Huge crowds — and the Stanley Cup — are expected to attend the 2015 Chicago Pride Parade on Sunday, prompting several street closings and added CTA service.
The street closings will start as early as 8 a.m. Sunday to accommodate the parade, which will step off at noon from Broadway and Montrose on the North Side.
“Hundreds of thousands” of people are expected to flood the parade route as floats head south on Broadway to Halsted, south on Halsted, east on Belmont, south on Broadway and east on Diversey to Cannon Drive, according to the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communication.
The Stanley Cup just claimed by the Blackhawks will be riding on WGN Radio’s float, which, for now at least, is set to be the 17th in the lineup. The radio station’s float also will have Blackwawks representatives and the team’s Ice Crew.
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There will be street closings on Montrose, Irving Park and Wellington at Broadway and Addison, Grace and Roscoe at Halsted, with all streets expected to be reopened by 8 p.m.
The CTA will add bus and L service Sunday for the parade, including more frequent trains running on the Red Line and the Brown Line — from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the Red Line and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the Brown Line. And the CTA says it will be running longer trains on the the Brown Line, as well as on the Blue Line and the Orange Line.
The CTA also is increasing service on its North Avenue, Fullerton, Belmont and Montrose bus lines Sunday.
But the parade will force the rerouting of other bus lines, including those on Halsted, Clark, Broadway, Diversey, Belmont, Montrose, Irving Park, Sheridan and Addison. For details, check the CTA’s website at http://www.transitchicago.com/.
The Chicago Police Department is warning that anyone found carrying an open container of alcohol on streets or sidewalks is subject to a $1,000 fine.