Holiday Train

The CTA has released its schedule for the holiday train, which features decorated train cars. The train typically operates from about 1-8 p.m. on weekends and 3-7 p.m. on select weekdays. The train will run on the: > > Green Line: November 25, 26 and 30 > > Orange and Brown Lines: December 1-3 > > Pink Line: December 7 > > Blue Line: December 8-10 > > Red Line- December 14, 16, 17 and 20 > > Purple Line: December 15, 17 and 21 > > Yellow Line: December 22

What was supposed to be a hearing Monday about proposed CTA fare hikes turned into a last-ditch effort to save the No. 11 Lincoln Avenue bus. Many of the 190 attendees at the hearing wore yellow shirts asking the CTA board to "Save the #11 bus; it's our lifeline. " The board voted without opposition months ago to cancel the No. 11 service between the Western Brown Line station and the Fullerton Brown Line station as part of service changes to reduce crowding on six train lines and 48 bus routes.

A play about the annual CTA holiday train will arrive at a Lakeview theater in November. "El Stories: Holiday Train," based on real-life Chicagoans' experiences with the annual tradition of decking out a CTA train in Christmas decorations, will debut Nov. 24 at the Greenhouse Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. The show will run at 11 p.m., on Saturday nights. Tickets are $15 at greenhousetheater.com. Meanwhile, the CTA said last week it has not yet found a sponsor for the holiday train.

Some people get into the festive spirit by shopping at Christkindlmarket or taking a ride on the CTA's holiday train. Others find their seasonal joy in a beer bottle. After Thanksgiving each year, Chicago's breweries release their holiday ales and stouts. With flavors of spice, dark fruit and coffee, these beers compliment a hearty winter meal and offer a good reason to step into a bar and out of the cold. Here's a look at what's on tap this season. Fistmas, Revolution Brewing Red Ale, 6.1 percent ABV Revolution's Fistmas is an annual release with a name that pays homage to the...

CTA riders, don't get excited to tap that pass just yet. The CTA board last week awarded a $454 million contract to Cubic Transportation Systems to devise a system that would allow CTA riders to use their credit and debit cards to pay their fares. Though the system is not expected to be implemented until 2014, Going Public has ID'd a few potential drawbacks to the proposal, which is a swipe in the right direction. > > Dollar back, ya'll: Cash would still be accepted on buses under the proposed system.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas transit. Shopping bags are filling train seats, and buses are crawling along high-traffic shopping corridors. To keep you in good cheer, Going Public has devised a December transit road map so you can have happy haul-idays. > > That new iPhone is cool and all, but I'm a gonna have to stop you from pulling it out on the train. Thieves are watching for distracted riders. Watch your bags, especially at transit stops near stores with pricey products such as the North/Clybourn stop (Apple store)

Cyber Monday is over - but the shopping season is just beginning. Instead of avoiding lines - why not embrace them? "L" lines are the subject of several CTA-related gifts including T-shirts and greeting cards. Buses, too, have inspired presents from tokens to pins. To keep you in the Loop this holiday season, Going Public has rounded up 12 gifts of Christmass transit and matched them to the riders you love (or love to hate). For the: > > Hipster with the shoulder bag who tries to bring his bike on the train during rush hour … Buttons of various CTA stops for $1 each on ...

What was supposed to be a hearing Monday about proposed CTA fare hikes turned into a last-ditch effort to save the No. 11 Lincoln Avenue bus. Many of the 190 attendees at the hearing wore yellow shirts asking the CTA board to "Save the #11 bus; it's our lifeline. " The board voted without opposition months ago to cancel the No. 11 service between the Western Brown Line station and the Fullerton Brown Line station as part of service changes to reduce crowding on six train lines and 48 bus routes.

Some people get into the festive spirit by shopping at Christkindlmarket or taking a ride on the CTA's holiday train. Others find their seasonal joy in a beer bottle. After Thanksgiving each year, Chicago's breweries release their holiday ales and stouts. With flavors of spice, dark fruit and coffee, these beers compliment a hearty winter meal and offer a good reason to step into a bar and out of the cold. Here's a look at what's on tap this season. Fistmas, Revolution Brewing Red Ale, 6.1 percent ABV Revolution's Fistmas is an...

Everyone's used to characters on the CTA. Now the CTA is using characters - about 140 of them - to its advantage. The CTA on Thursday celebrated the one-month anniversary of its Twitter and Facebook accounts. Since it launched its social media presence on Nov. 1, the CTA has garnered more than 3,400 Twitter followers and more than 4,700 likes on its Facebook page. "We believe this is a valuable resource for customers," said Brian Steele, the new CTA director of communications and media relations, who regularly updates the agency's social media outlets with...

Hark! The CTA has announced the dates for the return of the holiday train, its yearly decked-out transport of Christmas spirit. The train will operate from 1 to 8 p.m. on weekends, and 3 to 7 p.m. on select weekdays. Its appearances on various lines are as follows: > > Green Line: Nov. 23, 24*, 28 (from 4-8 p.m.) > > Orange Line and Brown Line: Nov. 29 (3-5:45 p.m.), 30 (3:50-6:30 p.m.) and Dec. 1* (12:50-8 p.m.) > > Pink Line: Dec. 5 > > Blue Line: Dec. 6, 7, 8 ** (includes photo-only stop on Pink Line)

A play about the annual CTA holiday train will arrive at a Lakeview theater in November. "El Stories: Holiday Train," based on real-life Chicagoans' experiences with the annual tradition of decking out a CTA train in Christmas decorations, will debut Nov. 24 at the Greenhouse Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. The show will run at 11 p.m., on Saturday nights. Tickets are $15 at greenhousetheater.com. Meanwhile, the CTA said last week it has not yet found a sponsor for the holiday train.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas transit. Shopping bags are filling train seats, and buses are crawling along high-traffic shopping corridors. To keep you in good cheer, Going Public has devised a December transit road map so you can have happy haul-idays. > > That new iPhone is cool and all, but I'm a gonna have to stop you from pulling it out on the train. Thieves are watching for distracted riders. Watch your bags, especially at transit stops near stores with pricey products such as the North/Clybourn stop (Apple store)

Cyber Monday is over - but the shopping season is just beginning. Instead of avoiding lines - why not embrace them? "L" lines are the subject of several CTA-related gifts including T-shirts and greeting cards. Buses, too, have inspired presents from tokens to pins. To keep you in the Loop this holiday season, Going Public has rounded up 12 gifts of Christmass transit and matched them to the riders you love (or love to hate). For the: > > Hipster with the shoulder bag who tries to bring his bike on the train during rush hour … Buttons of various CTA stops for $1 each on ...

CTA riders, don't get excited to tap that pass just yet. The CTA board last week awarded a $454 million contract to Cubic Transportation Systems to devise a system that would allow CTA riders to use their credit and debit cards to pay their fares. Though the system is not expected to be implemented until 2014, Going Public has ID'd a few potential drawbacks to the proposal, which is a swipe in the right direction. > > Dollar back, ya'll: Cash would still be accepted on buses under the proposed system.

Change was a hot topic of the CTA this year - and not just because a new debit-credit fare system could reduce coin transactions in the next few years. Other changes announced this year: Longtime politico Forrest Claypool was named CTA president in April, and workers have been sprucing up train stations for the last few months. Meanwhile, some CTA shelters now have Bus Tracker displays, while security cameras have been installed in each CTA station. Elsewhere, Red Line tracks on the South Side are being rehabbed, more Redbox kiosks are being installed at some CTA stops, and the Oakton Street...