Best places downtown to photograph buses?

[RailBus63]

I'm going to be passing through Chicago on a business trip in the near future and may have some time available one afternoon for photography.  Where are the best locations around downtown for bus photography?  I'd like to get photos of different types of CTA buses, but in particular I'd like to see a few Flxible Metros.

Jim D.

[Busjack]

Downtown is not a the best place for Flxible Metros. The 5300s out of Kedzie garage are in the process of being displaced; some might still be around if you act quickly. 20 Madison is now all 6400s that have the Bustracker system on them. There might be a 6000 on 56 Milwaukee, 60 Blue Island, or 157 Streeterville, all on Washington/Madison, which has the best assortment from the West Side. Another group of West Side buses (having some articulateds, but, unlike Madison, no buses from Chicago and Forest Glen garages) is on Adams/Jackson.

If you really want to scope out 6000s, Jefferson Park/Blue Line and Midway/Orange Line have the best concentration. As previously mentioned in the Trip Information thread, you'll get a concentration of 5300s at 95/ Red Line. 5300s are scattered on the South Side and on some routes out of Chicago Garage (66 Chicago to 76 Diversey).

For viewing north or south side buses downtown, best bets are on Michigan and State.

[RailBus63]

If you really want to scope out 6000s, Jefferson Park/Blue Line and Midway/Orange Line have the best concentration. As previously mentioned in the Trip Information thread, you'll get a concentration of 5300s at 95/ Red Line. 5300s are scattered on the South Side and on some routes out of Chicago Garage (66 Chicago to 76 Diversey).

Thanks.  Where are the best places to photograph buses at those stations?  I'm actually going to be passing through the city on my way to return a rental car to O'Hare the next morning, so I'd likely drive to one or two of these spots (I'd love to ride the El on this trip, but doubt I'll have the time to do so).

Jim

[Busjack]

If you are driving, get off the Kennedy Expressway (I-90) at Lawrence, go a block west to Milwaukee, and a block north to the Jefferson Park station. There is a "multimodal terminal" with 2 sets of bus bays, and a statue of Thomas Jefferson in the middle. [Google map] However, you might have to drive around a couple of blocks to find unrestricted partking. For Pace buses, there is a similar arrangement at the River Road exit off I-190 on the approach to O'Hare. [Google map]

The Orange Line station works only if you are going to Midway Airport, not O'Hare. Again, there is a bus terminal, with an adjoining "Kiss and Ride" lot (don't leave your car unattended there).

If you are driving from the south of Chicago, you would have to get off I-94 at Stony Island or I-57 at Halsted, and then drive north to 95th, and then either west 2 miles from Stony Island or east 1 mile from Halsted to the station. [Google map] There is a bus circle around the station house. There is no exit directly from the Dan Ryan northbound to 95th, and the other ramps are closed for construction. [Construction makes it a bad time to drive on the expressways on the South Side and south suburbs, see the Dan Ryan site for traffic impacts.]