Steps in the Right Direction

As I boarded the Metro car to head home the other day, I noticed that something was different. No glass to the left. More space for standing to the right. No crowding around the doors. Looks like Metro is retooling the inside of its rail cars again!

Taking away seats to make more room for people to stand is always okay by me. Metro has more problems with over crowding than with discomfort. The new configurations feature more handholds for the vertically challenged - a primary complaint regarding last year's attempted reconfiguration - and a mid-car sign that tells you the next stop and on which side the doors will open. Said sign eats into my headroom, but is nice too have.

The real question is: did Metro go far enough? My initial assessment was "no." We need more standing room. It's not like ridership is anticipated to decrease anytime soon. But I will be happy with what we have now: A step in the right direction.