Today BART launched the first of several workshops with a full-scale prototype of their new train cars. They’re looking for rider feedback before finalizing the design. Most of it seems pretty nifty:
- Comfortable, easy to clean seats
- Extra set of doors for faster boarding
- Bike racks
- Digital signs and maps
BART says their new trains will be quieter on the inside and have better air conditioning, but these features weren’t part of the demo.
I took the time to voice my concerns about the boarding difficulty that the redesign didn’t address. One BART representative suggested a couple mirrors might solve the problem, which is an interesting alternative I hadn’t considered.
If you’re interested in checking out the prototype and giving feedback, several more workshops are scheduled. If all goes as planned we’ll start seeing these new trains in 2017.