Over the years, there has been slow progress in improving New York City Subways. Granted that the subway system was established a long time ago, and that it is always bustling as it is the primary mode of transportation for many New Yorkers, there are little things here and there that can easily make navigation better. In addition to better visuals, directions, train maps and schedules, a revamp of the subway turnstiles is needed!
The turnstiles act as a barrier to ensure all subway users have paid the subway fares. To board a train, one must purchase a metrocard and swipe through at the turnstiles. On the right side of each stall, there is a slit to swipe your metrocard. After swiping, a tiny screen ahead in the stall displays your current balance of the card. You must swipe the card with the correct face and right direction. A successful swipe lets you through the turnstiles to the boarding area of the trains. The sketch below gives you an idea of what it looks like.
I’ve progressed from being a tourist in New York City to a frequent resident. I still remember my first visit to the subway station years ago. I remembered chaos, confusion and a wrong trip going uptown instead of downtown. Nowadays, after years of acclimating, I get around with ease. But, the narrow turnstile and troublesome swipe are things that never got easier. I would struggle to get my suitcase through the turnstile, or swipe 5 times before entering on the sixth try. So I decided to do a little research and see if this was a “me” problem.
After observing and interviewing a handful of people going through the turnstiles in the subway, the overall consensus was that the turnstiles serve its purpose, but the design could be improved. New York Subways serve various types and groups of people, and based on the people I interviewed, I was able to group my insights into three groups:
- Tourists:
Tourists had difficulty figuring which side to swipe and how to swipe and some tried to swipe extremely slowly. They thought better instructions could be given, and perhaps better visual instructions as English skills among tourists varied. Overall, they thought the turnstiles served its function as a barrier and payment method.
2. Young Adults:
Regular subway users had basically no issue. They knew where to swipe, how to swipe and how quickly to swipe. Most held the top third of the card and swiped through successfully. However, some thought it would be more efficient if you didn’t need to swipe and could just tap the card through a sensor. Others thought it would make more sense to have separate one-way turnstiles for people, creating less confusion when people try to enter and exit at the same stall and reduce backlog among rush hour.
3. Families
As I observed, I saw a couple families using the subway together. My parents would swipe for the kids and tell them to go first. Families of parents with larger bags had to use extra effort to ensure the bags crossed the turnstile as well. They were concerned with families with strollers or people in wheelchairs as accessibility for people carrying larger items was limited. They suggested for larger stalls for more convenience and quicker flow.
The simple answer to solve this would be to renovate the entire turnstile and upgrade the swipe system to a modern touch pad system. However, renovation requires funding and will disrupt the every day lives of many. One of the reasons why improvements to the subway system has been this slow is because it will cause this disruption. There are ways to work through it though. Wider turnstiles are beneficial for people with large bags, families with strollers, and people with disabilities, but it means fewer turnstiles in the same amount of space. Changing the ticket swipe system to a touch pad system will increase efficiency and decrease frustration among many. But this will require an entirely new software system and will cause major disruption in New York. Although these improvements may cause great annoyance, it is short term. This problem not only affects a various groups of people, I propose having 1 or 2 wider turnstiles and a new swipe system. New York is such a modern, iconic city, and it’s about time subway turnstiles are transformed as well!
