A neighborhood group’s effort to make public transit more accessible for riders paid off after city officials installed benches at two CTA bus stops in Ukrainian Village.Last month, the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance installed two homemade benches — one at Damen Avenue and Thomas Street and ano ther at Division Street and Oakley Boulevard — to provide a place for residents who rely on public transit to sit while waiting for their bus.The two benches, painted in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, caught the attention and city officials, who on Monday replaced them with ADA-compliant benches.“This was the best outcome that we could have hoped for,” said Sam Kovnar, 25, founder of the local group.Kovnar said the benches provided more than just a place to sit, offering relief for riders with mobility issues, as well as children and older adults. A blue and yellow bench is positioned at the bus stop near Division Street and Oakley Boulevard on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. In September, the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance installed two homemade benches — one here and one at Damen Avenue — to provide a place for residents who rely on public transit to sit while waiting for their bus.Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times The Chicago Transit Authority has almost 11,000 bus stops in Chicago, but many don’t have benches as part of a city push to deter loitering.A spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Transportation said it “works with ward offices to identify locations for benches, which can be advertising benches or other benches installed using aldermanic menu funds.”Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) previously told the Sun-Times the homemade benches were "inspiring" and that he would push for more benches to be placed throughout the ward.After the city installed the ad benches, Kovnar said the group moved the benches to bus stops at Division and Leavitt streets, as well as Damen Avenue and Augusta Boulevard.The group plans to continue its mission by building and installing more benches throughout Ukrainian Village and Humboldt Park.“We would hope that the city will either leave them in place or they'll replace them with their benches,” he said.CDOT said it would continue working with ward offices to add benches “where feasible” and make bus stops more comfortable and accessible to riders. ...read more read less