CTA question (Evanston, Quincy, Union: transfer to, train, car)

[Costa Rica Chica]

I have a friend coming into Union Station on Saturday and needs to get to Evanston. Is there a Red line or brown line stop anywhere near there or is it better for him to take Metra? (He'd have to wait an hour.)

Thanks

[Lookout Kid]

The Red Line is at State Street, which is something like five blocks from Union Station. He can take the Red Line to Howard and transfer to the Purple if the wait for the Metra is too long. Otherwise, take the Metra.

[BigLake]

Your friend would have to walk a few blocks east to get the Brown line Quincy stop, perhaps a 10 minute walk. All things considered, your friend might want to wait for the Metra train since it's a lot faster than the CTA (plus on CTA you must transfer to the Red line, then transfer at Howard to Purple line Evanston train) and will likely make up the time anyway.

[chet everett]

Rush hour or midday the shear distance from Union Station to Evanston means the faster overall speeds and more pleasant surroundings of a Metra car are probably worth the upcharge...

Schlepping from Union to Oligilve is no problem for a nice pleasant ride on UP North Metra / Union Pacific North Monday - Friday Outbound

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by Costa Rica Chica

I have a friend coming into Union Station on Saturday and needs to get to Evanston. Is there a Red line or brown line stop anywhere near there or is it better for him to take Metra? (He'd have to wait an hour.)

Thanks

If he takes the CTA, he'd have to make a few transfers on a Saturday. As in walk a few blocks east to the Quincy stop, get on the brown line, take that to fullerton, get on the red line, take that to Howard, get on the purple line.

He can shorten if it he doesn't mind walking a few more blocks to state street to grab the red line.

[jdiddy]

Damn, you guys are too quick.

[SJaye]

2 more things to consider:
1. The train to Evanston comes into Ogilve Transportation Center, not Union station, so by taking the METRA, you are not completely avoiding having to walk between the stations, even though the walk is somewhat shorter than the walk to the nearest Brown Line or Red Line.
2. Where in Evanston does he need to go? Is it somewhere better served by the CTA purple line than by the METRA which stops less frequently.

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by Costa Rica Chica

I have a friend coming into Union Station on Saturday and needs to get to Evanston. Is there a Red line or brown line stop anywhere near there or is it better for him to take Metra? (He'd have to wait an hour.)

Thanks

Is he coming on Amtrak? Who seriously knows how late those things are on a normal basis. I have lots of friends who use Amtrak and it's always way off. I'd see when he actually arrives and base it off that. If it's within reason, then just walk 2 blocks north to Ogilvy and hop on the Metra.

If not, I'd just walk to State Street and take the Red to the Purple. You can do the Brown to Fullerton, red to Howard and purple from there if it's really cold.....but between waiting outside for the Brown Line and the Red Line at Fullerton you might as well just walk.

Or he could just steal a car and then dump it in Evanston once you meet him. Probably the fastest...

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

If he takes the CTA, he'd have to make a few transfers on a Saturday. As in walk a few blocks east to the Quincy stop, get on the brown line, take that to fullerton, get on the red line, take that to Howard, get on the purple line.

He can shorten if it he doesn't mind walking a few more blocks to state street to grab the red line.

Why not just walk the few extra blocks to the Red? Then it's just one transfer, and the train is much faster.

But yes, the Metra is the way to go.

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Why not just walk the few extra blocks to the Red? Then it's just one transfer, and the train is much faster.

But yes, the Metra is the way to go.

Some people have a lower tolerance for walking in the winter than others. I'd walk to the red line myself. But I figured I'd make it more confusing and inefficient for her friend, just to test his chops.