Tag Archives: Chicago

Chicago Taxi Industry Related News

Western Overpass Project Is Almost Done — But One More Lane Closure Coming

Time to dig deep, motorists, and gut out one more lane closure as the Western-Belmont overpass replacement project nears the finish line.

Final paving of the stretch of Western Avenue between Waveland and the Chicago River bridge, including Belmont, is set for next week, with traffic reduced to a single lane in each direction while crews lay down fresh asphalt.

The work will be done during off-peak hours, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., over the course of four to five nights weather permitting, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation.

Drivers should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes.

The stretch of Western from the river bridge south to Diversey is tentatively set for paving June 27 through July 1, according to an update from Ald. Deb Mell (33rd).

After a break for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, daytime single lane closures on Western Avenue will continue into August to allow for final pavement markings, miscellaneous finish work and punch list items.

Once the project is completed, three lanes of traffic will be open in each direction on Western Avenue during rush hours.

Demolition of the former Western-Belmont overpass, which was built in 1961 to relieve congestion around the former Riverview Amusement Park, began in March 2016.

Drivers will no longer sail over the Western-Belmont-Clybourn junction, but will instead converge on a five-leg grade-level intersection.

Should Red Light Cameras At Irving Park & Kedzie Stay Or Go? Weigh In

Should Red Light Cameras At Irving Park & Kedzie Stay Or Go? Weigh In – Irving Park .

The city is asking for feedback on whether it should move forward with or put the brakes on plans to remove red light cameras at the intersection of Irving Park Road and Kedzie Avenue.
The Chicago Department of Transportation is hosting a community forum to discuss the issue from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Horner Park, 2741 W. Montrose Ave.
The meeting will be conducted open house-style, as opposed to a formal presentation. Neighbors can stop by at any time during the appointed hour to speak with city representatives.
As of March, there were 306 red-light cameras at 151 intersections across Chicago. Red light tickets cost drivers $100.

Earlier in 2017, the city relaxed ticketing standards, giving motorists three-tenths of a second, instead of one-tenth, to enter an intersection’s enforcement area after the light turns red.

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Three Stress-Free Ways to Commute in Style

Commuting is and will always be part of big-city life, and Chicago is no different. You’ll need to ride trains, buses, and cabs to get to where you need to be. And like in any other city, this can be a taxing and stressful activity.

For some people, they even find this as a huge waste of time because all you do is wait until you get to your destination. But this doesn’t always have to be the case. Technology has brought about a means to make commuter life easier such as MP3 players, smartphones, and the Universal Taxi app.

  • Pamper yourself during the commute.

Yes, you read that right, you can pamper yourself while riding the train or bus. Of course, this doesn’t mean getting a massage or a sponge bath during the ride. What you can do is to enhance the way your body feels.

You can increase the endorphins (a brain chemical that is responsible for making you feel positive) by listening to your favorite tunes. Better yet, why not sing along? You don’t have to belt out loudly while in the bus, you can just whisper or sing mildly. Humming or singing in your head is also good since you don’t want to bother other people.

Another way to pamper yourself is to relax your eyes. This is particularly important for those with office jobs that require them to stare at computer screens all day. This can be extra stressful to your entire body. So why not try to relax your eyes by simply following the 20/20/20 rule. Focus  and look at an object about 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. Another great exercise is to roll your eyes clockwise, then counter-clockwise, and then up and down.

  • Make it productive.

Take this extra time to do something productive. Take a book with you and read. Better yet, learn something new by bringing a textbook or a how-to book. You can even try to learn a new language! And with the advent of modern technology, you don’t even have to bring an entire book with you, you can opt for e-books and read on your smartphone.

If you have an upcoming sales pitch or presentation, take this time to practice it! Go over your body language and memorize your lines. Go over the entire thing over and over in your head so that when the time comes, you won’t seem nervous or forget anything.

You can also try to save money while using the public transport system. Take out a pen and paper to track your spending for the past few days and try to budget your money to make sure you are maximizing your funds.

  • Make it easier.

Of course, with new technology comes even better ways to avoid a stressful commute brought to you by Universal Taxi. Just download the app onto your phone and login your location and destination. A taxi cab will soon be there for you. Safe, reliable, simple, and easy, this is the best way you can avoid all the hassle and stress of your daily commute.

With the help of these hassle-free tips, you can arrive at work as fresh as you were when you left the house.

Tips to Survive Chicago’s Public Transportation

Chicago has the second largest public transportation system in the United States. There are several different transport systems to choose from, such as the Metra Commuter Rail, the city buses, or taxi cabs. But if you are new to the Windy City, you might find it confusing at first because of all the routes available. So, here are tips to help you survive Chicago’s public transportation.

