Can We Fit More In?

We've always thought there was a lot of wasted space on Metro. Those half glass partitions by each door, the two by two seating as opposed to bench style seating and vertical poles stuck here and there come to mind. Compared to other countries, there's also the American notion of personal space, which keeps people from really cramming in. Ride a subway in Japan during rush hour, and you'll get a whole new feel for "crowded." The DC Examiner touches on some of this in a blog post today, and Metro is currently studying new configurations like the 7000 Series. There is more information and some photos here.

Since we're faced with the very real notion of fewer trains, even at rush hour, what would be your suggestions for increasing the capacity of Metro?

--Entertaining piece on birds in the Metro from The Washington Post.