"Meanwhile, there are seat to ceiling poles, replacing many of the floor to ceiling poles around the doors, where riders cluster."

I wonder if this will create problem for small children who don't get a seat and will have to hold on to what? Seems very unsafe.

Perhaps those small childern will hold onto their parent's hand? Like they should be? Metro ain't responsible for those childern; the parents are. Sheesh...

One good move and one bad move by Metro.

The bench seats are smart. Frankly, Metro is too crowded most of the time to require all these seats. I live in Courthouse, and I much more frequently have to wait for two/three trains than am able to get on and get a seat. Making more room for people to stand is smart.

HOWEVER, the seat-to-ceiling poles is a bad idea. Because, simply put, that means there is a ton of open space right near the doors that will go unused. People gravitate towards the vertical poles, in part because they are easier to hold on to. Now, you'll have people crowded towards the poles near the seats, which will make the door area more empty but will also mean there is less space to stand near the most preferred poles. Frankly, do we really all want to be riding the Metro with people's sweaty armpits in our faces on a 90 degree day?

The problem with the existing cars has always been that there weren't enough floor-to-ceiling or seat-to-ceiling poles in general. If every seat had a pole to the ceiling, people would move in - it's the dinky seatback tubes that people hate, because they are so hard to grasp on to. Rather than fix the problem - add more poles overall, Metro addressed one problem but created another. They can't get it right.

Why is it that these guys can't get it right?

Where the bench seats are creates more standing room, but it doesn't appear that there is anything for those standees to hang onto, since you won't have seat-to-ceiling poles there. It almost defeats the purpose.

I like the open space in the door areas, but removing those poles means that there's nothing to hang onto there either. A good idea in theory to keep the area clear, but what happens when the trains fill up the way they often do in rush hour?

According to that photo of the bench seat, there's STILL a windscreen at one end of the bench seat. So people will STILL be able to lean their backsides on it and block the doors!! Grrrr.

If you look _very_ closely in the photos you can see some hand rails framing the metro car doors. This doesn't seem adequate holding on space for a packed rush hour car. In fact, won't this exacerbate the problem of people congregating near doors because there is no where else to hang on?

Can the Post show a photo of the metro car ceiling? I hope that someone thought to put a bunch of railings on the ceiling with straphanger like devices for people who are short.

I'm excited about the new car designs and the fact that Metro is doing to do a usability study rather than just guessing about design. Thanks!

I'm Glad that they removed the Floor-to-Ceiling Poles near the Doors, but now there's nothing there; sure More People can fit it, but as it has been said previously, there's nothing to hold on to. Perhaps Metro could lower the Poles that run acorss the Ceiling so that People can hang onto them. It's about Time they also turned some of those Seats against the Wall. The Current Configuration wastes a Lot of Space and now People would be able to maneuver near the Doors. All those Windscreens should be removed because I don't think they serve any Real Purpose. Half the Metro Stops are Underground and DC doesn't have that Bad of Wind. I'm Excited to ride the New Cars and see how the Loading/Standing/Sitting Patterns change.

See
http://www.wmata.com/about/met_news/story.cfm?ID=888
for a description of the proposed changes, along with clickable thumbnail pix at the bottom of the page.

I too am concerned about the fact that there doesn't seem to be anything for standees to hold to, when they are standing opposite the bench seats. (Bench seats seem like a pretty good idea, however.) There is a lot of space opposite the bench seats but I don't see anything for standees to grab onto. See especially picture 5 of 7.

And, as I've mentioned in prior posts, what about seniors? I know my elderly mother likes to sit in the senior seat by the door and to grasp the pole as she makes her way to the door. If she were to sit in the third or fourth of the bench seats, it's hard to see how she could easily and safely make it to the door while the train still was moving. And, on a packed train, sometimes it is too late to stand up and make one's way after it has stopped, at least when you're in your 80s and not so spry.

doughertypks is a selfish, self-centered grouch who has never ridden a Metro train with a small child, nor ever given up his or her precious seat for a kid. Believe me, I have ridden with my 5 year old and my 3 year old, and holding my hand doesn't cut it. The train brakes too strongly and my kids lurch forward and backward. Only then, when a seated passenger (usually a young woman) notices my child struggling, does my child get a seat.