  1. Plan Ahead

There are a lot of places to visit and things to see in Chicago. To get the most out of your travel, plan ahead on the order of places to go to. This way, you’ll spend less time finding your way and more time enjoying the sights and sounds.

You should also learn which routes to take. Check out which sites are close to train stations or bus stops. You can use a regular map or an online map so you know the location of the places you want to visit and the landmarks you need to watch out for. If you wish to book a cabbie for the duration of your stay in Chicago, go for one who is under a legitimate taxi operating company. Take Universal Taxi Dispatch, for instance.

  1. Check Transportation Fares

Chicago offers you several ways to pay for your transportation. You can pay in cash or through your credit card. There are also transit cards you can load up with your money for easy fare payment. Choose which option is best for your itinerary. If you plan to switch your mode of transportation depending on your schedule, choosing a limited-use card is wiser than buying a full metro card.

  1. Know Your Ride

Chicago public transportation is divided into three major modes:

  • Riding the Bus

When commuting in Chicago, you would most probably take a bus. It is easy as long as you know which bus stops to wait in and what bus you should take. This is precisely the reason why it is important to plan ahead. Always check the destination signs on the bus to make sure you are on the right one.

  • Riding the Train

You can purchase Ventra Cards or tickets in every train station in Chicago. You can also load money into your card if you already have one. Also, each station has a map, so you can double check where you are and where your destination is. Follow the signs to get on the right train.

  • Riding a Taxi

Of course, the most convenient way to get around the Windy City is to ride a taxi since it can take you from point A to point B directly. And Universal Taxi has made it even easier for you to book a cab simply by downloading its app, input where you are and your destination, then a taxi will be dispatched to your location and take you to your next destination. On top of that, you can always be sure that Universal Taxi cabbies are polite, courteous, and professional.

 

For you to enjoy the best of this great city, we encourage tourists to take all three modes of transportation for a fuller and richer vacation in Chicago.

Chicago’s Newest Happy Hour

That’s right: when you get out of works this Friday, you can partake in that all-American tradition at last. Bacon and cocktail combos? Half-priced brews? The answer to the above is finally, gloriously, “yes, please.”

Beer Tasting at a Craft Beer Cafe – Beermiscuous

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  • WHEN: Saturday
  • NEIGHBORHOOD: Lakeview
  • PRICE: $38

Beermiscuous has quickly become known as one of the most low-key, chill places to explore the world of craft beer in Chicago. Here’s your opportunity to enjoy this unique atmosphere with a special summer beer tasting.

A Brew-tiful Pig Roast – County Barbeque

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  • WHEN: Sunday
  • NEIGHBORHOOD: University Village
  • PRICE: $55

Michelin Bib Gourmand winner County Barbeque teams up with Moody Tongue Brewery’s head brewmaster for an incredible Sunday Funday BBQ on the County patio full of porky greatness, refreshing brews, and rockabilly music.

Summer Tex-Mex Fiesta – The Social Table

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  • WHEN: Sunday
  • NEIGHBORHOOD: Lincoln Park
  • PRICE: $45

The Social Table is all about bringing people together around delicious food and drink, so its Summer BBQ series is exactly what you’d expect: a fun, intimate social event with cooking, eating, and drinking in a little yellow house with a charming patio.

Maryland-Style Crab Boil – Kinmont

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Roll into Kinmont for a Maryland-style crab boil masterminded by Top Chef contestant and Slurping Turtle alum chef Aaron Cuschieri.

  • WHEN: Sunday
  • NEIGHBORHOOD: River North
  • PRICE: $40

Always remember to designated a driver or better yet take a taxi cab. Download our Universal Taxi App here.

Have a great weekend Chicago!

Chicago’s Art Scene

People from Chicago can definitely appreciate great art, which comes as no surprise since the arts culture here is thriving. The city itself is an exhibit, with so much beauty to be discovered no matter where you go. If you’re interested in taking a glimpse of all the art that the city has to offer, just ask your Universal Taxi driver to drop you off at these artsy neighborhoods:

  • Pilsen, Bridgeport and Hyde Park. These three districts are all found in the South Side and are now home to so many galleries that feature interestingly diverse mediums and brilliant young artists. Notable places to visit are the Bridgeport Art Center, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago Arts District, Hyde Park Art Center, and Logan Center.
  • River North. If you’re free every first Thursday of the month, an art crawl is done in this area. Some of the popular stops are the Ken Saunders Gallery, the Project Room, Richard Norton Gallery, and the Judy A. Saslow Gallery.
  • West Loop. Though this is mostly known for their restaurant row, it is also a great place to discover inspiring art. Check out Threewalls, the Vertical Gallery, Carrie Secrist Gallery, and the Kavi Gupta Gallery.
  • Bucktown / Wicker Park.This is the place to be if you’re looking for more cutting-edge art. Visit the Intuit (The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art), the Monique Meloche Gallery, and the Eyeporium Gallery. You could also go to the Iron Arts Building every first Friday to see the treats that the artists living there have in store for you.

