Road

City and surburban buses and cabs

Word to the wise: Taxis are obliged to accept cards, but most drivers will try to take cash to avoid the card fee, and not every driver’s card machine works reliably.
Chicago’s CTA operates thousands of buses on 140 routes in the city area. Most routes follow the city’s grid along main roads, tracing the roads north/south or east/west along their length. A ‘Night Owl’ bus service also runs on main routes.

Suburban buses, run by Pace, have less-frequent, fixed schedules and connect city locations such as ‘L’ train stations with the distant suburbs. Rates for Chicago bus transit start at USD 1.75.
Taxis are abundant in Chicago, and can be easily hailed in popular areas of the city. Taxis can also be called for an arranged pickup, such as from +1 TAXI-CAB (829-4222). Be warned that you may find it hard to find drivers that will come to less-popular or rough areas.

Minimum fare for any trip in Chicago is USD 2.25, with an additional USD 0.20 for each 1/9 of a mile traveled.