If You Could Fix One Tiny Thing about Metro. . . [Serious]

Submitted by Cooking_with_MREs t3_126pvmm in washingtondc

. . . What would it be?

I was thinking on my commute today -- what would be one tiny thing to fix about Metro? (I don't mean big issues like poor lighting in the system, more frequent trains, lower cost fares that kind of thing)

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Mine would be to only have the announcements about procedures in Metro only be in the higher traffic tourist stations like Smithsonian or Union Station.

Example: Every time I hear "Hello, is this your first time riding Metro?" at Van Ness I think "No, I ride every day. I know not to ride my scooter or bike on the platform, I know not to change trains until they've stopped at a platform. I know there's no eating, drinking or smoking."

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resdivinae t1_jea8dj9 wrote

Mine would be to have the exit fare machines accept cards.

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holamiis t1_jeabu0p wrote

This right here. Only accepting cash has never made any sense to me

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new_account_5009 t1_jeaenu6 wrote

It's due to historical momentum.

They were originally installed at a time when cash was more common (and Metro still used paper farecards), so they made sense back then.

After paper farecards were retired and Metro went to SmartTrip only, they were actually unnecessary for a brief period of time. Basically, Metro let people complete rides with small negative balances, so no need for an exit fare machine (e.g., if you enter the system with $4 on your card, but take a longer ride that costs $5, you could leave with a card balance of -$1 and just pay that dollar the next time you load up the card).

However, that was short lived. Metro no longer allows people to carry negative balances on their cards. In the example above, they would allow you to enter the system with $4 because that's enough to cover a shorter ride, but if you take a longer ride that costs $5, you have to use the exit fare machine requiring $1 in cash.

It's annoying for regular users, confusing for tourists, and Metro has to pay money maintaining these older machines at every station. Rather than upgrading the exit fare machines to accept credit cards, they should really just allow negative balances again. Sure, they'll miss out on a few bucks from people that allow their card to go negative and never refill it (mostly tourists), but they'll save much much more than that by not needing to maintain the old machines.

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wwb_99 t1_jeareo2 wrote

> They were originally installed at a time when cash was more common (and Metro still used paper farecards), so they made sense back then.

They were installed at a point where you processed credit cards with a carbon paper swipe in general and the concept of electronically debited accounts was newfangled and required massive amounts of custom software.

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sprint113 t1_jeb8phm wrote

Weren't the exit fare machines originally paper farecards only? Since the Smartrip cards could hold a negative balance.

Plus the negative balance was built into the $2 base cost of the card.

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BPCGuy1845 t1_jebrc6x wrote

Correct. They are spending a couple million to avoid losing ten grand. And keep a couple of blokes employed.

I don’t know why they can’t just put one fare machine behind the gate and stencil “exit fare” on it.

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toorigged2fail t1_jeac62c wrote

I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing it's because the average exit fare is less than the credit card fees

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Cooking_with_MREs OP t1_jeacj8x wrote

Or they were put in when cash was much more common? *Shrug

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holamiis t1_jeacpqx wrote

Thats my best guess especially considering how old the machines look

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holamiis t1_jeacu78 wrote

I guess they cant force a minimum charge?

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JeffOnThePlains t1_jeabre9 wrote

Signage for exits. Have clear maps of where each exit will take you.

L’Enfant would really benefit from this.

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Timefighter820 t1_jeahrhm wrote

This memory is hazy so someone correct me if this was just a fever dream I had. I seem to recall a few years ago WMATA asking for suggestions from riders. The winning suggestion was to add compass rose-esque signage at each exit so it's clear where you're going immediately. And in pure WMATA form that hasn't happened yet. It seems like a very implementable step.

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bmp246 t1_jebar3a wrote

They added this at a couple downtown stations at one point.

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dwarfgourami t1_jealc2v wrote

I believe the Cleveland Park exit just says “Zoo ➡️” with no further explanation, which makes tourists think they accidentally got off at the Woodley Park/Zoo metro stop

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Content-County-9327 t1_jeaapmx wrote

It would be great if the signs for when the next train were coming and the signs about elevator outages and line changes were different signs.

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toorigged2fail t1_jeacfum wrote

Less metro than google maps... wish google maps had all of the actual multiple entrance/exit marked. Headed to a station I'm unfamiliar with then i could have saved a couple of blocks is annoying. And Metro center I feel like I don't always know which one I'm closest to.

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sprint113 t1_jeba4ur wrote

During the pandemic, I got bored and started making a custom Google map with the exact location of each entrance/elevator. I think it's particularly important for accessibility reasons because the elevator isn't always near where the station "M" is on the map and sometimes aren't very obvious where they are.

