{"id":177523317,"date":"2010-08-17T16:01:57","date_gmt":"2010-08-17T16:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/?p=177523317"},"modified":"2010-08-17T16:01:57","modified_gmt":"2010-08-17T16:01:57","slug":"houston-metro-expands-access-by-removing-seats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/?p=177523317","title":{"rendered":"Houston METRO Expands Access By Removing Seats"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Angie Schmitt<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nSometimes expanding access to transit can be as easy as reexamining
\nassumptions about riders\u2019 needs. That may be the early lesson from
\na 30-day experiment Houston METRO is conducting on 11 trains. The transit
\nauthority has removed four benches — or eight seats — from cars on those trains in a bid to increase comfort for users who need extra space. <\/p>\n

The move is a win
\nfor a diverse group of transit riders, from cyclists to wheelchair users to parents with young children,
\nexplains Dean Hall at NEOHouston<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\"newbikehours3.jpg\"Photo: Houston Metro<\/a>
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This is a boon for bicyclists who can use the open space for their bike
\nwhile holding on to the new overhead straps.  The open area can also be
\nutilized by persons in wheelchairs.<\/p>\n

However, I think the biggest gains will be for parents who transport
\ntheir infants and toddlers in strollers.  Previously, only the smallest
\numbrella-style strollers could easily negotiate an LRT car\u2019s narrow
\ncenter aisle. I have a personal experience trying to manage one of the
\nlarger style strollers and I received looks from other passengers who
\nhad to make room for me and the stroller that was convenient for me,
\nbut an imposition to those around me…<\/p>\n

So, thank you, METRO. By taking something away, you\u2019ve improved options for three types of riders.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n


\nhttps:\/\/streetsblog.net\/2010\/08\/17\/houston-metro-expands-access-by-removing-seats\/<\/a>oldId.20100817160157831<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Angie Schmitt Sometimes expanding access to transit can be as easy as reexamining assumptions about riders\u2019 needs. That may be the early lesson from a 30-day experiment Houston METRO is conducting on 11 trains. The transit authority has removed four benches — or eight seats — from cars on those trains in a bid … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Houston METRO Expands Access By Removing Seats”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-177523317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-you-will-not-see-in-maryland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177523317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=177523317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177523317\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=177523317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=177523317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=177523317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}