Solution for Metro's spring loaded handles

October 28, 2:13 PMDC Transportation ExaminerKatherine M. Hill

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The bars, they are shorter! photo snapped unobtrusively by Katherine M. Hill

I’ve officially tested transit in other cities and I’ve come up with a solution for WMATA’s failed attempts at providing more space for riders in its Metrorail cars: replicate New York’s subway.

Metro’s spring-loaded handles, which are a strain for short people and an obstacle for tall people (see Dharm’s comments in the related post) do not help the riders, and thus, can not efficiently pack more bodies into a car. I suggested abandoning the plans and adding more poles.

Most significant to these cars’ contributions are vertical poles attached to overhead bars and lower bars. The bars are less than six feet off the floor and are easy for passengers of average height—and many passengers that would be classified as “short”—to reach the bar. The bar’s convenience does occasionally put a passenger in an awkward position hovering over a seated passenger, lingering in his or her personal space, but given that most cars are crowded in a way that prevents any single passenger from keeping his or her personal space, it’s a rather small inconvenience in the grand scheme of commuting. (See Seinfeld clip below.)

The subway cars in New York City have as many vertical poles in its cars as Metro’s spring-loaded handle cars, allowing passengers that are unable to reach the bar. (Some appear to have even less.) This allows the interior to provide more capacity for standing bodies, apparently. I personally think that the additional vertical poles have insignificant contributions to the decline in passenger capacity. (And no amount of data will change my mind.)

Seats line the car on the sides instead of facing front or backwards; this is often a proposed solution, and does allow for optimum capacity in a seat without removing seats entirely. I personally oppose it: passengers carrying items will be often forced to stow the items at their feet, thus eliminating space and good will.

Metro has tested swinging handles but abandoned the plan because the noose-like handles whack riders in the face.

I advised against seatless cars, as Chicago briefly entertained the plan before realizing the car would be too heavy to move; New York is currently considering the plan despite the obvious idiocy of seatless transit. I vowed to a friend last week that I will never board a seatless car.

So, Metro! Get rid of the spring-loaded handles and lower the bar. It will require a little more maintenance, but passengers will feel less physical and emotional pain.