A rendering of what the Metropolitan Transit Authority's open gangway subway cars might look like has been uncovered by 2nd Ave. Sagas. And while the render was created in 2013, it was only included in the MTA's 2015-2019 Capital Plan.
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The MTA plans to test out ten such subway cars that have no doors in between them. They have ordered the open gangway cars as part of the larger, new rolling stock of subway cars known as R211 that will replace the existing R46 subway on the A, F, R, and Rockaway Park shuttle.
Open gangway cars are used by subway systems around the world, but they haven't quite made an impact in the States yet. By getting rid of the doors in between, the subway allows for more movement and can increase ridership capacity by up to 10 percent, according to 2nd Ave. Sagas. But that fact hasn't necessarily gone down too well with New Yorkers. In our previous post about the open gangway cars, commenters mentioned that the MTA should instead focus on improving other services such as ADA accessibility and increasing the reach of the subway to the outer parts of the city.
It's unlikely that the prototype order will be ready until the early 2020s, so there's still quite some time to mull over the idea.
A first glimpse at the MTA's plans for an open gangway prototype [2nd Ave. Sagas]
MTA To Test Open Gangway Subway Cars [Curbed]
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