We’ve seen record ridership numbers for DART, which have been mirrored across the country as gas prices have increased. In Chicago, where the cash-strapped CTA has also seen increases but can’t afford to buy new rail cars, the transit agency has a plan: Remove seats from existing cars.
The CTA expects to cram 25 to 50 more passengers onto trains that normally hold 90 riders if it takes the seats out and eliminates the aisle. The seatless cars will be used only during the busiest travel periods; an eight-car train could have as many as two cars without seats. The agency will start using the new trains later this year.
DART apparently has no plans to do this, and the agency added bigger capacity cars earlier this summer. The new cars seat 25 more passengers than normal cars, and DART says standees can add another 75 more.
Will commuting in the metroplex soon look like Tokyo? That will be a change!
Posted by: Dallas | Aug 01, 2008 at 10:54 AM
The trains on my daily DART Light Rail route are more full than they used to be, but the folks standing can usually fit in the open entry/exit points of the cars. Only occasionally on my route do people actually have to stand in the isles between the seats. Some of the more crowded trains are just before/after the rush when DART isn't even running a full complement of 6 cars to a train, so there's some capacity to be had there.
While the extra riders make for less personal space, the more people we can get in the trains/buses and off the roads the better. Bring 'em on (the riders that is).
Posted by: Matt | Aug 01, 2008 at 01:37 PM
I have been seeing the same thing as Matt, people standing at the entry points rather than in the isles. But I wish it was the opposite. Move to the center of the train while you are riding and then move toward the exits nearer to your stop. But don't crowd the doors. It makes it harder for people to get on and off, and ultimately slows down everyone's ride.
Posted by: Dallas | Aug 01, 2008 at 02:09 PM