# CTA cars



## reisert (Jul 17, 2008)

The CTA is discussing the idea of having cars with NO seats within the next months--I so far have heard discussion of this on the Brown line.


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## George Harris (Jul 18, 2008)

Cattle prods to assist in passenger movement are coming next.


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## John Bredin (Jul 18, 2008)

reisert said:


> The CTA is discussing the idea of having cars with NO seats within the next months--I so far have heard discussion of this on the Brown line.


I doubt this is a serious proposal:

1) It would make the seatless cars nearly useless in non-rush-hour service. People will be OK with standing if they were going to have to stand anyway (rush hour, 3rd of July, etc.) but will NOT be happy about standing on a random weekday evening or Saturday.

2) CTA floated the (IMHO, sensible) idea of NYC-style longitudinal seating on some cars and it got shot down by the riding public, who seemed to take the position of "not one seat less!". (As if they weren't going to end up *standing* at rush hour anyway.  ) But if you suggest *no* seats, people complain vehemently, and you float the longitudinal seating as a compromise, then... 

3) It's a concrete means of showing (not just telling -- the ones who count don't seem to care, and the ones who care don't seem to count) the Powers that Be that CTA really *needs* the capital for new cars, that ridership is making new cars not just a nice-to-have but a must-have.

Actually, let me rephrase my "not serious" assessment above. I think this is exactly like the fare increases and service cuts: something CTA doesn't actually *want* to do, but is floating in hopes of impressing the need for alternative action, whether the longitudinal seating or capital funding. It's not an idle threat, though: put the alternative off long enough, and they *may* do it.


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## MrFSS (Jul 18, 2008)

I used to work for a guy who had all his staff meetings in a room with no chairs or tables. The meetings were always over real quick!


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## gswager (Jul 19, 2008)

George Harris said:


> Cattle prods to assist in passenger movement are coming next.


Or more humanely possibility- famed pushers from Japan.


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## Joel N. Weber II (Jul 19, 2008)

John Bredin said:


> 1) It would make the seatless cars nearly useless in non-rush-hour service. People will be OK with standing if they were going to have to stand anyway (rush hour, 3rd of July, etc.) but will NOT be happy about standing on a random weekday evening or Saturday.


But aren't there fewer cars run in non-rush-hour service? If only some of the cars are seatless, they could probably be rush hour only cars.


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## jis (Jul 26, 2008)

gswager said:


> George Harris said:
> 
> 
> > Cattle prods to assist in passenger movement are coming next.
> ...


There are cars with only fold-down seats along the walls that I have seen in Tokyo. They are essentially seatless during rush hours, but at other times the fold down seats are used.


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