The NYC Subway Turnstile.

• Problem Statement:

I feel uncomfortable when I have many stuff with me
I pass the turnstile, I am momentarily under the illusion like a prisoner
Re-issue thousands of metro cards; Some of them recharges the value of the cards,
but still many people just throw it away. Even though metro-transit
tries to recycle cards as much as possible, still wasted.

• Context Analysis:

People who held many stuffs often stuck in the turnstile.
Not only busy business people ,but also large-scaled people hung on the turnstile.
There are many dropped or left metro cards on the platforms.
No worker at a station tried to gather it or pick it up.
Recycle box was already fulled and no one collect it.
A Businessman who missed a train because of blocking by the door complained
size of the entrance. A little young boy flied a metro card to railroads tracks.
Fashionable guy in a station near NYU had a pad made by metro cards.
Tourists slung off the entrance how unpractical it is.

• Proposed Solution:

Recently Citi-bank made agreements with metro-transit to use multifunctional card. This card contains a micro- chip and possibly substitute short-time use metro card. This would contribute to environment, and also increase efficiency of credit cards.




The shown picture is a turnstile of platform in Paris.
The turnstile has steel blocker instead crossbars.
Like the turnstile in Paris, I suggest that turnstile has twin clear Acrylic blocker with LED lights. Also redesigned turnstile should have micro-chip reader instead metro-card reader. Twin clear blocker would prevent a free ride. Also size of turnstile should be wider and larger for busy or big sized consumers.

Stylish turnstile would be an another landmark of New York City.

• Idea Sketch:

Clear Acrylic provides openness to consumers, and twin- blockers would strengthen security. Alert beep and laser pointing are also added for security purpose. Tape-type metro card reader will be replaced to touch-style micro chip reader.

We could use Cell phone instead of holding credit cards. If we use cell phone, we can pass turnstile without any actions with mutual radio frequency communication system.