Bike the Drive is an end-of-summer tradition enjoyed by thousands of Chicago area residents. Metra is making getting there even easier and more environmentally friendly by adding extra service and bike cars to two of its lines.
Between 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 3, the northbound and southbound lanes of Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable Lake Shore Drive will be closed to cars and open to bikes. The 30-mile route, which provides a unique way to enjoy sweeping views of Lake Michigan and the city skyline, stretches from 57th Street on the city’s South Side to Hollywood Avenue on the North Side.
Metra will add one extra inbound train and one extra outbound equipped with bike cars on the BNSF Line Sept. 3. The inbound train will depart Aurora at 5:10 a.m., arriving at Chicago Union Station at 6:21 a.m. An extra outbound train will depart Chicago at 11:40 a.m. On the UP Northwest Line, an extra train will depart from Crystal Lake at 5:15 a.m. and arrive at downtown’s Ogilvie Transportation Center at 6:40 a.m. An extra outbound train will depart from Ogilvie at 1:30 p.m. Each train will be equipped with one bike car with 15 bike racks. These cars are in addition to the spaces in the priority seating area of each ADA-accessible railcar that can also be used to secure bicycles.
Detailed schedule information for all Metra lines can be found here.
Funds raised through Bike the Drive benefit the Active Transportation Alliance, a non-profit advocacy organization working to improve conditions for walking, biking, and public transit throughout Chicagoland. For more information and to register for the event, go to the Bike the Drive website: https://bikethedrive.org/