Directions & Parking

Hotels & Bike rentals | Directions & parking | Packet pick-up

MB Financial Bank Bike the Drive supports better biking, walking and transit in Chicagoland. There are plenty of green and easy ways you can get there!

By bike

Use the Lakefront Trail or approach from the west through downtown Chicago. When arriving on the Lakefront Trail after 5 a.m., please cross under Lake Shore Drive at Randolph Street or at the Museum Campus and ride on Columbus Drive to the start/finish area. For your safety, you will not be allowed to cross over Lake Shore Drive at Monroe Street, Jackson Boulevard or Balbo Drive.

CTA

Use CTA to get to the event. CTA’s Bike & Ride Program allows you to take your bike on buses and trains. Plan your trip at www.transitchicago.com, click on Plan cta_small A Trip on the right sidebar or call (888) YOUR-CTA. You can also view system maps, schedules, fares, the Bike and Ride program overview, and other CTA information at www.transitchicago.com.

CTA rail service

For the event, the CTA will temporarily relax its two-bikes-per-railcar restriction on May 30 from 3 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please respect CTA operators if they need to limit the number of bicycles for passenger safety.

Other details:

Red Line runs 24 hours
Blue Line runs 24 hours between O’Hare, downtown and Forest Park
Pink Line runs its first train to downtown at 4:05 a.m. from 54th/Cermak
Brown Line shuttles between Kimball and Belmont starting at 5:00 a.m. – Transfer to Red Line (95^th/Dan Ryan) to get downtown
The Orange Line starts running at 5:30 a.m. from Midway Airport
The Green Line and Purple lines do not run early enough to get you to Bike the Drive

CTA bus service

Each bus carries two bicycles.

The following owl bus services serve downtown 24 hours per day. Visit CTA’s website for exact bus schedules.

#4 Cottage Grove
#20 Madison
#22 Clark
#62 Archer
#60 Blue Island
#66 Chicago
#151 Sheridan

Pace and Metra

Find the best Pace route for you online with the Pace Trip Planner or the Pace Route Finder. Or, call 836.7000 from any Chicagoland area code.

Metra trains do not run in the early morning hours of Bike the Drive.

Car Parking

Please be aware of parking garage heights if you stow your bike on the roof of your car. Contact the following facilities for hours, cost and overhead clearance:

Grant Park North Garage 312.616.0600
Accessible directly from Michigan Avenue between Randolph and Madison streets.
Grant Park South Garage 312.616.0600
Accessible directly from Michigan Avenue between Congress and Jackson streets.
East Monroe Street Garage 312.616.0600
Accessible only from southbound Columbus Drive between Randolph and Monroe streets.
The Millennium Park Garage 312.616.0600
Accessible only from southbound Columbus Drive between Randolph and Monroe streets.

For a complete list of parking garages in the area, visit Google Local.

Carpool and Drop-offs

Lake Shore Drive will be closed to car traffic at 5 a.m. CTA stations also have plenty of parking lots. Find one near you!

Drop-offs will be allowed from 4 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Congress Circle at Michigan Avenue.

Construction alerts

Congress Parkways Bridge Reconstruction (More detour information here)

Wacker/Franklin Entrance ramps are closed

Circle Interchange Ramp Closures

I-94 Eastbound Ramp Closed to Congress Parkway Eastbound; detour via I-90/94
I-94 Westbound Ramp Closed to Congress Parkway Eastbound; detour via Michigan Avenue

Congress Parkway Alternate Routes

Into Downtown Chicago – Inbound Alternate Routes
- Exit I-290 at Sacramento Blvd, head either North to Warren/Wash or S to Roosevelt and follow detour signs to Congress Pkwy
Leaving Downtown Chicago – Outbound Alternate Routes
- Take Michigan Ave. either North to Adams or South to Roosevelt and follow detour signs to I-290.

Eisenhower Expressway, Circle Interchange to Thorndale (More detour information)

Expect reduction by one lane over most I-290 bridges due to pavement resurfacing.