Survey: Chicagoans are almost 50/50 on CTA seats

Survey: Chicagoans are almost 50/50 on CTA seats
WBEZ/Greta Johnsen
Survey: Chicagoans are almost 50/50 on CTA seats
WBEZ/Greta Johnsen

Survey: Chicagoans are almost 50/50 on CTA seats

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Chicagoans are split almost half-and-half over an idea to change the seats used in CTA “L” cars, according to a poll by the Active Transportation Alliance, a local advocacy group.

The CTA has already been changing which way seats face in new cars—they’re not in rows anymore. Instead, riders face each other.  Maybe you’ve experienced some uncomfortable eye contact in the new cars.

But this survey talks about an idea to change the seats from buckets to benches. The current buckets are defined, scooped out plastic.  Benches would be flat.

Aarionne Burns is pro-bucket. “I think that they should keep them like this,” she said, “because it’s more of like on an individual basis right now.”

But Phil Reed disagreed. “They’re uncomfortable!”  

“They’re not big enough,” he said. “You have to squeeze in, between, you know, people.”

One pro, one con. That’s almost what the Active Transportation Alliance survey found — 48 percent for buckets, 49 percent against.  The CTA says it hasn’t considered the idea of swapping seats.