🚀 go-pugleaf

Tim Kynerd <tim@tram.nu> wrote:
> John R Cambron wrote:
> > Tim Kynerd wrote:
> >> Michael Malak wrote:

> >> > New York's lengthwise seating makes so much more sense than
> >> > WMATA's when it comes to crush capacity.  WMATA aisles are an
> >> > annoying 1.5 people wide.  New York's aisles are 2.5 people
> >> > wide -- which allows for people to get on/off quickly, which in
> >> > turn allows for shorter dwell times.  The lengthwise seating is
> >> > more flexible, allowing large people to be comfortable while
> >> > children can take up less width.  And there's space for packages
> >> > -- the lengthwise seats and the wide ailes provide for this.

The downside of such seating is that it is (at least IMO) much less
comfortable for seated passengers, and provides much less seating
at times of moderate loading.


> >> I still maintain that the seating and door configurations are one important
> >> reason why people cluster near the doors on the Washington Metro.  There are
> >> too few doors per car (three on each side, 75-foot cars), and as you point
> >> out, the aisles are narrow, hindering people from getting on and off
> >> quickly.  I've ridden on many rapid rail systems, and Washington's is the
> >> only one where I've ever felt that I might not be able to fight my way off
> >> the train at my station.  And that includes riding the New York subway at
> >> rush hour.

Have you ridden the Chicago subway?  Very narrow aisles and only two
doors per car (though the cars are smaller than most).  People avoid
moving in because it can be very difficult to get out again.

[...]

> Another problem is, of course, that adding another set of doors reduces
> seating capacity.

> Overcrowding will always be a problem on any rapid transit system from time
> to time, even if there is plenty of rolling stock and frequent service in
> the peak.  It's even the case that on any given day, some trains are going
> to be quite crowded, while others will have relatively few people.  As long
> as that's true, the only solution to the problem of people clustering around
> the doors is to provide more doors.  (Note that this is a much narrower
> problem than overcrowding in general, even though crowding on the cars is a
> contributing factor to this problem.)

I think I've mentioned this before, but I think that the best 
configuration is that used on the Paris Metro:  very wide doors
with 'strapontins' -- folding jumpseats -- in the doorways.  These
provide a significant number of additional seats when the trains
are moderately loaded, while providing lots of standing room near
the doors (along with extra-wide door openings to speed boarding)
during periods of very heavy load.


-- 
greg byshenk  -  gbyshenk@byshenk.net  -  Leiden, NL
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