Platform Barriers to be Installed at Test Locations in NYC Subway

C.G. Hoffman

Coming soon to a subway station near you: platform barriers. Maybe. In a test program by the MTA, four stations have installed yellow barriers, spaced at intervals along the platform edge. The move comes after numerous incidents where people have either fallen or been pushed onto the tracks.

The MTA will be monitoring the barriers closely to see if they impose any difficulties for passengers getting on or off trains, as well as seeing if they have any significant effect on track intrusions. If they pass the test, they might soon be seen at more stations throughout the city. The first station where they will be deployed will be at 191st St. in Washington Heights, followed by the West 8 St./NY Aquarium station in Coney Island and others.

It remains to be seen how popular the new barriers are with NYC straphangers. The MTA’s previous big new test program was new, turnstile-jumper-proof sensor gates, which soon became somewhat of a joke after riders figured out how to get through them without paying. That pilot program came after the MTA found that it had lost $690 million to fare evaders in 2022.