Residents, businesses and commuters traveling around the United Center and McCormick Place can now prepare for street closures and security restrictions during the Democratic National Convention.
DNC and security officials on Thursday outlined where and when streets will close and restrictions in the blocks around the two primary convention sites. The plans will affect drivers, ride-share passengers, food delivery drivers, cyclists and CTA buses in the days before and during the Aug. 19-22 convention, which is expected to bring tens of thousands of visitors, delegates, politicians and protesters to Chicago.
In the blocks immediately surrounding the sites, a fenced-off area will be restricted to credentialed pedestrians. Outside that area, an outer perimeter where streets will be closed will be limited to screened vehicles that enter through a checkpoint.
“The largest impacts will be felt around the United Center, McCormick Place, specifically due to street closures, parking restrictions and added security measures,” said Jose Tirado, executive director of Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications. “Businesses and homes will be accessible within those perimeters.”
Inside the pedestrian-only inner perimeter, access will be restricted to those who “have a need to be there,” like people attending the convention, staff and volunteers. Pedestrians will pass through a checkpoint and be screened to get in, said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeff Burnside, the U.S. Secret Service’s 2024 DNC Coordinator. No bikes or scooters will be allowed.
Pedestrians and cyclists will be allowed in the outer perimeter, Burnside said. At McCormick Place, ride-shares, taxis and food delivery vehicles will also be allowed in the outer perimeter, though they will have to pass through a screening checkpoint to get in, he said, cautioning there could be delays.
CTA buses that travel through the perimeter will also be affected.
“Riders are asked to expect delays and budget a little extra time for travel,” Burnside said.
Streets around the United Center will begin closing at 7 p.m. Aug. 17, and are expected to reopen the morning of Aug. 23. At McCormick Place, streets will begin closing Aug. 16 at 10 p.m. until convention events end. Lanes and sidewalks could close earlier while security barriers and fencing are installed, and parking restrictions will also be posted ahead of time, Burnside said.
At the United Center, the pedestrian-only area will stretch from roughly Washington Boulevard on the north, to Seeley Avenue on the west and Adams Street on the south, with the easternmost part of the border ending between Wood and Paulina streets. The outer perimeter extends a block or two to the southeast, and vehicles entering that area will be subject to screening at a checkpoint near Paulina and Monroe.
At McCormick Place, the inner perimeter will cover the areas immediately surrounding the convention center, from Cermak Road on the north to Indiana Avenue on the west, I-55 on the south and McCormick Drive on the east. An outer perimeter will extend about a block north, west and east of that site, with entry checkpoints on the north, west and, for commercial vehicles, the south.
Traffic will also be limited near the end of I-55. Nothing larger than a passenger car will be permitted between DuSable Lake Shore Drive and State Street, and the exit to MLK Boulevard from the expressway will be closed to general traffic. Other rolling street closures are possible, DNC officials warned.
Burnside said residents would be able to access businesses in the outer perimter. In the inner, restricted perimeter, businesses “have been reserved for exclusive use by convention attendees and volunteers,” he said.
Deliveries, including Amazon deliveries, trash pickup and mail service will continue, but vehicles will be screened before entering the outer perimeter so typical delivery and pickup times might change, Burnside said.
“While security for an event of this size and scope will have an impact on city residents, the goal of the secret service and our partners is to provide the most secure environment while minimizing the daily disruptions to the city,” he said.
Chicago residents will feel the effects of the convention while getting around other parts of the city, too, as the city’s transportation agencies and companies prepare to move the influx of visitors.
Hometown airline United Airlines is adding 118 flights to and from Chicago in August. Metra will be running hourly shuttle trains between O’Hare and downtown. And the CTA has committed to provide up to 250 of its buses to transport convention participants as part of a “secured transit system,” despite concerns about the agency’s ability to provide reliable regular bus service.
