The agency's pilot program will place decals in 20% of the 7000-series fleet for approximately three months.
Credit:
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
2 min to read
A recent implementation by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority introduces new decals that will appear on the floors of some of the agency’s trains, reminding customers in priority seats to offer them to those in need.
According to an agency release, priority seating is intended for people with disabilities, people who use mobility devices, older adults, pregnant people, and others with not-always-visible disabilities. Priority seats are next to the center doors of each railcar. The seats are marked with signs above the seat, but they can be difficult to see in crowded trains or when customers are seated.
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New decals have appeared on the floors of some of WMATA's trains.
Credit:
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
The floor decals will remind customers to look up and proactively offer the seat to fellow passengers who may need it more.
“Accessible transit is as much about infrastructure as it is about culture. In a world where many of us are distracted by our phones and plugged into noise-cancelling headphones, we sometimes forget about our surroundings,” said WMATA’s Chief Customer Officer Sarah Meyer. “These decals are a simple but powerful reminder that we all share responsibility in making Metro welcoming and accessible to everyone.”
The pilot program will place decals in 20% of the 7000-series fleet for approximately three months. The decals follow best practices from transit agencies worldwide and are non-slip.
The agency will use feedback from customers, WMATA’s Office of ADA Policy & Planning, and the Accessibility Advisory Committee to evaluate the pilot’s effectiveness before deciding the next steps.
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