Field, where they can watch the event on a Jumbotron, officials said. If Butler Field gets too crowded, the city will close it, Orozco said.

The Butler Field crowd won’t have to submit to metal detectors. Here too, blankets are OK. And no alcohol, coolers, chairs, strollers, signs or large bags allowed. Water will be sold at Butler Field, where 200 portable toilets will be ready, Orozco said.

Don’t try to use Millennium Park to get to Grant Park. Millennium Park will close at 6 p.m. today for security reasons.

Another idea

Chicago handles about 1 million people at its Fourth of July celebrations. A top city official speculates the Obama crowd might hit 500,000. “It’s a confined area, there’s no entertainment, there’s no food, and you can’t see anything,” he said. “The best seat in the house sometimes is your living room,