New York City is getting new centipede-like subway cars

New York City is a headache for a lot of people, what with the noise and the rudeness and the congestion.

On Monday, the MTA announced plans to help reduce that headache via modernized "open gangway" subway cars - trains that have no interior doors and instead act as long, breezy hallways. Their front-to-back orientation and open plan makes them look like big metallic human centipedes, as Gothamist notes.

New York hopes to test out prototypes of these cars by 2020, anticipating the change will free up 10% more room for passengers. The move comes as part of a $52 million proposal to modernize the aging subway system with WiFi, mobile charging stations, and an open-concept space to handle the subway's growing ridership.

Though it may offer 10% more space for riders, the added room can make for a dizzying experience. 

Here's an open gangway subway car in Toronto:

And here's Paris:Eventually, the city hopes to replace the existing antiquated A and F lines with a brand-new fleet, with contracts getting awarded sometime next year. As part of that plan, the MTA will convert two prototype trains in that fleet into a fully open gangway system. The cost of the entire operation is an estimated $2.7 billion.One MTA board member, Andrew Albert, was skeptical the change would be a positive one."It's great benefit to salespersons, performers, and others," he said at a recent board meeting, according to The New York Daily News, "but I'm just wondering what you think it is for riders."On the one hand, the criticism makes sense - more room and freedom to move between trains leaves the possibility of more breakdancing crews and panhandlers, which not everyone appreciates. On the other, however, more than 6 million people travel through the subway system each day. New Yorkers could all use a little more breathing room.

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