Brown Line Riders Stare At Each Other

By Margaret Lyons in News on May 18, 2004 1:28PM

The CTA unveiled its newest innovation: New York-style subway cars on the L. NY-style cars are popular in other metropolitan areas because, with the same number of seats, they allow more standing room. According to the CTA, up to 10 more people will be able to squeeze into the cars with side-facing seats than the mostly front- or back-facing ones currently seen on elevated trains near you. The CTA introduced two new cars tacked onto a Brown Line train yesterday, and after gathering feedback, the two cars will circulate through the entire L system. If Chicagoans like the strap-hanger style (literally�there are cloth straps on these new bad boys), the CTA will adopt it in around 300 cars over the next few years.

Chicagoist has spent a lot of time riding both the L and the New York subway, and they each have their charms. There�s something really serene about staring out the window of the L, even amid the insane hustle and bustle of rush hours, plus you don�t have to pretend not to be staring at the person across from you. But Chicagoist doesn�t want to be a big old hater, so for now we�ll stick to the virtual L.