I needed those windscreens to lean on when there are no seats. I have a bad knee and need to take the strain of standing and being jerked around off as much as I can. I can't ask for someone to stand from the reserved seats either, because they are full of people who need them more than I do. Just having a pole to hang onto doesn't give me the support I need to keep from aggravating my knee when the train jerks.

just a chance to echo with everyone, it's a good start, but a little extra thinking would go a long way. Those poles are very important for us short people -- and those of us who happen to have a disability and can't hang on the celing grips for dear life. I have MS and stretching like that for long periods of time does some major damage -- not that I need, or want, a seat when I'm riding, I can stand just like everyone, but the poles are extremely important, esp. with all the hard breaking that's been happening lately.

"Arlington" makes a good point. In addition to parents with children, sometimes groups of children accompanied by a couple of teachers or parent-type chaperones travel on Metro. (I saw such a group yesterday at Metro Center; a couple of adults in orange T-shirts, the kids all in orange T-shirts. Obviously an outing of some sort.) The children outnumber their escorts who couldn't possibly hold all their hands, aside from the fact that it is more secure to hold on to a pole.

We'll see how the tests go, I'm hoping Metro tweaks this further. See the article in today's Post in which the new poles seem fine for a woman who is 5'9"; many people, and of course children, are not. I agree with the software engineer who noted that many parts of the car seem far from any railing.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/31/AR2006073101246.html

What everyone else said about needing more floor-to-ceiling poles to hang onto. The seat backs don't do it for me---when I'm carrying a heavy bag and trying to hold onto the seat back and the car jerks, I invariably lose my balance. Plus when people are sitting in the seats, it can be hard to reach past someone's hair or clothing and grab a seat back securely. I can understand not wanting people to congregate near the doors, but if you want people to stand in the aisles they need something to hold onto or balance against besides the bodies of other people who are standing or sitting. People ride the Metro with luggage and coffee for work, they need some reliable way to stay upright especially since there will be fewer seats per car. I agree with the person who said Metro just can't seem to see what the real problem is and can't get it right.

Gotta echo the comments regarding the grab bars... definately not enough... Specifically near the bench seat. Great idea, tons of standing room... but it needs a NYC style bar with the loops hanging down from it, otherwise all the gained space is useless and it's nothing but lost seats.

Why is Metro trying to reinvent the wheel here? Moving people smoothly into the center of the car can't be a problem unique to the D.C. area. (If Metro isn't the New York subway, fine -- name a better comparison.) What do other cities do to manage the flow of people during rush hour? Metro should be in the business of running trains, not designing cars, videotaping passengers and experimenting with seats and handrails. Is it any coincidence that the decline in Metro's reliability has been accompanied by gimmicks such as these new seat experiments and recording a new "doors closing" voice? Metro, listen carefully: People care about your core service -- running trains reliably. That job comes with attendant responsibilities (maintaining station escalators and elevators come to mind first). Endlessly toying with cameras, new voices, new seat configurations, removed wind screens only diverts resources that we -- the passengers, your customers -- want focused on keeping the trains moving. So get to it.

I have to agree with the previous poster. Its REALLY hard to believe that Metro is doing any ground-breaking research with this study. Instead of blowing the reported $375,000 on studying these experimental redesigns, why don't they just look at the successes and failures of other transit systems around the world and utilize that pre-existing information? This seems like an absurd waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere!

As a long-time metro rider, taxpayer, complainer, I think this is a great leap forward for Metro. I agree they could add a bunch of vertical poles to that open space and dramatically improve it.

But Dan Tangherlini gets another round of applause. I'm glad Metro spent time like this instead of the pursuing "innovations" like 80% blue seats/20% orange seats. If Metro doesn't promote Dan Tangherlini permanently, then we'll have something to complain about.

