Mall-o-Rail Modules Design Help

I've had problems with the layout of all my stations. Some of the extension pieces don't fit in logically because their seat faces the wrong way (who sits on a platform facing away from the track?) or because their railings are in the wrong place. In the fullness of time, when this event is over, I think my stations will be shrinking. I've also had a lot of trouble with stairs. They take up a lot of space, and it's hard to fit two sets in somewhere that makes sense in the context of a station layout.