The New York City subway system ranks third in the world in total annual ridership, and carries more passengers than all other rail mass transit systems in the United States combined. Since its opening in 1904, it has continuously upgraded its fleet of cars. Some trains in service during the 1970s were manufactured between 1959 and 1963 by the American Car and Foundry and St. Louis Car Company. These later became known as "Redbirds" after they became so covered with graffiti that they had to be painted over in deep red. Other subway cars in use in the 1970s were built in 1964 by the Budd Company. These cars, called "Brightliners," were the first mass-produced stainless-steel cars built for the system and the first to have sealed windows, with only a flip panel at the top, to prevent passengers from leaning their heads out.
San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit, or BART, which opened in 1972, serves the San Francisco Bay area. It connects San Francisco with East Bay cities and the northern San Mateo County suburbs. BART is the fifth-busiest rapid rail transit system in the United States. It was the country's first high-tech mass transit system, and its construction marked the beginning of a rebirth of rail mass transit in the United States. Its fleet of cars were built by Rohr Industries, then an aerospace manufacturing company, and were run mostly by a central train control computer with one operator on each train. The original cars featured carpets and brown fabric seats (refurbished in 1995 with light blue polyurethane). Each car seats 72 passengers, with room for wheelchairs and bicycles, and can carry as many as 150 passengers in rush hour.
The Washington Metro subway system is America's second-busiest rail transit system, serving Washington, D.C., and its surrounding suburbs. The first segment opened for operation in 1976, after much anticipation. Some 51,000 people lined up on the first day of service for free rides. The cars, modeled after those used by BART, were also built by Rohr Industries and are still in use today. Like BART's fleet, Washington's subway cars are in many ways much more modern than those of the New York system. The trains are quiet, air conditioned and carpeted, with vinyl seats and fluorescent lighting. They are also computer-controlled, with conductors responsible only for opening and closing the doors and announcing station names. The carrying capacity for each car is 68 seated and 199 standing. These original cars were rehabilitated in the mid-1990s, but are now due for an overhaul.
