The good: The bus gets on LSD between Fullerton and Grand…read moreso it saves 10 minutes over the 156 bus. The bad: The bus gets on LSD so if that's a mess it can take as long or longer than the 156 bus. I avoid this bus if traffic is snarled because of snow or rain since LSD will usually also be snarled. By the time it gets to my stop in the morning, Wrightwood, it's usually full. With Bus Tracker, I can many times wait another minute and get on a bus where I can get a seat. I'll usually take the 156 just so that I can get a seat and read the Redeye. If you get on before Diversey in the morning, you have a much better chance of getting a seat or just onboard. By the time the bus gets to Arlington, it's almost always full.

Dear #134 bus, I…read morelove you, I really do. I hope you aren't upset with me because I've had dalliances with other lines. They mean nothing to me, nothing! Especially that nasty #135. He may be ok for the evening trip home, but my mornings belong to you. The fact that I am the first stop on your morning route makes me feel like I'm getting VIP treatment with my choice of seats. Other routes are dirty, smelly, and the people are just downright weird. Aside from the occasional loud-talker, food eater, and/or coffee spiller those of us that travel within your advertisement lined interior are blissfully quiet and relaxed. You may want to consider having a word with your dispatcher though because they should never send shortie buses on this route. There are entirely too many people that rely on you and we need all the room we can get. I don't care what anyone else says, starting my morning with a lovely ride through the park and along the lake makes me almost happy to be going to work... almost. Yours truly, Josh G.

Few things can get me to write about a transit system - but this is the third transit review I've…read morewritten regarding the CTA! I've only taken the 146 out and back to the museum campus once, while visiting your fair city. Clean, quick, efficient... those terms all come to mind regarding the 146. The only shot of local color came in the afternoon, after a LONG day at the museum. Having been in the queue for two full double-buses, we finally got on the next one. The driver noticed a young man in a motorized wheelchair, and politely commanded everyone else to get out of the way while he deployed the ramp and allowed the young man and his family to get on - and then allowed the throng of humanity to continue boarding. I was lucky enough to snag a seat near the front, because it allowed me to witness what happened 10 or so blocks later... At a regular stop, there were a number of riders waiting to board the bus - including a woman that was also on a motorized wheelchair. The driver repeated his instructions to the others waiting to board, and allowed her to get on first. ...but that's when things started to unravel. She claimed she couldn't get past the young man in his wheelchair, although he was apparently scooted over as far as he could go, and was secured properly. Instead of waiting for assistance or reasoning things out, she decided to 'floor it' and ram on past him - and she did - taking a piece that attached a wire harness to his chair in the process, and interlocking her wheels with his. To this, she spouted venom... ...and along came the driver, who helped to extricate her (as she continued to rant) and then he retrieved the pieces of the young man's chair, and handed them to his father. Grace under fire. The driver kept good humor and a positive attitude throughout the ordeal. Kudos to the 146 driver!

HAHAHAHAHAHA Anybody complaining about how slow a bus is... seriously... Ummmm how many times in a…read morecar have you cut one off? Or has the driver seeing you running for it and been cool and waited? Or maybe crazy enough it stops to let people on and off. Yes - once you get on the bus, it is going the route slow. & at busy times when it is crazy full of tourists from the museum campus... yes it acts in tandem. Welcome to Chicago... we have lot's of people who live here & visit here if you haven't noticed. So often busy times on a route the CTA is cognizant and adds more bus's to the route to carry the route demand. That explains why a packed bus will pass you, because one right behind it won't treat you like a sardine. You are Welcome. So I organized a field trip to the Shedd for the ladies in our River North building today & we had a nice trip there with a Yellow taxi large enough to accommodate our group of 5. I recommend visitors calling if they need group transportation. Not a bad trip back on the bus. Slow as it is going down State st. & then Michigan of which neither are renowned for not being bogged down with traffic. If you are in a hurry hoof it or hop off at the Roosevelt stop for Red, Orange or Green lines. Go a few more blocks for Brown or Red. Our group hopped off to see the Macy window's and then a short walk home with a stop at the always awesome Nonina for dinner.

