Remember last fall when Riders for Better Transit held a survey to determine which style of train seats riders preferred? We asked the CTA to take riders' opinions into account about these issues, which may seem minor but actually make a big difference in the everyday commute.
Since the new aisle-facing seats seemed to be here to stay, we asked riders if they preferred bucket or bench style seating in the new cars. The results of our survey, which showed riders were split fairly evenly on the issue, were published in the Chicago Tribune.![""]("http://www.activetrans.org/sites/default/files/DSC_0046.JPG")
Many people who took the survey commented not only on the difference between bench and bucket seats, but about aisle vs forward facing seats as well. In this new research poll, CTA asks both questions.
Our poll results were unscientific and it was nearly a draw, but one clear conclusion was that transit riders have strong opinions when it comes to issues of comfort and convenience. We shared the results with the CTA and encouraged the agency to always seek input from the transit riders about significant changes to the system. Now they are!
Thank you CTA for seeking rider input on this issue! We hope you will use the results of this to make future decisions about rail car design and purchasing.