MIDTOWN, Manhattan (PIX11) – New subway platform barriers were installed at Manhattan’s 42nd Street-Bryant Park station as the safety feature rolls out across the city.
The yellow barriers now line the 7 train platform edge at the midtown station, the latest of a string of stations to see the railings installed including: the Bedford and Morgan Avenue L stops in Brooklyn, No. 1 train stop at 191st Street and the Clarke Street station in Brooklyn Heights.
The barriers, placed near columns so they align with subway doors, are meant to prevent people from falling or being pushed onto the tracks, according to the MTA. MTA officials in January announced the barriers would be evaluated for effectiveness and potentially rolled out at more stations.
New subway platform safety barriers installed at the Bryant Park station. (credit: PIX11)“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 in January.
The subway railings have received mixed reviews since their rollout, with some straphangers worrying about crowding and effectiveness.
Between 2019 and 2021, so-called track trespassing – when someone lands on the tracks for whatever reason – increased by about 20 percent, according to the MTA.
More recently, some high-profile instances have caught New Yorkers’ attention. In January, a 12-year-old boy tripped and fell off the platform at the Metropolitan Avenue-Lorimer Street L stop in Williamsburg, according to police and an MTA source.
In early March, a woman lost her feet after her boyfriend allegedly pushed her onto the No. 3 train tracks in Lower Manhattan, authorities said.
Just last week, a man was fatally struck by a subway in the Bronx, according to the NYPD.
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter from Los Angeles who has covered local news for years. She has been with PIX11 since 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter.
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