If you’re more interested in the city’s art museums, these are the stops that you should ask your Universal Taxi driver to take you to:

  • The Art Institute of Chicago. It is not only a popular museum in the city, but in the country as well, with over 260,000 pieces that could date as far back as 5,000 years ago.
  • Smart Museum of Art. It is the University of Chicago’s official art museum.
  • Museum of Contemporary Art. With different pieces of art dating from 1945 to now, it is one of the largest museums dedicated to contemporary art.
  • National Museum of Mexican Art. There are over 7,500 pieces that range from ancient Mexico, all the way to modern Mexican-American work.

If you’re not yet happy with this long list, then feel free to take a walk around because Chicago is also home to some of the most impressive public art displays, from amazing murals to breathtaking sculptures. Visit The Loop and check out a Picasso sculpture, Chase Plaza’s whimsical Four Seasons painting, or the stainless steel Freeform outside the Bilandic Building. Explore the parks and find interesting pieces, such as the Cloud Gate at the Millennium Park which locals call The Bean. Go through different neighborhoods and just crane your neck from one corner to another, because there would surely be a million different surprises awaiting you.

That’s Chicago for you. An art-lover’s paradise overflowing with creativity and color.

Great Architecture in Chicago You Should Not Miss

When it comes to architecture, Chicago sure has them all. With structures all over the city that display a wide range of different architectural styles, it is definitely ripe and ready to be known as an architectural mecca. In fact, the city recently announced its intent to exhibit the city in its full architectural glory this October, the start of a regular event for years to come if the first one works as planned. So grab a Universal Taxi and start hopping on some of these architectural wonders and be part of Chicago’s rise to architectural history:

  • The Pavillion at Lincoln Park Zoo South Pond (by Studio Gang Architects). It was mainly inspired by a tortoise shell, as it was made from prefabricated bent wood and interconnected fiber glass pods.1287677274-beth-zacherle-studio-gang-architects-528x349
  • Marina City (by Bertrand Goldberg). A mixed bag of commercial and residential complexes, it takes up an entire block on State Street. It is unique because of the fact that it does not contain any interior right angles.Marina City
  • Carbide and Carbon Building (by Daniel Burnham Jr.and Hubert Burnham). The building exterior is covered with polished black granite while the tower is a dark green terra cotta. The structure is defined by the gold leaf accents found on the tower.Carbide and Carbon Building
  • Pritzker Pavillion (by Frank Gehry). Formally known as the Jay Pritzker Pavillion, it serves as a band shell at the Millennium Park. This is where the country’s only remaining free outdoor classical music series are held.Pritzker Pavilion
  • The Crown Hall at the Illinois Institute of Technology (by Mies van der Rohe). A true architectural beauty, it is no surprise that it houses the IIT’s College of Architecture.TheCrownHall
  • Robie House (by Frank Lloyd Wright). A National Historic Landmark found within the University of Chicago campus, it is seen as the best example of the Prairie School style.Robie House
  • Inland Steel Building (by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill). Using brushed stainless steel cladding with all structural columns found outside the building perimeter, the building’s interior is fully flexible with an open layout and no interior columns standing in the way.30-w-Monroe_300dpi
  • Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co.Building (by Louis Sullivan and Daniel Burnham). Now known as the Sullivan Center, it was first developed after the Chicago Great Fire of 1871.Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co.Building
  • Lake Point Tower (by John Heinrich and George Schipporeit). A high-rise residential structure found right at Lake Michigan’s lakefront, it was inspired by Mies van der Rohe’s glass-curtained skyscraper design in Berlin in 1922.Lake Point Tower
  • Chicago Cultural Center (by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge). One of the city’s most popular landmarks, it was designed for the city’s central library in 1892, as well as to become the Grand Army of the Republic meeting hall.Chicago Cultural Center

These do not even cover half of the magnificent structures that are strewn all over the city, and an entire day would not be enough to marvel at each of these beauties. So the next time you’re in Chicago, just ask a Universal Taxi driver to show you the architectural sites and brace yourself to be blown away.

Universal Taxi Dispatch App for Newbies

Universal Taxi Dispatch App for Newbies

When getting from your location to a different destination around Chicago, a cab is still the best option to consider. This ensures that you have a driver licensed by the government to chauffeur people around the safest and fastest way possible with minimal or no problems along the way. And to make it even more convenient for those travelling around the Cook, Kane and DuPage counties, Universal Taxi has introduced an app that you can download and use to request for a cab the fastest way possible.

