Encouraging Cleanliness in Metro Systems

Imagine standing in a metro station during rush hour and taking a closer look at how the environment is being treated. You're likely to see people shaking out their soaking umbrellas, leaving puddles behind, and tracking in wet, dirty footprints as they enter the station. You would see hundreds, if not thousands, of people touching turnstiles—some right after having coughed into their hands. You may see a rider spill their coffee as they rush to make their train. When the doors to the subway open, you’ll see coffee cups, wrappers, and other trash left behind. People may never treat their homes this way, but when they enter the busy, chaotic environment of a metro system, they often lose the sense of responsibility to do their part in keeping it clean. 

But it doesn't have to be this way—many metro systems across Southeast Asia are praised for being immaculately clean without compromising service. This shows us that it's possible to encourage cleanliness in metro systems. To do so, we must understand what frictions, for both cleaning crews and passengers, are acting as barriers towards cleanliness and develop interventions that leverage technology and behavioral tools to promote a cleaner, more pleasant environment.