 Lots of traffic in downtown Chicago by rmdw | Driving/Parking tips and advice posted by real travelers and Chicago locals. • 21 Photos
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If you are listening to traffic reports while driving through Chicago, in addition to the highway number, sections of these highways in and around Chicago have different names that they are more commonly known by
Kennedy-highway 90/94 West runs north from downtown Chicago, at the Junction the Kennedy (90) keeps going northwest towards O'Hare and the Northwest suburbs, renamed after President John F. Kennedy after his assasination in 1963
Edens Expressway-highway 94 West runs north from the Kennedy Junction to the north suburbs, named for William Edens, head of the Illinois Highway Improvement Association, who ironically never owned or drove a car.
Dan Ryan-highway 90/94 East actually runs south from downtown, splits into the Bishop Ford (94) and the Chicago Skyway (90), named for Daniel B. Ryan, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners
Bishop Ford-highway 94 runs east from the Dan Ryan into Indiana, formerly named the Calumet Expressway, renamed in 1996 honor of the late Bishop Louis Henry Ford who had a church nearby.
Eisenhower-highway 290, runs west from downtown Chicago to the western suburbs, named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower, very appropriate as he was a major force in the development of interstate highways (although 290 isn't an interstate highway as it just runs through Illinois)
Stevenson-highway 55, runs south from Chicago towards St. Louis, named after Illinois governor and presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson
If you're a bigger geek than me and want more info, everything you could possibly want to know about the highways can be found at the website below. Leave a Comment
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Lots of traffic in downtown
Chicago by rmdw
But if you really do want to drive & park downtown then here are some garages that generally have lower cost parking rates:
- The East Monroe Street and Millennium Park garages (enter at Columbus Drive and Monroe Street) Call (312) 742-7644 for lot and rate information.
- Grant Park south garage (enter at Michigan Avenue between Van Buren and Adams) Call (312) 745-2862 for lot and rate information.
- Grant Park north garage (enter at Michigan Avenue between Madison and Randolph) Call (312) 742-7530 for lot and rate information. Leave a Comment
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If you are driving north out of Chicago (outbound) or south into Chicago (inbound) on the Kennedy watch for the signs saying the Express lanes are open. Almost always, these lanes move faster than the local lanes.
Don't use them if you need to exit before you can get out of them, there's one place you can exit in the middle and then again at the end.
The lanes are reversible and change direction depending on which way the traffic is usually heaviest. The schedule,which can be overruled by IDOT, is 1 am to 11:30 am inbound and 1 pm to 11 pm outbound on Sunday-Friday. On Saturdays the express lanes are switched from outbound to inbound sometime between 1:30 pm and 5 pm and back to outbound sometime between 5 pm and 8 pm. Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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If you are heading into/out of Chicago via the Indiana Toll Road, you will spend a portion of your trip on the Chicago Skyway. As the price keeps rising and rising and rising, I'm less inclined to use this to get to and from home to Chicago than Highway 41 which eventually merges into Lake Shore Drive. If I'm not in a real hurry, I almost always avoid the Skyway now.
If you do drive it, watch out for the ever present Chicago Police Department writing tickets to speeders, it is practically guaranteed that you will see one during your trip. They lurk on the on ramps and at the bottom of hills so you'd be advised not to go too fast.
And if you are unlucky enough to be continuing on to the Indiana Toll Road, you will get hit within a few miles with yet another 50 cent toll.
In 2004, the City of Chicago agreed to sell the Skyway and the toll, which had been $2 since 1993 rose to $2.50 and in 2008 rose to $3 and will likely continue to rise as the agreement allows for a series of increases up to $5 by 2017. You can use your Illinois I Pass, Indiana I Zoom or the EZ Pass (used in northeast US states) to pay the toll on the Skyway but there is no discount over cash like there is on the Indiana and Illinois toll roads. At least you avoid the long cash lines! Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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Street parking near the shopping area on North Michigan Avenue is nearly impossible. When we go in the evening we either park at 900 N. Michigan where the have validation with a $5 purchase. The parking with validation is $6, $21 without validation. If nothing else, there is a bookstore in the mall where you can go buy a cheap book.
2007 update, I found the Sterling Self Park on Kinzie between LaSalle and Clark recently, after 3 pm and on the weekends it's $8.
Prices are subject to change, check the signs before you pull into the garage. Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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 by sambarnett
Get a map, learn it and create wacky short cuts, the Interstates occasionally resemble parking lots. Driving around the Loop, especially during rush hour, is a tiring game of skill, wit and perseverance.
Pictured: So rare I had to capture it in pictures. The Dyan Ryan, NOT clogged up. Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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Chicago is the first large city I have ever had to park in where it was very easy to do so. The city planners did a great job providing parking garages all over downtown.
We had no problem at all finding a parking garage, getting a space in one, or figuring out how to pay. Very well thought out. It was $14 per day, but, compared to the hassle of parking in other cities, I would say it was worth it. Theme: Car/Motor Home
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Thats excactly what we did. Well actually got a loan of a Hummer for a few days. I have never driven a tank before but it felt like it was a tank l was driving. The Hummer would not fit into my garage at home it was so big, and its amazing the way other cars get off the road when your driving this huge tank. I enjoyed the experience. Leave a Comment Theme: Other
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 Red Head by IrishFemLeave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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 by IrishFemLeave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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