#plan my travel #

RTA Trip Planner | RTA, CTA, Metra, Pace, Driving and Biking Directions | Better Directions, Better Trip Planner.

Did You Know?

If one in 10 Americans regularly used transit, U.S. reliance on foreign oil could decline by more than 40%, or nearly the amount of oil imported from Saudi Arabia each year.

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About the Chicago Trip Planner

The goroo Chicago Trip Planner provides you with step-by-step directions to reach your destination in the Chicago region using buses and trains or by driving, biking, and walking. Just tell us where you're starting and where you're going, and we'll make sure we take you there!

Your customized Chicago trip planner itinerary will show you:

• which bus or train to catch
• when and where to board
• when and where to transfer, if necessary
• how much fare is required
• walking directions to and from your stop(s)
• driving, biking, and walking directions to and from your destinations
• visual maps of your trip

Itineraries, directions, and maps are based on information supplied to the RTA by its public transit operators: the CTA, Metra, and Pace. Schedule and route information is based on the latest timetables available and is subject to change without notice. Service may be affected by traffic, construction, accidents, or weather conditions.

Entering a Location

You can enter a location into the goroo trip planner in four formats: a street address, intersection, location of a bus stop or train station, or a landmark.

When entering street addresses, type in the complete address as much as possible including the street directions (N, S, E, W), street suffix (Rd, Street, Ave, etc.), and the city location (e.g. 175 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago).

If you are entering an intersection you must separate the street names by a comma (Addison, Clark), by "and" (Addison and Clark), or by the symbol " " (Addison Clark). If your intersection is not recognized, try including the type of street such as, Green Bay Road or Torrence Avenue.

To enter a landmark, simply type the landmark name, such as Navy Pier or Wrigley Field.

If the Trip Planner finds more than one location that matches your request, or if there is an error in the input, you will be presented a list of choices to select from.

Setting the Timing of Your Trip

The current date and time are automatically filled in when you visit the goroo Trip Planner page. You can plan a trip up to two weeks in advance.

I want to leave on: If you are ready to take your trip now use this option and choose a time.

I want to arrive on: If you would like to arrive at your destination at a specific time, use this option and choose a time.

Additional Preferences

The goroo Chicago Region Trip Planner can build an itinerary that suits your needs.

You can decide if you want a trip that uses only buses, only trains, or both trains and buses or driving, biking, and walking. The default is both trains and buses.

You can indicate the maximum distance you would like to walk. The goroo Trip Planner defaults to an allowable walking distance of 1/2 mile. You may adjust this to 1/4 mile, 3/4 mile, 1 mile, 2 miles, or 3 miles.

You can also decide if you want a trip that is quickest, is the cheapest, has the fewest transfers possible, or has the least amount of walking. The goroo Trip Planner defaults to the quickest trip.

You can also indicate if you require accessible services such as a lift, a ramp, an elevator, or an accessible station.

Plan Your Trip

After you enter the relevant information, click on the "Take Me There!" button. Please wait a few seconds while the goroo Trip Planner finds your starting point and destination, looks for routing alternatives, and compiles itineraries and maps for you.

Results Page

The goroo Trip Planner will display up to six trips in tabular format. For each trip option, you can view detailed driving, biking, or walking directions to and between stops (in case you need to transfer).

You can also plan your return trip by using the "Reverse Directions" feature. For your convenience, you can also change your trip preferences directly from this page.

From this page, you can print or email trip itineraries, directions, or maps.

Driving Directions

The goroo Chicago Trip Planner promotes the cleanest, most sustainable transportation method, which typically means utilizing public transit over driving. However, we provide driving directions, maps and driving times as part of the service offering, because we understand that there are times when public transit does not fit in conveniently to your travel plans. On the results page, you can compare the time of travel, routes and your carbon footprint when taking public transit versus driving. We hope this information will help you make environmentally smart decisions in planning your travel.

Uncertain Location Page

If the goroo Trip Planner is not able to exactly match your starting point or destination with a location in its database, you will see a page with the heading "Get Directions Results Page" You will be told which location was not completely recognized, and you'll be asked to select from a list of possible options.

To make your selection, select your choice by clicking on the radio button and click on the "Continue" button.

If none of the choices reflect your location, use the browser's "Back" button to return to the main Trip Planner page, and alter your entry. Be sure to check your spelling and verify that you have followed any tips mentioned in the sections above.

If You Are Still Having Trouble Planning Your Trip

To create a goroo Trip Planner itinerary over the phone, dial 836-7000 from any area code in our service area. If you are calling from outside the RTA service area, dial 312-836-7000.