Chicago area from the southwest - advice?

*****


Thanks for the reply (and you too, Andrew). I had initially selected
Lewis University Airport (KLOT) as my destination until I realized that
Google Maps was showing "Lincoln Park, IL" much further to the
southwest than it is. Once I entered an address, it was correctly
displayed. Strange and a little confusing. :-) I had hoped to avoid
a long drive for our hosts to pick us up, not knowing how bad traffic
would be.

Maybe an additional question should have been "How much hassle is
Chicago traffic on the weekend for a visitor?" I'd love to rent a car
if I can actually get around to some of the interesting places without
much hassle.


I've not flown into the Chicagoland area .. but I've driven there a lot.
Chicago freeway traffic can be some of the worst you'll ever see in the USA.

Picture your typical rush hour crush in most major cities (excepting LA or
NY) and this is what is normal for about 20 hours a day around the Chigago
area. Now add another 40% more cars and then you have actual rush hour in
Chicago. No lie, I've had it take over two hours to go from the Loop out to
O'Hare...at 430 in the morning!!! Using the major surface streets can
actually work better if you are going from point a to point b and don't mind
altering your route at will.

The suggestion offered regarding using the train to downtown is a good one,
IMO but whatever means you use to get downtown, Chicago is actually a pretty
good walking city. Michigan Ave, along the lake (the Gold Coast), Rush
Street area, all are fun to just meander around on foot.

Good luck with your trip...

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
Chandler, AZ

weekend traffic in Chicago is seldom worth avoiding except when there is
some special event like a pro sports game, snowstorm, etc. The extensive
roads aren't big enough for daily rush hour traffic, they have ample
capacity otherwise.

--

Scott

Weekends never were too bad from what I remember, Archer Ave. into
downtown would be a bad move though... for travel time you always take
a freeway there... if you want to be close to the rental place go to
Lewis, if you don't mind a 5 minute drive after getting picked up at
the airport go to Schaumburg, AVIS will come pick you up (their number
is (847) 330 2847, and the manager is named Barb, she's a good friend
of mine and when she came here to Hawai'i on her Honeymoon I flew and
her new husband around the islands, if you tell her I sent you she
should take good care of you), also the drive into downtown Chicago
from Schaumburg is very quick (20 minutes), from Romeoville (Lewis U)
it's over an hour, not only that but 06C has 100000% better planning
facilities.

It really depends on how quickly you want ot be behind the wheel of a
car, but all around Schaumburg is a better place, plus when you want to
hit the lakefront getting into the I-290 corridor (Class B corridor
between O'hare and Midway), and the only way to "break through" to the
lakefront, is a 8 nautical mile flight, from Lewis it's about 20 since
you have to make a big circle.

wrote in message
. com...
Weekends never were too bad from what I remember, Archer Ave. into
downtown would be a bad move though... for travel time you always take
a freeway there... if you want to be close to the rental place go to
Lewis, if you don't mind a 5 minute drive after getting picked up at
the airport go to Schaumburg, AVIS will come pick you up (their number
is (847) 330 2847, and the manager is named Barb, she's a good friend
of mine and when she came here to Hawai'i on her Honeymoon I flew and
her new husband around the islands, if you tell her I sent you she
should take good care of you), also the drive into downtown Chicago
from Schaumburg is very quick (20 minutes),

Actually, a 20 minute drive from Schaumburg to the Loop is very, very, very
quick, dangerously so, and probably impossible...unless you're the Blues
Brothers. Mere mortals should plan on an hour, more or less, depending on
just where in Chicago you're going.

from Romeoville (Lewis U)
it's over an hour, not only that but 06C has 100000% better planning
facilities.

It really depends on how quickly you want ot be behind the wheel of a
car, but all around Schaumburg is a better place, plus when you want to
hit the lakefront getting into the I-290 corridor (Class B corridor
between O'hare and Midway), and the only way to "break through" to the
lakefront, is a 8 nautical mile flight, from Lewis it's about 20 since
you have to make a big circle.