I've Riden the 6 bus so many times in the past year I'm happy they have a Yelp Page for this it's…read moreawesome! Anyway my favorite part about the whole experience is when it goes express. The worst part is the whole ride. You can expect at some times to be stuck in the loop or in the hyde Park area at times for 20 or more minutes because people don't know how to drive and nobody respects CTA bus drivers. The buses get packed. Alot of the buses are oversized which is great and run at alot of hours. People are really nice but I've only Riden it down to 71st and stony Island

I've only been on this route twice - once going to, then returning from The Museum of Science and…read moreIndustry. That said, I had to laugh... the morning driver kept turning around and at first griping, and later hollering about "NO MUSIC ON DA BUS!! NO MEANS NO! CAN'T YOU READ?!?" The only problem was, no one was playing music. At all. Except for the three or four that had their headphones on, and I can't believe he was yelling at them. Perhaps he needs a checkup with Dr. Happy? Nevertheless, he was part of the local color that I enjoy when visiting someplace new!

Hopping on a CTA #81 (Lawrence) bus used to be my daily commute to/from work when I lived in Albany…read morePark. This particular route runs 24/7, and many TSAs and ORD workers catch this one. Yes, together in the same bus we were like a large, happy family. At around 10pm, working professionals coming from ORD and Rosemont would get on the blue line train. As many of us were getting discharged at the Jefferson Park stop, we had the last exercise of the day: running all the way to #81 and hoping everyone of us had a seat (unlikely...because this one is always crowed during that time). Eastbound #81 begins at Jefferson Park Transportation Center. Immediately there's the first point of interest: - Copernicus Center: the annual north side Polish Fest on Labor Day weekend is hosted here. They have different activities going on throughout the year. Let's get back on the bus and continue our journey, or you may remain in the neighborhood and get a new tattoo at Chitown Tattoo, off Leclaire and I-90. I've heard many good reviews on their work. As we are heading east, we will be passing Mayfair and Albany Park. Albany Park is known to be one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Chicago. There are a few hole-in-the-wall places that actually were gems in my opinion: - Fish N' Go (cash-only): ask Nick, the owner, if there are oysters available. My parents used to surprise me with their delicious fried oysters after a long day of work. - Lawrence Fish Market (cash-only): affordable prices on quality sashimi, sushi, and maki rolls. Put their number on your speed dial and call ahead. - Markellos (cash-only): lights are on 24/7. I guarantee that you will never go hungry cruising through Albany Park. Ladies and gentlemen, now you've arrived at the CTA Kimball Brown Line station. That's probably what I'm missing the most living in Albany Park. The brown line provides an easy access to the Chicago Loop. From there it connects to other transportation options to the south/ southwest side of neighborhoods. By the way, "Hot Dog Station" on Kimball by Kimball Brown Line station is a good place to grab a quick bite. I don't know or can't recall the owner's name, but he resembles "Aiden" from Sex and the City. Wow, this review is becoming very long, and I should wrap it up ASAP. "Ravenswood" is the next neighborhood. It overlaps with Lincoln Square, near CTA Western Brown Line station. Many people love to hang out here during summer for the farmer's market on select Thursday evenings, trendy bars, and cool small businesses. Metra Union Pacific/North Line has a stop at Ravenswood. This particular Metra routine starts at Chicago-Ogilvie Transportation Center (OTC) and goes to all the way up north in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Attention passengers...we are approaching to Uptown. "Little Vietnam" is within the Uptown neighborhood. Many Vietnamese or other Asian-themed restaurants, bakeries, and businesses are nearby. If you ever wanna see some skimpily-dressed young men and women, come to "Aragon Ballroom" across from CTA Lawrence Red Line station. I almost got hurt by random glass bottles flying over my head while I was waiting for the bus on a late Saturday night. The CTA #81 (Lawrence) bus tour is officially coming to the end. Now it's time to take a quality break at the beautiful, magnificent Lakeshore Path.

The magic #81 Lawrence bus is open 24/7/365, is as clutch and critical as it gets. It starts by…read moreLake Shore Drive and flows through Uptown to pick you up from The Green Mill, Uptown Lounge, Kinetic Playground, The Aragon, The Riv, WIld Pug, or Crew. It goes on west in quick fashion, passing by El Quijote for late night eats, passes by Crafty Beaver and also Golden Nugget. If you need to hop on the Metra, the #81 Lawrence can drop you off at Lawrence and Ravenswood to hop on over. A giant Chase branch exists there that used to be BankOne that used to be First Chicago. Keep going west and you'll find Wendy's, CVS on Damen and Lawrence, El Taco Loco for late night snackery and Walgreen's open until Midnight. Not going to Lincoln Square? That's all right, the #81 will take you on over past Harvest Time for groceries, past by Restaurant Sarajevo, Greek bakeries and a world of small businesses. If it's late and you still haven't stopped try some George's Kebob by Kedzie and the new Mediterranean joint on the corner. Want something less ethic? How bout some Huddle House diner food that's open 24/7? The Filipino grocery is nearby, Popeye's Chicken, Subway, Donut Doctor and a world of $5 hair salons. Want some late night high carb fare? How bout some 24/7 Markello's Bakery? You can take the bus all the way to Jefferson Park, but I am getting off here, see you.