The Transit app does show where each actual station entrance is, including elevator entrances.

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toorigged2fail t1_jebah3w wrote

That's awesome, did you finish it??

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sprint113 t1_jebe9by wrote

No, it was yet another unfinished pandemic project. I did get all of the Virginia stations (except the new silver line) and most of the downtown core. I was mostly relying on Google maps/streetview to locate things. Metro has surprisingly good streetviews of most stations with 360 camera shots "walking" through the station uploaded by Metro.

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toorigged2fail t1_jebkkmt wrote

Mind posting what you have so far?

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sprint113 t1_jebm35y wrote

This is what I was working on. I'll have to look up how to import the metro lines into the map again to update it with the phase 2 silver line.

I think the most egregious elevator location I found so far was Court House.

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stupidreasons t1_jealn88 wrote

It's striking that they have this in Paris, but not here. It makes some sense -- Paris is a far bigger city with far more metro stations and users -- but the technology appears to exist.

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alatennaub t1_jecepmc wrote

Well, on this — although not really a tiny thing to fix, Metro really desperately needs more entrances for stops.

So many stops have only one or two entrances, often on opposites sides of a single block. Platforms are gigantically long relative to many metros (as if we needed more proof it's not really a metro and actually a commuter rail). Putting entrances/exists on the far end of each station can save folks a lot of time. It's always annoying when I literally walk the entire length of a station above ground just because there's no entrance on the other side

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No-Lunch4249 t1_jeb17xc wrote

Bring back one-way fare gates in the busiest and most tourist heavy stations: Union Station, Metro Center, Gallery Place, Smithsonian, etc.

It works in a mostly empty station but somewhere there’s a lot of foot traffic happening, allowing two way traffic causes more problems than it solves

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sprint113 t1_jebasv5 wrote

Pentagon is already back to one-way gates. I wonder if it's because it gets a lot of bi-directional traffic due to being both a major employment center (people exiting in the morning) as well as a transit hub (people entering in the morning).

Having two-way gates can better handle surges in passenger traffic, i.e. when a train unloads at a station

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DCmetrosexual1 t1_jebfvtm wrote

They already do this at a lot of stations. Gallery Place comes to mind.

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No-Lunch4249 t1_jebghst wrote

I’ve never noticed at Gallery place but when I’m there it’s usually later at night, like 8pm or later so maybe it’s back to 2 way at that time

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YeahIMine t1_jeb41ir wrote

This could easily be solved just by setting up stanchions.

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No-Lunch4249 t1_jeb4in6 wrote

Don’t even need to do that, the gates clearly have the capability because there’s a go/no-go indicator. It’s incredibly easy to fix but for some reason WMATA wants it this way

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YeahIMine t1_jeb5nmm wrote

They could get smarter about when to activate one-ways automatically. Elevators even know what floor they should be on depending on time of day. Small problem is that when folks are swarming the gates at busy stations, they can't see the red through the crowd, so will keep crowding. Just a guess. It may also cause accessibility issues for folks with visibility issues who'd get confused about which gates will be active apparently randomly.

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meditation_account t1_jeamzy5 wrote

They need to have more benches for sitting when you are waiting for the trains.

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jadexangel t1_jedm9vj wrote

There’s benches on the Glenmont side of the Red Line at Gallery, none at Shady Grove’s side. Make it make sense…

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walkallover1991 t1_jebbr6h wrote

There's a whole bunch of things I would fix, but three stick out from a user-experience perspective:

  • Better wayfinding signage. IIRC, Randy said they would soon launch a major improvement project in this area. Reintroduce the "X Line Train to Y via Z" signs on the platform. Actually roll out signs at stations that show what line/platform goes to DCA + IAD, not just IAD, as they have recently done.
  • People may seem this as a nuisance, but figure out a way to get the PA system in stations to call out the destination/line of approaching trains. The PIDS boards are often hard to read, especially at a distance. Other cities have such a system, but that said, I feel like WMATA makes more overhead PA announcements than most systems...likely why they got rid of that European-train station "ding-dong" that used to play before announcements.
  • More Spanish signs and announcements. It wouldn't necessarily be hard to program the 7Ks to make important announcements, like "Transfer is Available to XYZ," in Spanish. I've frequently read that the system is somewhat hard to navigate for Spanish speakers who know little English.
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Cooking_with_MREs OP t1_jebjf21 wrote

>get the PA system in stations to call out the destination/line of approaching trains

So, you mean something like "train approaching heading toward Glenmont" something like that? That seems kind of redundant b/c the trains (7ks at least) announce that already -- and the older trains have drivers that. . . kind of do that.

