Commuting question from Lincoln Park to Loop (Chicago, Golden: home, transfer)

[Bikerchick3]

My family and I are moving to Chicago in a couple of months from out of state. We have a young child and are looking to live in either Lincoln Park or Lakeview for family-friendliness, ease of commute, etc. The main question that I have is whether it is feasible to live around Wrightwood Park, drop our child off at school in East Lincoln Park (Latin school area) and commute into the loop within a reasonable amount of time during rush hour every day. We are willing to drive if that is the most convenient option, but because I really don't know the area that well, I am nervous that I am going to end up with a long commute into and out of work each day. I consider anything longer than 45 minutes too long. Anyone have an estimate of how long this would take during rush hour? I am trying to also figure out if living in East Lakeview would make this better or worse. Any help would be appreciated.

[emathias]

You'd have a number of options. Using public transit with a necessary stop at the Latin School will probably put you right at 45 minutes most days. Driving would be more like 25 minutes. Public transit for kids under 7 is free. Older kids ride for the reduced fare price (85 cents and 15 cents extra for up to two transfers). Assuming your kid is over 7, the total cost for you both each morning to get the kid to school and you to work would be $3.10 if you take the bus or $3.35 if you take the train from Fullerton, assuming you use transit cards and don't pay cash.

When it snows, increase walking times by 25-50% until the sidewalks are fully cleared. Increase bus times by 25% during the snow. Increase the car times by 25-50% during the snowfall. And don't expect to be able to hail a cab on the street.

Home->School: (times measured from Wrightwood Park itself)
Option 1) You could take the 11/Lincoln bus down, which, at rush hour, would drop you at Sedgwick and North Ave (about 15 minutes), then walk over to the Latin School (about 8 minutes). Total time to school about 25 minutes. This would probably be my recommended route because the 11 bus isn't usually too crowded. Especially once the kid's old enough to get to school on his or her own, this would probably be the preferred route.

Option 2) You could walk to the Fullerton station (8 minutes) take the Brown Line to Sedgwick (6 minutes), walk to the Latin School (10 minutes). Total time to school about 25 minutes. I can't really recommend this because getting on the Brown Line at Fullerton at rush hour would suck. It's possible because of the transfer churn, but it's still challenging.

Option 3) Walk to Clark (10-12 minutes) then take 22/Clark or 36/Broadway to Latin School (12-15 minutes). Total about 25 minutes.

Option 4) Drive. About 10 minutes from home to Latin School. Maybe 15 minutes on a bad day. Parking downtown will run $15+ per day, plus your gas, etc. A lot of parents would choose this, but not all parents by any means.

Option 5) Bike. If you take side streets over to the Park and then Park pathways down to the Latin School, you should be able to do it in 20 minutes. Another good option once the kid can get to school on his or her own.

School->Work:
Option 1) Take a 22/Clark bus south to the Loop (about 20 minutes). Getting on the Clark bus might be a challenge, but it'd be the most convenient option if going to the central Loop.

Option 2) Walk 10 minutes to either the Clark/Division Red Line station or Sedgwick Brown Line station. Ride about 6 minutes into the Loop. Getting on the trains at either station would be quite difficult at rush hour.

Option 3) Walk 2 minutes to Lasalle and take the 156/Lasalle bus into the Loop, about 16-20 minutes. Buses are frequent at rush hour. Some would be packed, some would not be.

Option 4) Drive or Taxi. Depending on where you need to drive, probably 10-15 minutes in the car. You'd probably want to drive down Lasalle, although once you're south of Oak Street Clark isn't bad. Taxi would probably be about $10 including tip and might take a few minutes to hail at rush hour. Monthly parking in the Loop is usually around $300/month.

Option 5) Bike. Probably about 15 minutes, depending on your confidence level and exact route.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by emathias

You'd have a number of options. Using public transit with a necessary stop at the Latin School will probably put you right at 45 minutes most days. Driving would be more like 25 minutes. Public transit for kids under 7 is free. Older kids ride for the reduced fare price (85 cents and 15 cents extra for up to two transfers). Assuming your kid is over 7, the total cost for you both each morning to get the kid to school and you to work would be $3.10 if you take the bus or $3.35 if you take the train from Fullerton, assuming you use transit cards and don't pay cash.

When it snows, increase walking times by 25-50% until the sidewalks are fully cleared. Increase bus times by 25% during the snow. Increase the car times by 25-50% during the snowfall. And don't expect to be able to hail a cab on the street.

Home->School: (times measured from Wrightwood Park itself)
Option 1) You could take the 11/Lincoln bus down, which, at rush hour, would drop you at Sedgwick and North Ave (about 15 minutes), then walk over to the Latin School (about 8 minutes). Total time to school about 25 minutes. This would probably be my recommended route because the 11 bus isn't usually too crowded. Especially once the kid's old enough to get to school on his or her own, this would probably be the preferred route.

Option 2) You could walk to the Fullerton station (8 minutes) take the Brown Line to Sedgwick (6 minutes), walk to the Latin School (10 minutes). Total time to school about 25 minutes. I can't really recommend this because getting on the Brown Line at Fullerton at rush hour would suck. It's possible because of the transfer churn, but it's still challenging.

