Public Transportation in the City
Today was the first day back from fall break! Many students traveled home this weekend to visit their families and friends. In honor of this past break filled with travel, I’m going to talk about public transportation in the city, and how even out-of-staters can learn the ropes of transportation in Chicago quickly.
Coming from a person who is not a Chicago native, learning the many different means of transportation in the city can be intimidating at first. However, learning the routes of the CTA lines and how to call a cab soon become almost a second nature within the first few weeks of living at Loyola. The easiest way of transportation is the CTA train system with different lines that take you almost anywhere you need to go. The Loyola stop of the red line is located just across North Sheridan road, only a few steps away from campus! This is convenient because the red line can take you into the heart of the city and beyond, past both baseball fields (Wrigley Field at the Addison Stop and Cellular Field at the Sox-35th stop), and to a bunch of different neighborhoods and interesting places. At some stops you are able to transfer to other colored lines that lead to other suburbs and other areas surrounding Chicago. Once you learn the stops and what places are located near each stop, getting around the city is easy! The CTA bus system works similar to the train system, with stops all over the city. One special perk of being a Loyola student is that Loyola gives each student a pre-paid Ventra card, which allows students to travel on any CTA system for free, bus or train!
Another easy way of transportation in the city is by taking a cab. Cabs in Chicago are everywhere! Hailing a cab in the city is extremely easy, and most cabs are looking for passengers. The one main disadvantage to taking a cab is the cab fares. Cabs can be extremely expensive! For those who are worried about hailing a cab or expensive cab fares, the Uber app would be a good alternative. Uber is a private cab company in which you can request cabs to your exact location through a smart phone app. One convenient thing about Uber is that paper money is not used to pay. When registering the app on your phone, you also register your credit card number so ride fares are taken directly from your credit card through the company. This may seem sketchy, but the app is extremely convenient when you need a ride and the drivers profile is sent to your app, which somewhat makes the whole experience seem a bit safer. Plus, the first ride is free with a promo code!
Ultimately, city transportation is quick and easy to get the hang of! Whether you are a Chicago native or not, picking up on the CTA routes and easy ways to call a cab are a breeze!