| BIKING on the "EL"
Diary of a CTA Bike-and-Ride By Bob McCray I took the CTA
to work in the Chicago Loop for 12 years and never viewed it as an "adventure." But, when I recently learned I could take my bike on the CTA to great places like the Chicago lakefront, my outlook changed. Chicago's lakefront is a beautiful biking venue. The trouble is, unless you l ive nearby, biking through city traffic (for example from Evanston) is misery. Cartopping, the other alternative, is fine if you're going to Wisconsin. But for short hops, I spend more time fiddling than biking. So, I downloaded the CTA Bike Access brochure from the Internet to learn all about it. The Chicago Loop got its name from the elevated train that
circles the downtown area. "El" is short for elevated, which to a biker means carrying your bike up several flights of stairs. For Bike–and–Ride, bikers are instructed to take elevators whenever available (not escalators). There's an elevator nearby in downtown Evanston, but I chose our local stop with two flights of stairs. (As per brochure, I had CTA staff open the access gates.) It's funny, my road bike seemed much lighter than the briefcase I used to take to work. In a dozen years, I rode the el over 6,000 times – briefcase and Tribune in hand – but never with a bike. Standing on the el platform Saturday at 8 a.m., with my 10–speed, overlooking the canal and golf course, was unique.
I had some concerns. Bikers are only allowed to board trains with sliding doors, and only two bikers are allowed on each car. I couldn't remember
what a sliding door looked like. But, it turned out that my Evanston Purple Line train had sliding doors, and no other bikers rode that train.
There were only two or three passengers on the car I boarded. I had ample time to wheel my bike to the rear of the car. Bikers are instructed to stand near either end of the train car, not to block the aisle, and not to put down a kickstand.
Over the years, I've taken many standing–room–only trains, especially
during Chicago snowstorms, when commuters race for the CTA to get out of the Loop early. However, I never stood up on the el with a bike before. After some wobbly trial and error, I anchored my feet, gripped the bike and bar, and, in a position that was comfortable and secure, stood like the Statue of Liberty through the both straightaway and swing–and–sway. I'm positive the tango lessons my wife and I are taking gave me balance and flexibility.
Evanston riders change trains at Howard Street. The two platforms are usually filled with people, but the trains move with dispatch. It was my first time in a crowd, and I wondered if people would stare at me. Years ago, I owned one of the first pairs of inline skates. Back then, a woman with her hair up in curlers driving a big Chrysler rolled down her car window, and yelled, "what is a grown man doing on roller skates?"
Nobody stared at me. I discovered morning riders are either glassy eyed from the night shift, reading their newspapers, or just waking up.
I got off at Argyle, which was only about six blocks from the Foster Street underpass beneath Chicago's Outer Drive. It was a breeze to get to the lake.
The lakefront bike path brought back memories: Cross country races at Waveland Golf Course; sailing into Belmont Harbor; and taking our kids to
the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Museum Campus, and McCormick Place. It was a mobile mosaic of bikers, hikers, runners, inline skaters, recumbents, jogging strollers, and scooters. Sideshows included kick boxers, an outdoor stationary exercise bike class, a dog beach, and sailors rigging their boats.
I biked within range of downtown and the John Hancock, checking out underpasses and el stops, finally taking an underpass a few blocks north of
Division Street, and biking some shady park lanes and side streets to the Clark and Division street El stop.
The underground tube was a concern, but the stairs, gate and platform routines were no different from those above ground. I was home in 35 minutes, brimming with confidence. I recalled a scene from a John Wayne movie where he rode his black stallion down the ramp of a cattle car. That was me.
There's a saying "Once you do it, you're an expert." I don't feel that way about Bike–and–Ride. I still have questions. There are plenty of places I'd like to bike in Chicago: Navy Pier for lakeside dining; Grant Park for starlight dancing; and soon, Meigs Field for the makeover. I need to learn more about el stops, distances, and things like safety. For example, where can you lock your bikes at the different destinations? (And now,
bus–and–bike is available on certain routes.) But, I like Bike–and–Ride. It was a fun trip, and for me the sliding doors to adventure have opened.
For information and the brochure, call 1–888–YOUR–CTA or contact www.Chicagotransit.com (click Welcome Aboard; click Brochures: scroll down to Bike Access Program; download pdf.) The CTA's bike access program has been a summer, weekends only, program for two years. In May 2001 it was expanded to year–round. Weekend hours are
unrestricted. (If at any time trains are crowded, bikers may be restricted.) Weekdays (including holidays) bikes are allowed except during rush–hour periods 4 a.m–10 a.m., and 2 p.m–8 p.m.
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