Northwest Neighborhood Alliance installs DIY benches at Chicago bus stops

Members of the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance have installed two homemade wooden benches at Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus stops in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood. The benches, painted in blue and yellow, were placed at Damen Avenue near Thomas Street and Division Street between Oakley and Western avenues.

Sam Kovnar, founder of the alliance, stated the initiative aims to address a lack of basic public amenities, noting that the absence of seating significantly impacts elderly riders and those waiting for delayed transit. While the group intends to expand this network of DIY benches, the installations are technically illegal as they were placed without city permission.

Over the last decade, the city has reportedly removed many bus stop benches to discourage loitering. The group is currently waiting to see if the city or the CTA will permit the benches to remain or if they will be removed.