- Rick

Rick wrote:
*****
Actually, a 20 minute drive from Schaumburg to the Loop is very, very,
very quick, dangerously so, and probably impossible...unless you're the
Blues Brothers. Mere mortals should plan on an hour, more or less,
depending on just where in Chicago you're going.
*****

I thought that didn't jibe with the map. Of course, I *do* have half a
pack of cigarettes. ;-)


Chad Speer
PP-ASEL, IA
ATCS, Kansas City ARTCC

Rick wrote:
Actually, a 20 minute drive from Schaumburg to the Loop is very, very, very
quick, dangerously so, and probably impossible...unless you're the Blues
Brothers. Mere mortals should plan on an hour, more or less, depending on
just where in Chicago you're going.

The loop? I didn't say loop, I used to work on School Street in Chicago
and lived in Schaumburg, I was thinking Schaumburg to School street in
light traffic.

Although the idea of getting to the loop in 20 minutes sounds tempting,
maybe if someone put an airport on the lakefront that could cater to
charter and private flights to benefit the attractiveness of the city
for the business community would make that possible.

Ideas, ideas.

wrote in message
.com...
Rick wrote:
Actually, a 20 minute drive from Schaumburg to the Loop is very, very,
very
quick, dangerously so, and probably impossible...unless you're the Blues
Brothers. Mere mortals should plan on an hour, more or less, depending on
just where in Chicago you're going.

The loop? I didn't say loop,

Ok, you said downtown.

I used to work on School Street in Chicago
and lived in Schaumburg, I was thinking Schaumburg to School street in
light traffic.

Although the idea of getting to the loop in 20 minutes sounds tempting,
maybe if someone put an airport on the lakefront that could cater to
charter and private flights to benefit the attractiveness of the city
for the business community would make that possible.

Ideas, ideas.

Maybe you should write to Mayor Daley and make the suggestion.

- Rick

Picture your typical rush hour crush in most major cities (excepting LA or
NY) and this is what is normal for about 20 hours a day around the Chigago
area. Now add another 40% more cars and then you have actual rush hour in
Chicago. No lie, I've had it take over two hours to go from the Loop out to
O'Hare...at 430 in the morning!!! Using the major surface streets can
actually work better if you are going from point a to point b and don't mind
altering your route at will.

Jay, you forgot to add the following:

"Now picture stopping all 16 lanes of traffic every few miles to
collect a few coins from each car, causing epic traffic back-ups,
rather than simply increasing the local gas tax a penny."

And also:

"Now imagine that the occupants of this same city seem to enjoy arguing
about, and are simply baffled by, the "causes" of their traffic woes."

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
(Former Chicago Tribune Employee)
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Not only that, but imagine that there is construction currently occurring to
remove many of the toll booths and install more high speed I-PASS lanes
which SOMEDAY will help solve the problem, but in the mean time makes it 10
times as bad.
Jim

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...
Picture your typical rush hour crush in most major cities (excepting LA
or
NY) and this is what is normal for about 20 hours a day around the
Chigago
area. Now add another 40% more cars and then you have actual rush hour
in
Chicago. No lie, I've had it take over two hours to go from the Loop
out to
O'Hare...at 430 in the morning!!! Using the major surface streets can
actually work better if you are going from point a to point b and don't
mind
altering your route at will.

Jay, you forgot to add the following:

"Now picture stopping all 16 lanes of traffic every few miles to
collect a few coins from each car, causing epic traffic back-ups,
rather than simply increasing the local gas tax a penny."

And also:

"Now imagine that the occupants of this same city seem to enjoy arguing
about, and are simply baffled by, the "causes" of their traffic woes."

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
(Former Chicago Tribune Employee)
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:


"Now picture stopping all 16 lanes of traffic every few miles to
collect a few coins from each car, causing epic traffic back-ups,
rather than simply increasing the local gas tax a penny."

There is a funny folk duo from Madison that on the beginning
of one of their albums has a history of Wisconsin (involving
things like the expedition of Merriweather Lewis and Kimberly
Clark). The talk about the expedition realizing that they
had proceded south of out Wisconsin when their indian guides
stopped periodically to throw forty cents into the bushes.