NYC Subway Tests Long-Awaited Platform Barriers

Gothamist reports:

Commuters will notice something a little different the next time they’re at the 191st Street subway station in Manhattan. The Washington Heights stop now has platform barriers. It’s the first of four to get the new technology as part of a platform safety pilot program that could spread to the rest of the city.

“It’s still in an experimental phase, and we will be watching carefully to determine if the barriers are effective at deterring track intrusions without interfering with passenger circulation. If they pass the test, we will be ready to deploy widely,” MTA Chair Janno Lieber said in a press release on Sunday.

Read the full article. Barriers that completely block the track and feature automated doors, such as those used by the AirTrain at JFK, are considered too expensive for NYC’s sprawling system. These are merely fixed fences.

The Manhattan station is the first of four to get the new barriers as part of the platform safety pilot program.https://t.co/z0idztDrxO

— Gothamist (@Gothamist) January 21, 2024