Option 3) Walk to Clark (10-12 minutes) then take 22/Clark or 36/Broadway to Latin School (12-15 minutes). Total about 25 minutes.

Option 4) Drive. About 10 minutes from home to Latin School. Maybe 15 minutes on a bad day. Parking downtown will run $15+ per day, plus your gas, etc. A lot of parents would choose this, but not all parents by any means.

Option 5) Bike. If you take side streets over to the Park and then Park pathways down to the Latin School, you should be able to do it in 20 minutes. Another good option once the kid can get to school on his or her own.

School->Work:
Option 1) Take a 22/Clark bus south to the Loop (about 20 minutes). Getting on the Clark bus might be a challenge, but it'd be the most convenient option if going to the central Loop.

Option 2) Walk 10 minutes to either the Clark/Division Red Line station or Sedgwick Brown Line station. Ride about 6 minutes into the Loop. Getting on the trains at either station would be quite difficult at rush hour.

Option 3) Walk 2 minutes to Lasalle and take the 156/Lasalle bus into the Loop, about 16-20 minutes. Buses are frequent at rush hour. Some would be packed, some would not be.

Option 4) Drive or Taxi. Depending on where you need to drive, probably 10-15 minutes in the car. You'd probably want to drive down Lasalle, although once you're south of Oak Street Clark isn't bad. Taxi would probably be about $10 including tip and might take a few minutes to hail at rush hour. Monthly parking in the Loop is usually around $300/month.

Option 5) Bike. Probably about 15 minutes, depending on your confidence level and exact route.

You are forgetting some hybrid options here. For example, what I bolded. If you time from the Latin school correctly, you could take either the 22 or 36 to Clark/Division Red Line and ride that into the loop. Clark/North to Clark/Division is a 3-4 minute bus ride and then red line is 6 minutes into the loop.

Your transfer will most likely be free too if you're using a CTA card (25 cents at most, but I highly doubt it wouldn't be free).

[emathias]

Originally Posted by marothisu

You are forgetting some hybrid options here. For example, what I bolded. If you time from the Latin school correctly, you could take either the 22 or 36 to Clark/Division Red Line and ride that into the loop. Clark/North to Clark/Division is a 3-4 minute bus ride and then red line is 6 minutes into the loop.

Your transfer will most likely be free too if you're using a CTA card (25 cents at most, but I highly doubt it wouldn't be free).

It's true, but between the difficulty of getting on the bus at North, the slowness on Clark at rush hour and then the difficulty of getting on the train at Clark/Division, and the fact it's only a 10 minute walk means most of the time walking isn't going to be much, if any, slower, and it'd have much less variability to it.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by emathias

It's true, but between the difficulty of getting on the bus at North, the slowness on Clark at rush hour and then the difficulty of getting on the train at Clark/Division, and the fact it's only a 10 minute walk means most of the time walking isn't going to be much, if any, slower, and it'd have much less variability to it.

This is true at certain times. Early enough and it's not too bad. Although in the winter, some people might not want to walk those distances (although not real far, it's not SHORT). Just throwing out that option if the OP can swing it.

[Golden Camel]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Your transfer will most likely be free too if you're using a CTA card (25 cents at most, but I highly doubt it wouldn't be free).

If they are going to be commuting to work every day, the adult will most likely get a monthly pass and the cost of individual fares and transfers won't be an issue.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Golden Camel

If they are going to be commuting to work every day, the adult will most likely get a monthly pass and the cost of individual fares and transfers won't be an issue.

I was merely pointing it's a free transfer with a card. What's your point? No crap they're going to get a card. It's a point about another incentive of using a card (which some people still do not do).

[Golden Camel]

Originally Posted by marothisu

I was merely pointing it's a free transfer with a card. What's your point? No crap they're going to get a card. It's a point about another incentive of using a card (which some people still do not do).

My point is that our friend from out of state has read at least two replies that talk about the cost of single rides and transfers. She may not be familiar with the fares available on our transit system and might appreciate having yet another option (in addition to yours) pointed out to her.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Golden Camel

My point is that our friend from out of state has read at least two replies that talk about the cost of single rides and transfers. She may not be familiar with the fares available on our transit system and might appreciate having yet another option (in addition to yours) pointed out to her.

What other option? We're both advocating using a CTA pass.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Golden Camel

If they are going to be commuting to work every day, the adult will most likely get a monthly pass and the cost of individual fares and transfers won't be an issue.

They might. They might not. A lot of adults don't have monthly passes, because they don't often ride on weekends and they don't even always take the CTA home. In this example, they probably won't be picking up the kid after school, so they may choose to take a cab, or perhaps a spouse will pick them up in their car to go somewhere. All it takes to break even as a commuter with using a Chicago Card vs. buying a monthly pass is to not take the CTA home one day per week. I think most people in the city probably skip taking the CTA to or from work once a week. For an individual, driving places vs. using the CTA is often more costly. But with a family, the cost differential starts to get much more gray.

For what it's worth, even on Metra, which is even more commuter-oriented, the percentage of people who get a monthly pass is less than 10%.