Eh, whatever, we can speculate about kids and armpits and whatnot all we want - but I think it will be really interesting to see how they actually work in the field. I hope I get to ride one soon!

Having used public transportation world wide I have to admit that the DC Metro is my personal favorite, especially since my commute is over 30 minutes actually on the train. I agree with "Why". Reliability is the key.

Looking at the photos on Metro's website:

1) Why don't all of the seats have the seat to ceiling poles? I also agree with others that there needs to be something to hold onto in the open areas

2) Why are they sticking with the horrible orange/yellow color scheme?

This whole rearranging of seats, hold bars, etc. is about getting people on and off the trains faster.

There are several things Metro can do to accomplish this, such as having the workers in orange vests on the platform cover the ENTIRE platform, not clump in twos and threes, discussing yesterday's gossip. Also these Metro employees could AUTHORITATIVELY tell people to quit blocking the doorways. This morning at Metro Center, a person was on each side of the center door, complaining whenever anyone bumped into them, stepped on their foot, etc. Not more than 10 feet from the door, a Metro employee was conversing with another employee, not paying any attention to the train that was in-station at the time.

Another way is to open the doors quickly after the train comes to a stop in the station. Some train operators can't seem to get the procedure correct, as at each station there is a five to ten second delay in door opening, and sometimes even longer.

Sometimes I wish Metro would get some Redskins linemen to be on the platform and 'sweep' all the dorkers into the car so people could get on without being tripped by the feet and legs extending into the doorway.

Before we start worrying about children who won't be able to reach the ceiling poles, why don't we worry about the adults who aren't that tall? I am fortunate to be 5'8", which is above average in height for a female, but for most of my female friends, who are of average or slightly below-average height, the ceiling poles aren't within their reach. Sometimes people don't congregate around the doors because they like being pushed around, but rather because on a crowded train that's the only place for them to find something to hold onto.

Floor-to-Ceiling Poles: They are not placed near Doors to prevent People from congregating there so that Others can exit/enter Train faster. It moves People into the Middle of the Car or against the Walls, not in the Middle of the Doorways.

Ceiling Poles: I just noticed the New Ceiling Poles are Different. Furthermore, they should lower them maybe a Foot or something so that More People can reach them--as you might see on some Metrobuses.

Seat-to-Ceiling Poles: Yeah, Metro probably just put them on All of the Seats.

Seniors: Bench Seats closest to Door probably are/should be reserved for Seniors. And, they still have a Pole closest to the Door.

Children: Young Children could be a Problem, and hopefully Passengers would give up their Seats(I would). As for Kids Tourist Groups, I doubt they're Full of Five-Year-Olds; I have seen my Fair Share of Groups and Most would be Tall enough to reach the Seat Poles/Backs.

Seatback Bar: Instead of solely relying on the Bar, use your Feet to balance the Forward Motion of the Train by standing lengthwise with the Train facing out the Window and use the Bar against the Sidways Motion of the Train through a Turn. Setting your Luggage down might be a Better Idea than trying to hang onto it while the Train is Motion. Drinks/Food are/is not allowed on Metro because of the Risk of spilling them. If you can't balance with them, don't bring them on.

NYC Bar with Loops: Useless--only One Person can make use of them.

Other Cities: If Every City had the Same Type of Car, it would make Sense to copy their Layouts. But, Metro's Cars are Unique. I can't really attest to Other Cities, but they are much Longer. More People are able to get on-board and that presents Problems getting them off quickly with a Packed Car. NYC's Cars are at Least 3/4 the Size of Metro's but still with Three Doors, so there is less Space between Doors, which allows People to quickly exit/enter the Train.
Even if Metro did just use Ideas from Other Cities, you would want to make Sure they worked. Just because it works for One City with One Type of Car doesn't necessarily mean it will work for DC. And, better you spend 400k testing the New Car Layouts before you go ahead and buy 100 or so Cars for a few Million Dollars.

