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Originally Posted by Busy Bee
We've been here. I and many others certainly wanted to see something sleeker, sexier and more futuristic, but BART officials obviously didn't think that was the goal and seem to think these fit that bill, like SMART but not near as bad. It's not just a BART problem though,, it's really an American problem. US transit agencies just don't like to venture beyond the tried and true in terms of forward looking industrial design and international leading trends like open gangways, and one could argue that pushing the design envelope or good design in general isn't at the forefront of the American psyche like it is in Europe. I'm sure social theorists could expound further on the underlying cultural reasons for this.
It is sad fact that in my opinion, the original BART cars were more 'futuristic' than these, but it is what it is. For 90% of people it's the ride, comfort and arrangement of the interior, not the exterior styling that matters anyway.
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This is really a matter of opinion. Of course I'm biased (I'll be the first to admit it), but I really like the look of the BART cars and I like how SMART looks also. Both trains look really "clean" to me. I've ridden Japanese trains hundreds of times and feel like these new trains aren't bad at all. I agree that good design isn't as important culturally here than it is in Europe. I have a feeling the culprit (as usual) is money. It's hard enough to get money to pay for trains and new cars, getting something that looks "too nice" would just give the anti-tax crowd more fuel: "Look how they're wasting your tax money on luxury trains..."
I'm thankful we're getting these trains and honestly, they could've been far worse. SMART originally had renderings of trains with Colorado Railcar and those trains were horrendous!