I walk two blocks to meet you. I wait, breath bated, for you to roll up with that dusty musk and…read moresweep me off down Lake Shore Drive, so swiftly, so softly, so ... quickly ... downtown where I BURST out, and go on my way to work, thinking of you and how fast you are. No. 148 bus you make my loins quiver with delight ... and it isn't just the bad shocks. It's quick, but in the morning, I like it quick. And you know how to deliver. Even when you're already brimming, nearly ready to burst, you take me, oh you take me. And swiftly, you get me going. You know where to take me, don't you, baby.

I have mixed reviews when it comes to the "The Ghost Rider" or "Ravenswood Express" as I call the…read more148 (also known as the 145 during the day when it's not running express). ~I like to call this the Ravenswood Express because it takes you to all the hot spots along the scenic Lake Shore Drive (LSD if you will) to downtown via Michigan Avenue. Perfect for when you have out-of-towners visiting. ~Not only during the Damen Brown Line station construction but more so after completion, the bus stop had changed location 5 times!! Truly bothersome during our blistering Windy City winters. ~Like any CTA bus, the friendliness of the drivers is completely hit-or-miss (70% miss, 30% hit). ~Now the beginning/ending 145/148 bus stop (along Ravenswood and Wilson) sign is missing so now it's a mysterious standing ground. ~The CTA bus tracker is very inaccurate when it comes to this bus route. In the end, I have no choice but to love this route and ignore the flaws because it takes me 2 blocks from my work and also to the Red line.

I've taken this bus back and forth over the past week from wherever to the Bally Total Fitness near…read more87th Street to utilize the 7-Day guest pass I unexpectedly received in the mail. I do agree. This bus runs through some very scary, botched-up terrain, but the attitude of the passengers has greatly improved since the last time I rode it more than once back in late 2007. The problem may be that I don't ride this bus during the nighttime hours like I did back then. I do disagree with the previous reviewer, on one piece. I don't care about welfare mamas with 15 kids, as long as they fold the freakin' strollers before they board (something mothers in the ghetto don't believe in doing) and don't fuss at or slap the kids over unnecessary, petty mess, something which makes me want to make the kids motherless. Sorry, but I love kids, and I can't stand those who abuse them in any way. Something to beware of. I mentioned the Bally Total Fitness near 87th. Oh my gosh, if you're traveling southbound to this Bally location on this bus, wow, Lafayette is so potholey from 85th to 87th Street. All those times I used the #29 to get to the club which has a #29 stop right outside of it, I always said to the bus driver before I got off, "They need to fix these streets! I wonder why this bus hasn't fallen apart in little pieces!"

The drivers are top notch in their professionalism I am in a wheelchair and they get me in the bus…read morestrap me in and then unstrapped me in and push me to my program Tuesday through Friday I really appreciate it

Pace Bus Paratransit really sucked four years ago. But it was transformed into a really decent…read moretransportation alternative for me and others like me two years ago by Mv Transportation. But after an initial stellar start, Pace has really begun to slide in the service provided. I may be disappointed but the current service is still much better than years before. The personnel could not be more friendlier or helpful. My guess is that budgets are being cut and, as a result, fewer drivers and buses are being sent out to handle the same load of passengers. The other day it took me over two hours to travel 10 miles. The financial cost to use the service is extremely reasonable. So, I can only complain so much. Though I wish service would improve, I appreciate what is available for me to use.

It's old but lands on a cute strip of town but we're not reviewing that are we? Three stars because…read moreno handicap accessibility, the service door isn't self serve. To get your bike through or other large items the attendant has to get out of the booth and leave the gate. Awkward stair well, the landing floods as well. The customer information screen is erratic too. Often does not display an ETA time during rush hours. It'll just show up loop bound.

get kinda cold in the winter, but the CTA was really nice and left the heat on longer than the…read moreshutoff date. conductors are also nice. while waiting for a train, there are lots of great businesses around to wait. also the views from the platform are quite nice.