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Pregnant Women in Chicago Will Get “Buttons” to Ride Trains, Buses Comfortably

If you’re pregnant and riding a CTA bus or train in Chicago, you will soon be able to do so more comfortably. Assuming, of course, you’re still pregnant by the time CTA rolls out their new initiative.
Expectant mothers will get "pregnancy buttons" to ride CTA buses and trains more comfortably 5 photos
Photo: chicago.curbed.com
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A source with the Chicago Transit Authority tells the Chicago Sun-Times and NBC 5 News Chicago that plans are underway for a new initiative that will fall under the company’s 2015 “courtesy program.” Its goal would be to make riders more aware of the presence of a pregnant woman, and thus more inclined to give her their seat.

Though it might sound like something fancy, the idea behind the initiative is very simple: pregnant women will be wearing something called (for now) “pregnancy buttons.” Details on what the buttons might look like, what their message will say or where they will be made available are scarce, but the CTA source says they will be rolled out “sooner rather than later.”

“The details of the CTA program – specific launch date, distribution plan, button design – are close to being finalized,” CTA spokesperson Brian Steele says for the Sun-Times. “We’re always looking to evolve and find ways to improve the public transit experience.”

Apparently, the idea to hand out “pregnancy buttons” didn’t arise from complaints from pregnant women using the CTA services, but rather out of a desire to make the experience more comfortable for everyone involved. In all fairness, CTA has made long strides in raising awareness on the presence of pregnant women on public transit, from older ads urging passengers to give up their seat to the upcoming initiative.

One doctor from Northwestern Memorial Hospital tells NBC 5 that giving up your seat to a pregnant woman is common sense because she can tire more easily from the extra weight she’s carrying. Pregnant women are also more prone to fainting because their blood pressure drops when they’re standing for longer periods of time, she adds.
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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