Commuters traveling to Chicago Thursday morning saw packed trains and buses along with several reroutes as thousands of Hawks fans made their way to the city to congratulate the Chicago Blackhawks on their Stanley Cup victory.
Fans started arriving at Soldier Field ahead of the rally as early as 4 a.m. and by 6:30 a.m., hundreds had lined up to enter the stadium. Gates were expected to open at 8 a.m.
Metra, despite having extra service, reported a number of delays as commuters packed into trains, prompting several trains to express to Chicago. Some trains were forced to add extra stops while others skipped and many were delayed by up to 30 minutes.
The Chicago Transit Authority warned commuters that beginning at 7 a.m., downtown bus routes would be rerouted for the parade. It also said tracker information for many buses could be affected by the reroutes.
The party starts at 10 a.m. as the parade launches at at West Washington Boulevard and North Racine Avenue.
At 11 a.m., the team is expected to arrive at Soldier Field for the rally.
Streets along the route and in the Loop will be shut down by 9 a.m. and access to most parking garages could be restricted, full, or super expensive.
