Taking Public Transportation to Great Lakes Office

Getting Downtown from the Airports

This information sheet is intended to get you into the downtown area from both Midway and O’Hare Airports. The information contained herein is reasonably accurate, but may be subject to change.

O’Hare Airport

• By Train. Escalators descend from the terminal to an underground corridor (it’s safe) and an eight-minute walk, partly on moving walkways, to the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) “Blue Line” Terminal. Signs show the way from all the airlines. The “L” (elevated train) fare is $1.50 (payable at the agent’s window) and a train is always waiting. Go 18 stops for Jackson/Dearborn, and get off. You are in the Loop. The Jackson/Dearborn is the closest one to the EPA Regional Office and the Union League Club. Takes about 50 minutes.
  
• By Taxi. One way cab fare is about $25.50 on the meter, $29.50 with a 15 percent tip. The ride is about 29 minutes on a good day. Note: See share-ride info under Midway taxis.
  
• By Limo. $30.00 to $50.00 for a sedan, $45.00 to $65.00 for a limo. About 29 minutes.
  
• By Bus. Continental Air Transport runs buses and vans to various downtown hotels. One way fare is $14.75, $25.50 round trip. Call them at 1-800-654-7871.
  
  Normal travel time is about 25 - 45 minutes. Watch signs for buses and taxis at the terminal. Buses run every half-hour beginning at 5:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.

Midway Airport

• By Train. The CTA’s “Orange Line” leaves Midway terminal east on 57th Street. The terminal is accessible via a “pedway” that is a six-minute walk. No agents to collect fares here. Rather, you slide your money ($1.50) into a machine that gives you a token and change. Trains run every ten minutes. Go eight stops to the LaSalle/Van Buren stop for the EPA Regional Office and the Union League Club. We’re a block and a half away. Time from the airport is about 25 minutes.
  
• By Taxi. From the starter’s booth inside of the terminal into the Loop is $16.00 to $22.00. The price to share a cab is only $10.00. Tell the starter that you want to share a cab and they designate the next one as a “share-ride” cab. From the time you enter the cab, the driver is obligated to wait ten minutes for two other passengers. Once they enter the cab, you go. Three riders is maximum. If after ten minutes there is only one other passengers, the driver must take you at the shared-ride rate. If no other passengers show up in ten minutes, you take off and pay the metered rate. This program also runs out of O’Hare, but for $15.00. Travel time is 22 minutes. Drivers expect to be tipped.
  
• By Bus. See bus particulars under O’Hare, above. Buses to hotels from Midway are $10.75 OW, $19.00 RT. Runs from 6:25 a.m. through 8:55 p.m. Takes about 28 minutes.