New Yorkers all have a twisted feeling toward the subway. On the one hand, it is the cheapest and most convenient way to shuttle back and forth in the crowded NYC. On the other hand, the subway system has kept making its riders anxious with all its legacy and newly emerging problems, and the situation is only getting worse and worse these days. With the unpromising situation of the current subway system, is it possible that we could look into the future with a fresh idea? Based on the research about the NYC subway system, I have imagined a totally different futuristic scene of how we could possibly revibrate our subway system, with reassured riders.
Research & Context
Past Till Now
Several Periods of Ridership Decline
- Great Depression - The pessimistic economic landscape had affected every business in the city including the subway in the 1930s
- Automobile Era - A rise in automobile usage after World War II
- Urban Sprawl - The spread of urbanized areas into the rural landscape led a lot of people to move out from the city area in the 1950s and 60s
Crime Issues
- Harassment / Theft
- Platform Pushing / Shooting
Out-of-Date System
- Very Old Networks and Lines
- Aging Platforms and train facilities
Constant Financial Crises
- Lack of Funds
- Increasing Cost of Maintenance
Future to Come
Based on the historical research and considering what is going on at the current moment, I pictured some situations that could potentially happen around the subway system in the near future.
New Decline in Ridership
Remote working has become a new life choice after the covid. With the benefits remote working brings in many aspects, the rate of remote workers will probably keep going up even when the covid situation is ended, which means much fewer people would use the subway to commute in the future.
Digitalization
With the rapid development of the world of technology, MTA might also get benefit from integrating new digital technology into its system.
Greater Cost
Subway maintenance cost has always been an issue and it would only increase with the infrastructures getting older and older and new problems continuing to emerge.
"Time is Money"
With their fast-paced lifestyle, the new generations are desperately trying to make better use of every minute of their life. Spending much time figuring out the way to go after entering the subway station is intolerable. Also, aimlessly swiping the phone while waiting for the subway would become the last choice if they could be more productive during that time like drinking their energy coffee of the day or getting some work done.
A Speculative Design
With a full landscape of the history and future of the NYC subway, I came up with a fresh design for the future subway system. In this design, instead of trapping the riders on the platform stage where the narrow platform quickly gets crowded, I imagined that people could be relocated to the more spacious mezzanine level above the subway platform while waiting. The floor would be covered with digital screens displaying colored sectioned zones. Each subway line would have several sections connected to different staircases leading to the platform stage.
Guided Navigation
Once the rider has decided on his or her destination, the system would choose the most efficient subway plan for the rider to follow. With the keep-updating traffic information in the subway station and the rider's starting location, the system would decide an entrance on the ground floor for the rider to go and also a sectioned zone on the mezzanine floor to wait for the subway. The choice is made to make the experience most intuitive and convenient for the riders. The users would spend their waiting time in the assigned zone and only go downstairs when the subway has reached the station and the digital screen starts to flash as a reminder.
Better Guaranteed Safety
With the new navigation system, all the things the users have to do is to type in their destinations and follow the navigation direction provided by the system. From another perspective, doing this could allow the system to have the riders more evenly distributed into different sections of the station to avoid over-crowding and thus reduce dangers. Bringing the riders away from the platform also reduces other dangerous factors since no pushing would occur again with everybody waiting at the wall-surrounded mezzanine floor. Moreover, on the mezzanine floor, people could be evacuated to the ground floor faster when an emergency happens.
New Business Model
With the fact that the ridership would probably decline in the near future, the revenue the government could attain from charging subway tickets could become extremely marginal. Therefore, instead of requiring the riders to pay for their tickets, it might be a win-win for both the riders and the government if the subway station could incorporate some public facilities and small businesses into the mezzanine space. On the one hand, people could enjoy their waiting time by having a cup of coffee or taking a seat and reading a magazine while waiting. On the other hand, the agency could get profits from all these ongoing small businesses.
