CTA introduces child-sized benches at 10 'L' stops

The Chicago Transit Authority now has child-sized benches at 10 different train stations.

Acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen announced plans for the benches in a speech at the City Club of Chicago back in January. She said she visited Paris in the summer of 2025, and observed a "unique focus on supporting children and play" on the Paris Métro system.

The colorful new benches are shaped like animals — elephants, gorillas. Leerhsen said it is all part of a mission to make transit more family-friendly and more welcoming for everyone.

"I want riders to know that they matter to us, that we're working every day to improve our spaces to be welcoming and bright for them on their ride," she said. "Even the smallest details can mean so much — upgrades to our lighting, to our fixtures, to painting across our stations in a way that lets riders know we're thinking of them and their experience on the system."