How to Survive the NATO Summit

Traffic jams, detours and public transit delays are three sure results of the NATO summit this coming weekend, when more than 60 heads of state from around the country will descend upon Chicago.

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Workers downtown are being told to swap their suits for jeans and t-shirts in order to blend in with protesters, while police and hospital staff are on alert for mass mobilization in case things get out of hand.

Along with all government buildings, police will be paying special attention to the CTA and the Metra, officials said.

HERE'S HOW THE NATO SUMMIT MAY AFFECT YOU

If you plan to ride the CTA:

• Reroutes could happen any time. Check the CTA website before you head out the door.
• As of Tuesday, several bus lines were rerouted in the city, but the Red Line and Purple Line were scheduled to operate as usual.
• Due to rerouting, the CTA is advising riders to consider choosing the ‘L,’ and expects to add more service at certain times.

If you take Metra:

• All but the Blue Island line will be operating as usual.
• Riders may carry only one bag no bigger than 15 by 4 inches, and boxes, parcels, luggage, backpacks and bicycles will be prohibited. Liquids must be carried in containers smaller than 3 ounces, including coffee and other drinks. 
• Consider following the Twitter account for your Metra line or signing up for a My Metra account to receive up to date alerts.

If you drive:

• Lake Shore Drive will be closed between Balbo and 39th Street, including access to and from I-55.
• Parts of Columbus Drive, Roosevelt Road, Indian Avenue, 31st Street, Martin Luther King Drive and Cermak will be closed. Find a full list of traffic detours at the Chicago NATO summit site.
• I-90 will be shut down in both directions between O’Hare and the city while motorcades travel back and forth, along with other streets downtown.

And here are a few other things to think about, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

• Bring some cash for lunch — and coffee — if you plan to take a Metra. Because no foods or liquids of any kind will be allowed on those trains Saturday, Sunday or Monday. 
• Metra riders, beware! You’ll be subject to patdowns, searches and other screenings. As a result, allow some more time, because you’ll probably be delayed.
• The Museum Campus, i.e., the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium, will be closed for most of the weekend.
• Avoid the North Side. There will be “rolling closures” on the Kennedy Expy. as the big shots drive into town from O’Hare on Saturday and Sunday (and then back to the airport on Monday).
• Keeping off the expressways won’t always work, either: Some side streets from Streeterville and River North to Grant Park and the South Loop also will be fouled up at various points over the weekend for motorcades, roving protest marches, etc.
• The CTA isn’t planning any schedule changes on its trains. Of course, they probably will be packed, in no small part because of the Cubs-Sox series at Wrigley Field from Friday through Sunday.

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