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Response to Articles About New Subway Cars - Jarvis Tran

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Response to Articles About New Subway Cars - Jarvis Tran

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New subway cars sound really exciting for the future of the New York Subway system. However, I hope that new cars are wanted by New Yorkers, rather than just a fancy new "toy" wanted by city leaders. I wonder if users of the subway were asked what improvements would benefit them the most. Hopefully new subway cars would be able to increase the quality of service of the system and make transit more accessible for more people. I would be interested to see what New Yorkers think about the new subway cars and if they would have preferred the money be used for a different kind of improvement to the system. Could the money have been used for something different such as improving service of the existing system?

New York has one of the best (if not the best) transit systems in the US and would like to visit just to experience the transit there. Thanks for sharing!

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For several reasons, the New York City Metro Improvement Project immediately captured my attention. For starters, I got an offer letter for graduate school in urban planning at Columbia, and I'm moving to New York City this fall to study and live there. I want to learn more about the transportation system of my upcoming living environment. Second, being a central transportation hub serving millions of commuters daily, the NYC Metro system is critical to the city's economy and overall efficiency. Improvements to this infrastructure would tremendously influence inhabitants, tourists, and companies alike. I was particularly captivated by the project's arguments. The advantages of such an initiative, such as reduced travel times, increased accessibility, and job creation, are apparent.  Finally, the New York City Metro Improvement Project shows the importance of urban planning in influencing the destiny of cities. It serves as a reminder that, while progress might be costly and complex, the long-term rewards frequently exceed the present worries. 

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For several reasons, the New York City Metro Improvement Project immediately captured my attention. For starters, I got an offer letter for graduate school in urban planning at Columbia, and I'm moving to New York City this fall to study and live there. I want to learn more about the transportation system of my upcoming living environment. Second, being a central transportation hub serving millions of commuters daily, the NYC Metro system is critical to the city's economy and overall efficiency. Improvements to this infrastructure would tremendously influence inhabitants, tourists, and companies alike. I was particularly captivated by the project's arguments. The advantages of such an initiative, such as reduced travel times, increased accessibility, and job creation, are apparent.  Finally, the New York City Metro Improvement Project shows the importance of urban planning in influencing the destiny of cities. It serves as a reminder that, while progress might be costly and complex, the long-term rewards frequently exceed the present worries. 

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New "state-of-the-art" subway cars for the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority debuted recently on the A Train in New York City.

"The new R211 model includes security cameras, flip-up seating for added space for riders with disabilities, and door openings that are 8 inches wider for quicker boarding," according to an article about the new cars by Arya Sundaram for Gothamist.

The new A Trains are just the first wave of what will eventually be 535 new R211 subway cars. "That includes 15 for the Staten Island Railway and 20 cars with ' open gangways,' which allow for free movement between cars," according to Sundaram. (Open gangways also increase the capacity of subway lines.) Eventually, the MTA plans to but another 640 R211s, bringing the total to 1,175 new subway cars within the next two years.

"The new cars also work with the agency's new signaling system that will allow trains to run more frequently and closer together," adds Sundaram.

New York has been preparing for this new batch of subway cars for the better part of a decade. Planetizen first picked up the news about plans to buy a new fleet of subway cars in January 2016, revisiting the updates on the schedule in 2017 and 2018.

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Fancy New Subway Cars Join the New York Subway System

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New York has been planning on adding these new subway cars for years, finally achieving their goal in March 2023. More than a thousand of the new R211 trains will be running in New York within two years if all goes according to plan.

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New York Must Make Almost All Subway Stations Accessible by 2055, Judge Rules

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Another recent ruling is forcing the agency to accelerate its efforts to make all New York subway stations accessible to people with disabilities and mobility issues.

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New York MTA Releases Plan for Improved Accessibility

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The MTA announced plans for new or improved elevators at almost two dozen stations as part of its pledge to make more of its stations fully accessible.

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[Updated 5/2/2017] "The MTA wants to order up to hundreds of "open gangway" train cars designed to be roomier than the familiar close-ended cars on the tracks today," reports Dan Rivoli.

MTA officials believe that car makers "can build spacious train cars that can handle the unique layout of tracks and stations." Thus, "the agency wants to tap into its option to order up to 640 'open gangway' train cars," with the possibility of the more spacious cars hitting the tracks in 2023.

In the meantime, a new model of train cars, without the open gangways, is expected to hit the tracks later this year. "The model - called R179s - should have been picking up passengers by now, but a manufacturing defect held up the order," according to Rivoli.

Planetizen noticed last year when Governor Andrew Cuomo gave approval for the open gangway layout when touting a proposed $27 billion redesign plan for the New York subway.

[This story was updated with a corrected location in the introductory text.]

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Updated 5/2/2017] "The MTA wants to order up to hundreds of "open gangway" train cars designed to be roomier than the familiar close-ended cars on the tracks today," reports Dan Rivoli. MTA officials believe that car makers "can build spacious train cars that can handle the unique layout of tracks and stations."

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MTA Accessibility   Systemwide Initiatives

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Hi Guiliang, I think that these new, modern subway cars is a pretty cool project. I thought it was interesting that one of the goals that was mentioned in the video was for passages to not feel as though they are stepping into the past. This was a very interesting comment, as I didn't consciously ever consider the reality that many subway cars are quite old, and when compared to today's technology, as in other words "in the past". I think it does a lot by adding the modern screens and light systems to the rail cars, while also redesigning their specific look to make the cars appear more modern or contemporary with today's vehicles. I think by designing the interior and exterior of the subway cars, it can first bring in more riders who may be more inclined to trust the cars now that they've been updated. It's also a feature that I feel is missed when working with light rails and subways, where the focus of them tends to be the lines themselves which is fair. However, this usually leads to a lack of attention towards the physical designs of the cars which could be adjusted to accommodate its riders.

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Fancy New Subway Cars Join the New York Subway System - Google Search

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The new subway cars are a good thing for cities like New York that require transportation via subway. The new cars will help improve the current transportation system in New York and hopefully allow more people to receive the quality of service and improve their daily travel. However, I believe that not only the cars but also the entire subway stations need to be upgraded and maintained.
Thank you for your sharing!