Getting to Lollapalooza

Tens of thousands of Lollapalooza fans will flood downtown Chicago from Friday to Sunday, making it frustrating for everyone to get around, especially the concert goers.

Lollapalooza will swallow Grant Park from the southern Hutchinson Field across from the Field Museum to the Petrillo Band Shell near Millennium Park. Bands start jamming at about 11 a.m. on Friday. The music wraps up at about 10 p.m. each night.

Here are tips for those trying to make the show or just get around it.

Trains and buses:

Chicago and Lollapalooza officials are urging everyone to take mass transit if possible.

The CTA has put off most of its weekend construction and will lengthen trains and add more frequent service on the el system.

"We know that we will have quite a bit of increased ridership," said Sheila Gregory, CTA spokeswoman.

Suburbanites can expect slow service on the Blue Line because of deteriorating tracks. Allow at least an hour to get from the Rosemont park-and-ride facility to the Loop.

Yellow Line trains, which link the Red Line to Skokie, do not operate on the weekends. The last train leaves the Howard Station every night at 10:20 p.m. Purple Line trains into Evanston and Wilmette run on the weekend and stop at about 2 a.m. each day.

Metra may be a better option for many suburban residents. Trains are running on regular schedules. As part of a regular promotion, riders can purchase a $5 weekend pass to ride the trains on Saturday and Sunday. Also on the weekends, up to three children ride free with a fare-paying adult.

Pace buses should also be considered to get to the Metra or CTA el stations.

For more information on CTA, Metra and Pace, call 836-7000 from any local area code or visit www.rtachicago.com.

Driving and parking:

For many, driving and parking downtown may be the only reasonable option.

Be aware of the Dan Ryan, I-90/94, rebuild, which can stifle traffic on the Stevenson, I-55, and Eisenhower, I-290, expressways.

Construction is ongoing on the central section of the Tri-State Tollway, I-294, between Balmoral Avenue and Dempster Street. Farther north, lane shifts are in place between Grand Avenue and Russell Road.

In DuPage County, watch for construction delays on the Reagan Memorial Tollway, I-88, from Washington Street to Finely Road.

Keep up on traffic delays at www.gcmtravel.com.

Getting downtown is only half the battle. Parking is sure to be a costly challenge.

The lots closest to Lollapalooza include the Millennium Park Garage, Grant Park Underground Garages and the East Monroe Garage. Entrances are on Columbus Drive and Michigan Avenue along Grant Park. Rates range from $16 to $25 for about 12 hours.

Cheaper parking lots may be within a short walk of Grant Park. Shop around at www.chicagoparkingmap.com.