Here are a few perks that come with the app:

  • 3 Clicks to Book. In as fast as three clicks, you can let your driver know where to pick you up and where to drop you off. This is perfect for those whose smartphones are always within reach (which includes almost everybody around Chicago).
  • Fair Fare Estimate. The app comes with a fare estimation service, allowing you to input your location and your destination to get a close estimate of how much you’re going to pay. There are also areas that have flat rates, making it easier for you to find out if you’re staying within budget.
  • Track Your Booking. Once you have booked a taxi using the app, you will immediately use a confirmation number and the vehicle number for the cab dispatched. You can also check the map and see where the vehicle is, allowing you to estimate how much time you have left to get ready.
  • Customize Your Booking. Each booking allows you to state how many passengers there are and what type of vehicle you prefer. You can also choose your preferred method of payment beforehand to make it easier to pay later on.
  • Customize the App. The app allows you to mark the places you frequently go to and come from, and even lets you tag a custom name for each of them to make it easier to use as reference for future use. You can also review all the reservations that you have made the past 30 days in case you need the information for tracking purposes.
  • Provide Feedback. The app allows you to provide feedback each time you use the service, whether it be app-related, driver-related, or vehicle-related.
  • Easy Contact. This app also allows you to contact Universal Taxi at the touch of a button, eliminating the need to find it on your phonebook in case you need to speak with them directly.

Sounds interesting so far? Download the app now through the App Store or through Google Play.

Sizing Up the Competition: Rideshare vs Taxi Services

Taxi services have taken people around for as long as I can imagine, but recent enhancements to technology have given people other options, such as ridesharing services. This has, of course, given cabbies quite a headache given how stiffer the competition has become. Let’s see how traditional taxi services compare to the new ridesharing services, and decide where passengers are getting better value for their money.

Ridesharing Services

Rideshare gives both drivers and passengers the convenience of linking one to the other through just a few taps on their smartphones. Passengers do not even need to shell out any cash or take out their credit cards; the app itself takes care of the payment. Cab sharing services like Lyft and Uber also offer promos every so often, sometimes allowing drivers to have a higher percentage of the earnings at specific hours. For drivers, this is very, very good news considering how little investment they shell out (as they use their own car), how flexible their hours are, and how bigger they take home in earnings after expenses. For passengers however, there could also be problems outside of the convenience. Rideshare drivers do not have to get a special license to qualify as one, nor are they required to pay for insurance. Rideshare companies also claim to conduct background investigation on each of the drivers before accepting them, but there have been numerous reports of rideshare drivers having criminal records or displaying bad or offensive attitude. Yes, the app allows you to rate the driver so that they can block the driver’s account if anyone reports anything bad. But what good is a bad rating if something bad has already happened?

taxi cab

Taxi Services

Taxi drivers and companies in Chicago seem to have the worse part of the bargain here especially in terms of investment. To be able to operate a cab in the city, you would need to have a medallion, which could cost roughly around $300,000. Taxis also have to be replaced every four years, which means that you would have to use those years to save up for a new car after that period. You also pay roughly $600 a month for insurance, taxes, gas, and other expenses. As far as the quality of services is concerned, taxi drivers go through so much just to be given a license to become a taxi driver. You need a clean driving record, pay for insurance, and pass an exam, a physical, and a number of other qualifiers. Taxi services have also been upgrading their services to make it more convenient for passengers to book them. Aside from allowing you to call them or book online, Universal Taxi now offers a downloadable app that allows you to call for a taxi wherever you are.

So now, you decide. Should you leave your safety to a common person with a driving license and an old car, or to a cabbie driver licensed to chauffeur passengers?

Competition Drives Complaints Drop Against Chicago Cabbies

This must be an Uber effect. The charts below are from the  Department of Business Affairs and Consumer.

Complaints agaisnt Chicago Taxi Cab drivers has significantly deacresed. Some say it is driven  by the competition, making cabbies behave a better to keep from losing customer to Uber. Some say Uber drivers are actually the ones who are rude and some sketchy, after all they are just regular people driving their own cars, they are not professionally licensed or trained to drive passengers.

Taxi drivers are forced to operate under rules that ride-sharing companies don’t deal with. There is currently an unfair advantage for ride-sharing in Illinois, as companies like Uber and Lyft operate without the same kind of consumer protection laws that help ensure the safety of Illinois passengers. On top of this, there’s no real transparent way for the city to track ride-sharing complaints, except on Twitter and online. Bother companies privately manage the driver ratings, such data is not shared publicly.

What are your thoughts on this matter?

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