Back in early December, Metro began testing a trio of new railcar designs that offered different seating and handlebar configurations. Some of Metro’s newer car designs, especially the ones that removed vertical bars to create more passenger standing room, have proved very popular with riders. At least one change, however, has already been dumped by Metro: bench seating, as seen in the photo at right, will not be incorporated into future rail cars, WTOP reports.

Metro General Manager John Catoe explained there were a number of factors that led to the decision to ditch the New York City-style bench seating, including that the change didn’t actually create any more space for passengers. But most importantly, Catoe said that customer feedback showed that Washingtonians don’t like being seated in such a way that forces us to look at one another. Could it be that we’re actually less friendly than New Yorkers? Or that the stereotypes about us being brutally unattractive are actually true? Say it ain’t so.

Other new railcar design innovations, including the addition of extra handgrips and standing stations with padded back cushions, are still on the table.

Photo courtesy WMATA