Metra is planning extra service on Aug. 20 and 21 to accommodate those attending the 58th Annual Chicago Air and Water Show at North Avenue Beach and along the city’s lakefront.
“Our customers know the value of taking Metra to summer events like the Air and Water Show and that’s why we’re happy to be able to provide extra service,” said Metra Executive Director/ CEO Don Orseno. “Our $8 Weekend Pass and the fact that kids ride free make Metra the most affordable choice; and riding the train eliminates the hassles of traffic and parking. It’s a win all around.”
Metra will provide extra trains, expand passenger capacity and adjust schedules on seven of its 11 lines to accommodate the large number of people planning to attend the nation’s largest free air and water show. A summary of the expanded service is attached to this release. Full schedules for each line are available on our website at metrarail.com.
Families can save money on a trip to the city with Metra’s $8 Weekend Pass, which provides unlimited rides on Metra all weekend. Plus, up to three children 11 and under are able to ride free with each adult through Labor Day. You can also buy your train ticket from your smartphone with the new Ventra App.
Once you arrive downtown, a variety of travel connections provide easy access to the Lakefront. Customers disembarking at Metra’s Union Station or Millennium Park Station can board the CTA’s No. 151 buses to Oak Street and North Avenue beaches. The No. 151 buses are also within walking distance of the Ogilvie Transportation Center and Metra’s LaSalle Street Station. Plus, our west loop stations have water taxi service and all downtown stations are steps from Divvy bike stations. Our rideshare partners Uber and Lyft also are offering new rideshare app users up to $10 off each of their first two rides. Download the Uber app and enter promo code METRACHI. Go to the Lyft website and enter your phone number to receive their discount.
Metra customers also should be advised that due to the large number of passengers expected on our trains, alcoholic beverages and glass containers will not be allowed on trains all day on Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 20 and 21). Bicycle warning dates also will be in effect throughout the event, which means there is a higher likelihood that trains will not be able to accommodate bicycles due to higher-than-normal ridership.
Find more information about the Chicago Air and Water Show at cityofchicago.org.
About Metra: Metra is one of the largest and most complex commuter rail systems in North America, serving Cook, DuPage, Will, Lake, Kane and McHenry counties in northeastern Illinois. The agency provides service to and from downtown Chicago with 241 stations over 11 routes totaling nearly 500 route miles and approximately 1,200 miles of track. Metra operates more than 700 weekday trains, providing about 300,000 passenger trips each weekday.
