Platform Barriers Installed At Washington Heights Subway Station

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Washington Heights' 191st Street station will test out a new solution to deadly and time-consuming subway mishaps in the form of yellow subway barriers.

The 1 train station is the first in the city to see the yellow barriers go up at the platform's edge adjacent to existing columns — a much-anticipated safety feature that could eventually roll out throughout the city's stations.

The barriers went up in both directions Friday and Saturday and will hit soon three more stations including Brooklyn's West 8th Street-NY Aquarium, Clark Street and a third station not yet chosen, MTA officials announced.

“Safety in the subway system is something that customers consistently cite as a core driver of their satisfaction and is a top priority for us at New York City Transit,” said New York City Transit President Richard Davey.

“This pilot program will help us determine the most effective ways to keep subway customers safe and focused on getting to their destination, while also addressing track intrusion."

Platform safety features are a long time coming for the NYC subway system. Officials said similar safety barriers were installed last year at the center of platforms at three stations to monitor their effectiveness.

Much anticipated subway screen doors have also been promised at stations including the Times Square 7 train, Third Avenue L train and Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue E train.

A contract for the doors' now $246.5 million installation initially slated for August 2023 has been pushed through 2024, city records show.

“It’s critical that we find ways to reduce the number of riders who fall or are pushed onto subway tracks,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.

Part of the appeal of the yellow barriers installed this week is their logistical ease and low cost, said Lisa Daglian, Executive Director of the MTA's citizens advisory committee.

“This in-house approach is a good low-cost, low-tech first step solution, and we look forward to more of these kinds of efforts to help riders feel – and be – safer underground," Daglian said.

Officials say the barriers won't affect straphangers' boarding, and train operators on Friday were encouraged to make "extremely precise" stops to line up with the barriers, according to the New York Daily News.

Even still, some locals remained dubious of the barriers' effectiveness and potential impact on traffic.