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walkallover1991 t1_jebokps wrote

And yet, people still get on the wrong train.

It's not a unique or obscure feature...the subway systems in Boston/NYC/LA/SF all have such an announcement system, as do most systems overseas.

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ctrlqwertydj t1_jeab7uf wrote

I can’t believe how dysfunctional the new fare gates are. This new bottlenecking exit/entrance issue is one Metro created directly 😢

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toorigged2fail t1_jeac7q9 wrote

I haven't had an issue... what station(s)?

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Wheresmycardigan t1_jeam8b0 wrote

The Google pay/apple pay NFC takes a few seconds to read but people are so used to tapping and instant walking thru that it causes mis read and then back up.

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toorigged2fail t1_jeb6wlk wrote

Ah I don't use NFC. Hitting interferes with my building fob that I have stickered to my phone

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Wheresmycardigan t1_jebbqdt wrote

Apple or android?

My phone defaults to Google wallet but Metro is able to detect and pull up smart trip, but there's a lag in the read by the fare reader.

My building access for the office is also via app, so Bluetooth doesn't interfere bc readers are able to differentiate NFC signals.

All I need now is a newer model car that can start via my phone lol

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sprint113 t1_jebcxy0 wrote

The new gate arms swing faster, which ironically makes them slower. The old gates would allow like 4-5 people through without closing-reopening if they tapped fast enough. I don't think I've see that on the new gates, though it's possible it's because the ridership at my exit station has gone down a bit, more people are paying by app and lots of people just hop the gate.

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Wheresmycardigan t1_jebfdov wrote

That's a good point. During peak office rush hour if people had the right timing cadence right behind each other, fare gate wouldn't even need to close until after a good number people passed thru

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nopornthrowaways t1_jealzxp wrote

Someone once suggested a small change that I thought was interesting:

For the really long escalators at least, Wheaton and DuPont come to mind, put the “Train Incoming” sign near the top of the escalator. It would help the average person know whether or not to book it down

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dwarfgourami t1_jeanlew wrote

I believe they intentionally don’t do this because it could lead to people sprinting down the escalators and getting themselves or others hurt.

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dcgirlsmallworld t1_jeb48u7 wrote

I wish they would add a machine to refill your smart card inside the gate. I know there is usually one but it never accepts card which sort of defeats the purpose for most people. Would make it a lot easier to fill up your card instead of having to exit through, fill up your card, and then come back through the emergency gate to swipe out.

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swampoodler t1_jeavlp4 wrote

General: I would fix the fare gates because the dude sitting in the same train car as me smoking weed(?) definitely didn’t tap in and I wish he wasn’t here. Can’t ban people if there’s no requirement to enter.

Tiny: Have all the trains stop at the exact same spot and add numbers to the floor in front of designated places for doors to open so you know which door is closest to the elevator, escalator/stairs, transfer, etc.

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caitplusate t1_jeb07jv wrote

This would also be helpful for when meeting friends at different stations. For example I got on the train last week at U St and was meeting my friend at the Columbia Heights station - guessing game as to him finding me and my car.

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scotch_please t1_jeb983c wrote

Whenever I do this, the plan is to meet in the first or last car.

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caitplusate t1_jeb9in7 wrote

Smart plan - last time I did it, I almost missed the train, so I was just sprinting for any open door!

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swampoodler t1_jeb61al wrote

100% I have used a system like this in other countries just for such a thing.

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sprint113 t1_jebbura wrote

While the 2nd point would be nice, I'm guessing that it would be mostly redundant. Once you get to the point of knowing which car/door to be by to be able to quickly exit the station/make a transfer, you probably already have a pretty good idea of where to stand on the platform to get on the train at that door/car.

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swampoodler t1_jebjcw6 wrote

It was very helpful in other countries I’ve lived in.

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keyjan t1_jeeq5sh wrote

All trains are currently doing 8 car stops, however, the 7000 series car doors are spaced slightly differently than the other series. As the other series are retired, this problem will go away.

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swampoodler t1_jeexf7j wrote

I mean specific numbers stamped on the floor at stations, where doors always align.

“Bro I’m on Green. Meet me at door 2-2 at Mt Vernon.”

So easy.

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YeahIMine t1_jeb4rpk wrote

Smoke in trains is annoying but nobody should be banned from transit.

FYI if you haven't noticed, the train doors are different widths apart depending on what series you're riding. That problem is better addressed with more signage/lighting/decor

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captainsmoothie t1_jeb162n wrote

Post signs indicating the circumstances in which riders can ask to use the customer bathroom, and guidance for what to do when the station manager refuses your request.