Metro Workers on Platforms: I definitely agree that Metro Works should use some Authority in moving People through the Stations and on/off Cars. Their Current Performance has been lacking and if they stepped it up, it could really help crowding issues and prevent People from getting in as the Doors close(possibly blocking/holding them open causing further Delays)

Door Control: Yeah, I really don't get why there are Delays opening/closing Doors once the Train has stopped at the Station. It is something Metro should look into and fix.

I wish I could find the Boston Globe article I recall from over 10 years ago when the new Red Line cars were introduced. The new cars featured (1) wider doors (to allow people to get in and out easier) (2) more doors (4 instead of 3) (also to improve flow). It's nice that Metro is trying to improve interiors to avoid crowding around doors (a real problem). Too bad they aren't doing anything external....

Well, I'm a short person who carries a laptop each day and is currently nursing an injured foot. I can't reach the ceiling rails, I now have nothing to lean on, and with fewer seats I will have even less of a chance of scoring one to take some weight off my foot. I'm know I'm whining, but I'm not looking forward to this design!

agreed--I can just barely reach ceiling poles, but it hurts my arm, wrist and hand so I can't actually hang on to them. Echoing everyone else, I wonder if Metro actually thought about short people and children when looking at these new designs.

I looked at the online graphic showing the redesigned cars and I noted that the 48-seat design has a lean-rest at one end of the car. I like that idea. I used those on the Tube in London and thought they were a good idea because they can help people who need assistance to maintain their balance; they're also useful for people who have bags to transport (say, people going to the airport or Union Station). I don't understand why Metro won't consider putting these things alongside the doors in areas where there are no seats--for example, in cars where the "priority seats" are removed, why not provide a lean-rest in that area? Or will it interfere too much with advertising? (That shouldn't matter, I think, given that people would stand in front of the ads anyway.)

Unfortunately, this Blog is Littered with People who don't know what the Heck they are talking about and like to capitalize Every Other Word in their Posts. Especially one Person.

As I knew would happen and pretty much every other person mentioned, there aren't enough handholds for people who aren't 5'9" or taller (who are the majority of people Metro). I am sorry that my balance doesn't allow me to stand on the metro while it is jerking around without holding stiffly onto a floor to ceiling pole or having my back against a wall, but that is the way it is so if I can't get a seat and can't get a hand hold what am I, and most of the rest of Metro's riders, supposed to do, knock people over as we sway? How about also removing the arms from the seats so that more people can squeeze in?

I'm Smart: If you want to debate ideas, I'll debate ideas(once you put some forth). If you want to whine, go somewhere else because adults are here.

Following up on my earlier comment on 8/1 at 5:45 am about children and school groups. I was on a train this morning and saw two adults and 10 to 12 children get on at Foggy Bottom station. Clearly an organized outing (the kids wore name tags). The tallest child was about 5' or just under. Most were about 4'6" and needless to say, none could hold on to the overhead rail. No place to sit, this was towards the end of rush hour and trains still were crowded. So, they all clustered around the vertical poles, holding on. So, as someone suggested above, school groups are not always teenagers. Especially in the summer, there are groups of children of all ages making their way in organized groups or on tours, going around the city on Metro. The adults did a good job of occasionally shushing the kids when they got a little loud with their innocent, good natured exuberance. Actually, for a commuter such as I, it was fun to hear them chattering amongst themselves about Barney (yes, Barney). I found myself chuckling, not a bad thing to do while riding in to work!

(1)The groups of schoolkids shouldn't board until 9:01; QED.

(2)someone mentioned London... many mentioned crowding... Now put 2 and 2 together: in the event of an "incident"- how will that many people get out the one set of doors that open? Metro is loooong overdue in adopting- as MARC learned the hard way- windows that can be removed in emergencies.

Well, after the first 50 or so serious injury claims are made to Metro for no way to hang on to something during breaking, they will get a quarter for the clue machine. Instead of this design why don't they recruit metro riders to approve it first? Are they so tone deaf that they didn't realize that not having poles to hang onto would cause a lot of problems? Before they sic their rail cars on us, they should "metro surf" without a pole and see if they remain upright. I won't ride it.