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thru and around chicago

ncscooter

New member
early am traverse

Would an early morning (say around 0300) traverse of Chcago save any traffic aggravation? :dunno
 
Would an early morning (say around 0300) traverse of Chcago save any traffic aggravation? :dunno

I've never tried it, but if I HAD to traverse Chicago, that would be the time of day I would choose.

If you must go into the thick of it, get yourself a I-pass. I live 150 miles south of Chicago and even I have one. The Toll Authority has been busy assembling a system called "open road tolling". It is a system of R.F.I.D. transmitter/receivers hung from trusses over the roadway. You don't even have to slow down.
 
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ncscooter..

Yes, 3AM would have less cages, but truckers know that , too. I have driven around Chicago at just about every hour of the night or day, and a lot of it depends on weather , timing, and luck.

In a recent thread, some one had posted a route that uses Hy 47 which is a North/south highway west of Chicago that links up with various Wisconsin roads.

You will add some ride time with by-passing Chicago, but you will be a lot safer.
 
Would an early morning (say around 0300) traverse of Chcago save any traffic aggravation? :dunno

I rode through Chicago last Sept at about 1:30-2:00 am and there was very little traffic. However, the traffic that was there was insane. I was travelling at ~80mph and was getting passed by everyone(including the truckers.) It took me about an hour to get from Indiana to Wisconsin versus the 2.5-3 hours during the day. :thumb

Good luck!!

c
 
I have to say, I drive the Kennedy, which means from O'Hare to "the Loop" and back at least once a day. Sometimes twice. So call it maybe half the length of Chicago, proper from right downtown to the city limits. (Which is not the end of heavy traffic by any means.) About 15 mi. Sometimes during am or pm rush, sometimes 11:00 pm. Sometimes that's a twenty minute trip, (today, for example) sometimes it's an hour. And for it to last only 20, you have to do part of it at 80. You can kind of guarantee the times that are definitely, w/o a doubt going to suck thru Chicago; 7:00-10:00 am and 3:00-7:00 pm. But around those times can be ok. Weekends are a good likelihood for ok travel times. If you're not used to urban expessway traffic, you could be really unhappy at any time and particularly when it's slammed. As some of have mentioned previously, the expys south of the city are in the middle of a two year re-construction and it's really crappe' down there day, nite, all the time. Anything that connects to the ones under constr gets jammed up too. But there are alternate routes, some of which can be pretty pleasant if you'd like to see the city and the lakefront. Otherwise scoot around south and far west of the city. You'll be happier.
 
I am leaving CT on the Sat. before the rally and will be heading out rt. 90/80 and stopping in central Iowa to visit family before the rally. I will be getting to the Chicago area sometime late Sunday. Is there a better way to avoid Chicago traffic but not stray too far from my destination? I'm not heading up to the rally site so the northern routes may not be best for me.
 
I'm planning to try and update as best I can the chi reg traffic as rallye time approaches. I expect riders from other areas around Chicago will have lots more specific info as the we get closer to July. But yeah, the south end of the expy system will be hideous to partly crappy all summer.
My own exp last year was that The Skyway out of Indiana, even tho it's a tollway and then N on Stoney Isand Blvd (the detour IDOT sends you to) and n on lakeshore dr was a good alternate rte. we'll see what this summer brings.
There two seasons in Chicago; winter and construction season.

STONEY ISLAND?:nono I would opt to travel an extra 50 miles West and avoid that detour...at all costs (say car jackings, gangs, drive by shootings etc). Just my 2 cents.
 
STONEY ISLAND?:nono I would opt to travel an extra 50 miles West and avoid that detour...at all costs (say car jackings, gangs, drive by shootings etc). Just my 2 cents.

I drive this route 2-3 times a week. And, never had any problems in 30 years. Yeah, it is scary looking when you first get off the sky way. But, you are driving less than a mile until you are on Lake Shore Drive. Which has to be one of the most beautiful urban rides in the country. (Beware of squids, It is nice and curvy and they can be doing a 100). Continue all the way up on it and go Through Northwestern University and some of the biggest homes you will ever see.

I ride it all the time just for pleasure.
 
I am leaving CT on the Sat. before the rally and will be heading out rt. 90/80 and stopping in central Iowa to visit family before the rally. I will be getting to the Chicago area sometime late Sunday. Is there a better way to avoid Chicago traffic but not stray too far from my destination? I'm not heading up to the rally site so the northern routes may not be best for me.

Your next best super slab would be I-74 which runs from Indianapolis to the Quad Cities. Iowa/ Illinois at the Mississippi river (hooks back up to I-80). If you are willing to jump onto 2 lanes, you must consult a road map. If you PM me , I will mail you Indiana and Illinois road maps.

I have been considering the following quandry: riders who rely on GPS, cheat themselves out of the option to chart routes that are off the beaten path. There is nothing like sitting down with a map and choosing a route that your Garmin would never put you on. I have a book with every township in Illinois mapped out. I would be willing to copy pages and mail copies to anyone who would like to have them. You'll need a road map to ask for specific counties.
 
ultracyclist

Thanks for the tip on IL 47. I get to see Lake Geneva for the first time too. I lived at Milwaukee Av. and "Dumpster" for a while in 1970 ad never made it there.
 
ncscooter

Well, as long as you are going to Lake Geneva, then you may as well tour the Wrigley Mansion of Chewing gum and Chicago Cubs fame.

