Tell Metro what you Want

Metro says that staring in January, it will "seek input from its riders and employees during the next 18 months as it designs its next generation of railcars, the 7000 series."

In the press release, Metro euphemistically refers to the obsolete 1000-series cars as "vintage."

Good one, Metro. Those things shouldn't be carrying livestock.

Anyway, as you can see in the above photo, Warsaw, Poland, of all places, is getting some pretty swanky new BMW railcars. Poland, by the way, is not quite as "rich" a country as the U.S.

Metro will NOT be going with the Beemers, but Kawasakis instead.

While this pictures has quite the wow factor, one question that immediately comes to mind is where are the people in the center of the car, away from the vertical pole, going to hold on?

So here's a chance to let Metro know what you want in the new cars.

For starters, we'd say:

• No carpet
• No padded, pleather seating
• longitudinal seating
  

We also noted some characteristics of the Dulles Airport rail that Metro could investigate.

What do or don't you want to see in the new cars? Do you think Metro would really listen anyway?

Other items:
Metro's holiday plans (WMATA)
NYC subway's seems to have the same culture of safety (NY Daily News)
Area pols vow to change Metro governance (WaPo)
Fenty urges raising Metro parking fees (WaPo)
Which is worse? Metro? or VRE? (WTOP)