Let’s talk
about seats. Sitting down on streetcars, buses or trains is not a
big issue during short trips, but sometimes you really want -- or
need -- to rest awhile.
Compared to TTC
users, GO Transit riders have longer average commutes and enjoy more
comfortable seats. Many GTA and U.S. systems have plusher conditions
than Toronto -- of course, their buses often run half-hourly at
best.
The comfort and
number of seats is clearly a trade-off. Reducing seats allows more
people to fit on board, and many riders would rather stand than wait
for the following vehicle.
The TTC is
already thinking about the next generation of subway trains, and is
proposing to eliminate the walls between cars. You’ll be able to
walk through a train end to end, without going through a door. This
will allow extra space for passengers to stand on each train, easing
crowding during peak hours.
Yet
accompanying this technological advance is a plan to have all seats
face sideways, effectively removing chairs that face forward and
back. The new cars aren’t due for several years, but the seating
arrangement could be decided upon soon.
TTC staff are
preparing a mock-up subway car to showcase the new design, and the
public will have a chance to inspect it -- much like they did before
the current red T-1 cars were introduced. Will riders be properly
consulted on the layout -- and will their opinions be truly heeded?
There appears
to be a strong push to include the sideways-only seating, and the
city councillors who sit on the TTC board have expressed strong
concerns. There are arguments that sideways seats improve safety and
allow more standees to fit on a train, but transit advocate Steve
Munro calls them “cattle cars”.
Search under
“seats” at
http://www.stevemunro.ca, and you’ll find some in-depth -- and
at times scathing -- criticism of the design process. To reduce fire
risk, there has also been a proposal to remove any fabric from
subway seats, as if the standard TTC seat isn’t uncomfortable
enough.
TTC chair
Howard Moscoe has already criticized the dimensions of the average
transit seat, saying they are too narrow. This is another trade-off:
if seats are made larger then less of them will fit on a vehicle.
As for me, I
find the red fabric-covered seats on most TTC buses and trains to be
too hard. I prefer to stand on short trips, and sympathize with
those who travel great distances by bus. The cushions used on
streetcars and older subway trains are more tush-friendly.
Again, it’s a
choice -- the red fabric is much harder to vandalize than previous
materials, and therefore costs less to maintain. Comparing the
conditions to the average auto, and the TTC loses.
Nonetheless,
the people who design transit seating must ride the system at length
and understand clearly what customers need and want. Please travel
the subway from one end to the other, and look where people choose
to sit -- the first seats taken are often the ones facing forward or
back.