It took a whole lot of chewing gum to build that modest shack.

Riding in Walworth county is fun. but beware that Walworth county sheriffs Department squads will follow you from one end of the county to the other (as one followed me) in the hopes of nailing you for a ticket. I had a guy on my tail for for the entire distance (DIAGONALLY) from SE corner to NW corner of the county. I rode a few mph above the limit. The powers of the dark side are strong, and you will need to summon the force to keep from rolling on power.

You will be riding thru Lake Geneva area during prime vacation and tourist time. they will be watching for out of state plates.

People from Illinois pretty much own the area, so you therefore are a foregner!
 
re: cruisbz and therealbatman

Regarding their comments above, IMVHO, I really think comments about carjackings and shootings is a little over-the-top. I admit that the short stretch on Stoney Island Ave is a run-down area of the city and lots of low-income people live there. But by my standards, it doesn't feel scary. At night it would be easy to feel some trepidation, but more because of the fact that it isn't just a straight shot w typical intersections. And to repeat, from there North is a really fun ride along the eastern edge of the city and thru some really beautiful upscale areas.

Just as we constantly assess our riding ability regarding road conditions and weather etc, I s'pose we ought to consider the xenopohbic factor too. For those who already know how they're going to feel if they have a breakdown in that neck of the woods... i mean are you going to drop a gold brick or are you going to walk up to "one of those people" and ask directions?

Because of TV news, it's easy to think of Chicago as a constant stream of fires, burglaries, shootings, and indicted aldermen.....ok that part is true. But zillions of us live here and mostly enjoy it every day. We see major league baseball.(sort of) Go to the symphony, enjoy concerts in Grant Park, and we try to avoid the pot holes.
 
I'm going to be coming from the East on I-80 to I-90 through Chicago and on to I-94. Well, that was what the GPS said, although I'm not sold on that, or locked into that plan. I'm glad this thread started. I would imagine I'd approach the greater Chicago area around 8:00-8:30pm on Tuesday. If I'm really fast, maybe 7:30pm. I'm heading for around/near/just past the IL-WI border that night. Is this going to be a horrible route? I see the suggestion for Stony Island to 41, but I wonder how that will be traffic-wise, and time-wise. This is probably one of the only slab days I'll have, so I'm more interested in time than scenery on this first day. So, 80 to 90 to 94, or 80 to 90 to Stony Point to 41? I'm just worried about endless stoplights since 41 looks to have a LOT of cross streets running into it.
 
Josh

I may not trying to micro manage your trip, but look into linking up with HY 47 which is about 45 miles west + or- from the heart of Chicago. Hy 47 pretty much runs the entire length of Illinois, and there are numerous east/west roads and highways that intersect it.

As you proceed North on Il. 47, it becomes WI 120 at the state line.

Take 120 to State HY 12 North.

HY 12 North (actually you are riding Northwest) to I-43 North.

Take I-43 North (you are actually riding NE) to your choices depending on when you are approaching Milwaukee:

1.) I-43 to 45 North to 41 North (great if non rush hour and good weather, as you would be going through the Western Burbs of Milwaukee)

2.) I-43North to 67 North to Hy 60 East. Scenic ride through part of the Kettle Morraine

You will add a few miles but be safer. I believe the ON from last month had a variation of the above.

On the other hand, if time is at a premium, then consider blasting through Chicago at an odd hour of the wee morning. Watch out for leprauchans or truckers dressed as such.

You should be able to make the rally site from the state line in about an hour and one half+ or- depending on traffic and weather.
 
"I'd approach the greater Chicago area around 8:00-8:30pm on Tuesday. If I'm really fast, maybe 7:30pm."

Certainly the traffic will be much lighter at that time of day, but you're still faced w a huge construction project on the entire S end of 90/94. When I was out that way last summer they were also working on the 294/I-80 interchange area. If time is a factor and you can live w some ugly urban scenery i.e. Gary and the S end of Stoney Island, The Skyway and 41 could be a good bet. We did it last summer at about that hour of the day and it was slick. You can get across the city and pick up the 90/94 N. north of the construction. (at least as far as we know today) There are several spots where it's only a few blocks btw 41 and 90/94. Right at Congress St., for example, which is the eastern end of the 290. You could also go N along the lake which as we've said above or in other threads, is a really pretty 45 mph ride, and still get across w/o too much trouble at several spots. You could go right past Wrigley Field at Addison, for example and have 3 or 4 mi of stop lights and pita city traffic. (figure maybe 20 minutes to go 3 mi.) Loads of Chicagoans do it every day and live to tell the tale. Same deal further N as you go thru Winnetka, Wilmette, Lake Forest. Pretty ritzy burbs. Watch out for trophy wives in SUV's.
Check out some detail maps of the Chgo area and I think you'll see what I mean.
 
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