Snowflakes, candy canes and 36,000 LED lights: The making of the Chicago Transit Authority’s holiday fleet

CHICAGO — Early in December, “Peppermint the Elf” said, she opened the door of a Chicago Transit Authority bus for a commuter in a suit and tie. The man boarded the bus, awash in red and green light. The poles for standing riders were striped red and white like candy canes, with tinsel wreaths and reindeer all over the walls. The air was heavy with cinnamon and Bing Crosby. The man in the suit sat down on the CTA Holiday Bus, his chair patterned with snowflakes. He accepted a miniature candy cane from Peppermint. Then, she said, he burst into tears, saying that he felt like a kid again. He’s far from the first Chicago commuter to stumble into a…