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I agree 100% with this post. If you're going to depart from the norm of metro, they should definitely do it in an innovative way that could include longitudinal seating, articulation, and additional doors, among other things. Why not push the limits of design? Try something new and design the system for the future rather than remaining stuck with the 1970's system parameters.

That being said, the one place I believe the design should be kept consistent with the rest of system is with car aesthetics and retaining design element uniformity. Like it or not, the brown strip is THE one unifying element in the system. Pretty much all notable metro systems in the world have universal design elements in their subway vehicles, like Paris and Moscow. Why should the DC metro, which represents us to the rest of the nation and the world, be any less than unique and magnificent? Sure, there are definitely reasons for eliminating carpeted floors, and even having longitudinal seating. However, the vision and appearance of class and grandeur that was evident in the system's creation seems hopelessly lost in the new 7000 series, with the excessive stainless steel, lack of brown striping, stale lighting, and blue wool seats. The DC metro is not the NY subway.

So, I for one would DEFINITELY hate to see the beloved DC metro look like every other stale and frequently dirty Metro system in the country, which is what this new design seems geared to. The Baltimore, Miami, and LA subways come to mind. The brown stripe, orange seats, and design motifs give the system character, a quality that has now also come to define the region for tourists and residents alike. For most regular users this might not matter in principle, but I see it as wearing a suit jacket with pajamas for a regular day (non-Halloween of course). It just looks weird and (like the 7000s with current metro stations) they dont go well together.

by LA on Apr 29, 2010 1:09 pm • link • report