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classicalL t1_jebzq4p wrote

Turn ATC (automatic train control) back on.

This would make service a smoother and more reliable and safer.

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FancyRatFridays t1_jec95vx wrote

Increase elevator cleanings. They get really gross really fast, and it's not fair to make people with wheelchairs and strollers get into a filthy box just to use public transit.

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muellman t1_jeaf3tf wrote

Get the employees and more importantly management of each department of Metro to work well with those in other departments.

Having dealt with WMATA for my job, my greatest wish would be for employees of one area to have some idea of what those in others are doing. From maintenance, to ops, to engineering, to planning, each department is so compartmentalized that when someone comes up with a better idea for safety or efficiency, it's rarely known by employees elsewhere in the organization. The best recent example was the new inspections of the 7000 series wheelsets in December 2021 following being pulled from service--an inspection was developed, but the maintenance people weren't taught how to do that, and then Metro quickly pulled the 7000 series back out of service (for months). There's some really dedicated and smart people there, but much of what they do doesn't get disseminated around.

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Cooking_with_MREs OP t1_jeajv9f wrote

>much of what they do doesn't get disseminated around.

I get this sense too as a customer. WMATA is a massive tri-jurisdiction system, and folks in administration* don't seem to have much of an idea of what workers and customers do day to day in the system.

Having a cool acronym for Better Bus Service (BBS) or Improved Lighting Initiative (ILI) or "increasing cleanliness by 85% systemwide" doesn't mean jack to customers who wait 15 minutes instead of 20 for the next bus, or see burnt out bulbs all over the system, or dirty elevators every day.

* The one exception to admin issues would be Randy Clarke and one of the Commissioners (I don't recall her name) who seem to actually be using and in the system every day.

I worked at Wal-Mart and as horrible as that company is department managers were out in the store every day if only for an early-morning walk-through. How many admins can say they are in or use the system every day?

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ladakn99 t1_jeam0nn wrote

Better signage to let riders know which railcar their getting into. Kind of like what's displayed on the sticker at the end of the westbound red line track at gallery place.

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No_Attention3011 t1_jebbf5t wrote

It would be nice if train operators tell you “Trains make frequent stops and holds midway through tunnels” I hate they turn a 10 min commute to 30

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rrocketman88 t1_jeai3uv wrote

Inner and outer loop lines.

Edit: I missed "tiny" but I'm leaving my comment.

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GarlicBreadRules t1_jeb6y8f wrote

The hub and spoke configuration. How about some rings?

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Wheresmycardigan t1_jeamr97 wrote

Collecting fares on buses. It's a huge back up issue to have each passenger tap card, error, re tap load money, flatten bills etc vs walking directly on bus one after another. It causes back up in traffic and delays bus timetables to load buses and even more exacerbated for n popular routes or rush hour.

They had betas for cash less, temp no fares etc but nothing came from it.

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Cool_Story_Bra t1_jean8f5 wrote

I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone pay cash into a bus fare box. Usually the driver just tells them to go sit and not hold anyone up.

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OnlyHunan t1_jedfljp wrote

That is the fare system for the RideOn FLASH BRT system. Payment kiosks for the buses are on the platforms.

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vtsandtrooper t1_jeb3hvj wrote

Better headways more frequency. No tiny

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BPCGuy1845 t1_jebrr4r wrote

Getting rid of the useless people who sit in the huts at the entrance and do absolutely nothing. They don’t provide security, they don’t stop fare evasion, they don’t provide information. They just exist. I think they might open and close the exterior doors of the station.

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sagarnola89 t1_jeeylpq wrote

I'm going to defend them a bit here. Typically, when I actually have a question, they have been very helpful, which is all they are really there for. Asking them to provide security and stop fare evasion when they aren't trained in policing is dangerous and counterproductive.

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samthehaggis t1_jed6izp wrote

More trains and an earlier start on Sundays. I often have to give up on metro and walk/Uber on Sundays because the trains aren't running yet or I've just missed the train and have to wait 30 mins.

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Flat-Presentation691 t1_jedbyu0 wrote

Maintaining precision to published station arrival times and displaying the next station’s name on each of the signage columns next to the station benches so that people inside the train can view

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MeghanClickYourHeels t1_jee1kls wrote

Your suggestion is about reinforcement instead of introduction. If they only played those announcements for tourists you’d forget, or others would forget, that you’re supposed to do those things.

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DCmetrosexual1 t1_jebfio5 wrote

For the love of god change the escalators at Takoma so that 2 are going down toward the exit and 1 is going up to the platform. It is brutal during the PM rush hour when a million people are all getting off a train and filing onto just one escalator.

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