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It’s time to talk about trains, folks. Specifically, we’ll be talking about train stations & what makes good station design
Masjid James station encapsulates some aspects of good station design. It’s accessible, close to major points of interest & integrated into urban fabric https://twitter.com/natcromancer/status/1291045670648872960
Masjid James station encapsulates some aspects of good station design. It’s accessible, close to major points of interest & integrated into urban fabric https://twitter.com/natcromancer/status/1291045670648872960
It’s no surprise that Masjid Jamek, a station located in the heart of the old City Centre, one of the most walkabale parts of the city and a bustling transit hub, would feature hallmarks of good station design. Let’s delve into more detail into what makes a good station
1. Accessibility
Station accessibility in this sense means that the station can be accessed easily by walking, biking or mobility aid. This means the station should be reached easily by active modes of transportation. A station is hard to walk to is a station not worth going
Station accessibility in this sense means that the station can be accessed easily by walking, biking or mobility aid. This means the station should be reached easily by active modes of transportation. A station is hard to walk to is a station not worth going
Station inaccessibility is particularly egregious in suburban stations that prioritise parking lots and structures that allow greater access for cars while sacrificing access for people. This leaves the only ways to get to it either by car or a frequently infrequent bus line
An example of this is the Greebelt Metro station in the Greater DC Metro area. It has virtually no pedestrian connectivity, has oceans of parking lots and a few relatively infrequent bus lines. This limits the usability of the station to suburban commuters and little else
You don’t even have to go all the way out to the Greater DC area to see this. Kwasa Sentral MRT station is also inaccessible to anything but cars and a handful of infrequent bus lines. Cars are parked along the access roads like plaque deposits in an artery
2. Points of Interest
This leads right back to the first point. The station must be close to key points of interest like a commercial, residential or office area. KLCC’s points of interest are nearby office towers. Bukit Bintang’s points of interest are the shopping malls
This leads right back to the first point. The station must be close to key points of interest like a commercial, residential or office area. KLCC’s points of interest are nearby office towers. Bukit Bintang’s points of interest are the shopping malls
All of this works because of how integrated the station is with the surrounding urban fabric. When you leave the the station, there are heaps of places you can go to easily and conviniently. It makes them worthwhile to use
3. Connectivity
Or: How the hell are you getting to the damn station
This also loops back to the first point because stations where you’re expected to drive to usually have terrible connectivity. Without robust bus connections, the station is limited in its utility
Or: How the hell are you getting to the damn station
This also loops back to the first point because stations where you’re expected to drive to usually have terrible connectivity. Without robust bus connections, the station is limited in its utility
A frequent bus line will do more for train ridership than a thousand parking lots ever will because then you’re actually encouraging people to leave their cars at home and it allows those arriving at those stations to take the bus to their destination and not be forced to drive
In conclusion: Parking at train stations is garbage, put more frequent bus lines and you’ll get more ridership and more vibrant train stations
Thanks for coming to my TED Talk
Thanks for coming to my TED Talk
