This will be a major shift from how BART was designed to be experienced. Once conceived of as a futuristic, comfortable suburban commuter system where everyone would have a comfortable seat, BART will soon look and feel like every other urban metro system in the U.S. where most of the car's capacity is made up of standees. BART had been designed to supersede the kind of subway experience that has been largely the same in New York since 1904.

I have mixed feelings about this, and while I understand the necessity of the changes, I am surprised more people don't see this for the downgrade in comfort it is. Carpeted floors and plentiful fabric seats more or less worked for several decades before aging equipment, increasing use, maintenance cutbacks, and stories about sanitary issues. I almost suspect there were folks in BART's management behind these news stories, because they have been so very effective in convincing the public to dislike the fabric seats that had been used for 40 years. I am also not sure the public gets that there will be significantly fewer seats to sit on.

Oh well, just a bit sad to see BART give up on its unique vision. I very much hope the new cars will solve the noise problem that is really BART's biggest detraction.