100 Ways to Improve the NYC Subway. On his Tumblr site, he announced: “For the next 100 Days, I will propose various improvements to the New York City Subway, which in 2012 had 1.6 billion riders, and should be seen as the best subway in the country, if not the world. I’ll be exploring various ideas, from UX, Environmental, Co-Branding, Audio/Visual, and more, including potential interviews with MTA employees.”
Randy Gregory describes himself as “finishing my Masters in Branding at the School of Visual Arts, located in Manhattan… incredibly passionate about many things, including but not limited to innovation, experience, homebrewing, nerd culture, branding, graphic design, dumplings, and much more.”
This project is certain to brand Randy Gregory, as well as provide some great ideas and conversations about New York’s subway system. Some would cost billions, while others are almost free. And some will certainly become reality. Before he’s even finished, Gregory has been invited to present his findings and has been featured in publications and blogs.
Generating and illustrating 100 ideas is ambitious. Some are suggestions from the following Randy Gregory is gathering. Time spent in the BART system of San Francisco created more. Here are some of Randy Gregory’s 100 ways to improve the NYC subway:
1. Skylights. Why aren’t there more skylights in the station? More light would mean warm spots in the winter, and would be something interesting to look at when waiting for a train. Also, this could help people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder. Just because we’re underground, doesn’t mean it needs to feel like a cave.
41. Exercise Call to Action. Experience isn’t just about making a system work better, it’s also about making people better. Using data, we can calculate & display how many calories are burned using the stairs and walkways instead of escalators, elevators, and automated paths, and use that data as a call to action to get New Yorkers out there and use the urban gym.
26. Wifi on the trains. It helps in situations when people get stuck on the trains, so they can communicate with their jobs, friends, and family…for example, if you’re on the 1,2, or 3, and the lines get shut down because of a missing inmate. Or, keep track of your tasks/directions as you plan out your busy schedule. Or even watch cat videos on Youtube. Wifi would enable a whole new level of ease on the trains.
Committing to this ambitious project, has turned Gregory into an expert. The Big Question: Where would you like to improve your expertise?
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