In regions as diverse and different from each other as South America, Asia, and Europe; public transit is seen as a human right and a public necessity. In Colombia, the Medellín Metrocable (urban cable car transit system) allows those who live further outside the city (and at higher elevations in the hills and mountains) to access job opportunities in the downtown part of the city; when walking would be more inaccessible and take hours.

At the same time, some of California’s most innovative transit, including the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, caters primary to tourists, and could not be used for any sort of commuting. Could cable cars be built and used to shorten the commute for some U.S. residents and even provide increased access to the local enconomy and resources in certain mountainous communities?

Platform screen doors are a public transit safety feature which exist in cities all around the world. The doors, most notably, increase safety for subway riders - whether from accidental falls, being pushed (homicide) or suicide attempts. However, there are many benefits including reducing indoor air pollution in stations which can also lead to adverse health effects. Recently, I have been reading and learning more about how Full-Height Platform Screen Doors (PSDs), Platform Edge Doors (PEDs), and Platform Safety Gates can be beneficial for the safety of public transit riders.

Sundby Station, Copenhagen, Denmark. This is the station I most frequently used to commute from my home into the city center daily for classes. Click to view on Wikimedia Commons. Credit: **© www.mysona.dk**

When functioning and locking properly, platform screen doors prevent people from falling, jumping, or being pushed onto the tracks. They also work to prevent objects and that could pose a danger from falling onto the tracks. The mainland U.S. has not yet installed these doors in any major urban centers. One notable exception is Las Vegas, Nevada. While the Las Vegas monorail is accessible to the public, it was not built to be a mass transit system. It is privately owned and operates as a nonprofit. Recently purchased by The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority it will continue to focus on serving the interests of tourists and visitors to the city.

The Las Vegas Monorail, Westgate Las Vegas Station. Photo by jasonwoodhead23, used with permission via Wikimedia Creative Commons

I learned recently that the London Underground is 41 years older than the New York City Subway, and has installed platform screen doors in some of their stations. I am shocked that the NYC MTA has not already taken similar steps. Especially considering that budgets for transit authorities in major US cities are comparable to those in major European cities. One reason for the delay is the privatization of American pubic transit construction bids, with construction firms often submitting low bids and going over budget. This is one contributor to high construction costs for American transit projects, as well as meeting environmental regulations and getting approval at every level of government, which sometimes involves lengthy legal battles. It will be necessary to close entire stops for this construction to be completed, but these projects are highly favored by the public, and it will be worth the wait. A 2022 change.org petition to install platform screen doors on the NYC subway garnered over 64,000 signatures and may have contributed to NYC MTA newly accepting bids to test platform doors at some of their stations.

Image Above: Image Credit: Chris Sampson via Wikimedia Commons. Click to view the image on Wikimedia Commons.

While transit construction can seem slow and difficult, these changes are possible. Improvements such as platform screen doors can be added. Subway and train systems can be safer. These changes should not be taken lightly, as they are a matter of human rights. The right to travel to and from work safely. Recently, The policing of transit hubs has been increasing, along with costs. This money could be redirected to safety improvements, especially considering that transit policing in NYC has been shown to be racially biased. Platform screen doors would increase safety for all riders, as has been demonstrated around the world. Regardless, public transit design should prioritize local commuters, not tourism or private interests. People who have to use a transit system on a daily basis should be prioritized over those who are just using the transit while on a weeklong vacation.

For those interested in learning more about this topic, this article includes a fascinating map that shows the locations of platform screen door use around the world. The U.S. is an outlier compared to Europe and Asia, especially considering that our country does have several comparable subway and commuter train systems which could benefit from these improvements. Honolulu’s metro rail now has platform screen gates at all stations.

There are plans to install platform screen doors at some NYC MTA stations in the near future, with the city currently accepting bids for the project. Additionally, NYC MTA is currently facing lawsuits that could require them to install these safety doors at some stations. In 2019, the NYC MTA dropped a 3000 page feasibility study, which is one example of the extensive data collection needed to spark the planning, construction, and completion of these projects. Additionally, in Los Angeles, the LA Metro is in the planning stages of installing platform gates by the start of the 2028 Olympics. As we wait for the changes that will make public transit safer, I am encouraged to see people starting petitions, writing more articles about this topic, and lobbying local leaders. Public transit can be safer, and the right to commute to work, school, or home safely, is a human right.

Further Reading & Linked Sources for Reference:

A Note: All of the content on the webpages linked below belongs to the respected owners of said pages and the authors named there. I have linked to and briefly referenced their content in this article, while providing analysis, for informational and discussion purposes. This website is a personal blog which remains free and not monetized.

Used around the world, platform doors keep getting scratched off MTA to-do list. Article by Jose Martinez for The City

World-wide platform screen doors strategies regarding installation, service and operation. Article by Gérald Churchill for The Internation Association of Public Transport

Effect of platform screen doors on the indoor air environment of an underground subway station. Article by Hwataik Han, Jun-Yong Lee and Kyung-Jin Jang for Indoor and Built Original Paper Environment.

www.samschwartz.com/staff-reflections/2022/3/31/advance-screening-platform-screen-doors-on-the-nyc-subway

www.thetransportpolitic.com/2017/09/26/the-case-of-the-missing-platform-doors/

lasvegasthenandnow.com/why-doesnt-the-monorail-connect-to-the-airport/

lasvegassun.com/news/2020/sep/01/tourism-agency-oks-plan-to-buy-las-vegas-strip-mon/

londonist.com/2015/08/london-underground-vs-new-york-subway

bpr.berkeley.edu/2020/07/20/american-public-transportation-failures-to-modernize/

www.nytimes.com/2022/01/06/nyregion/nypd-subway-patrol.html

www.change.org/p/new-yorkers-demand-mta-to-build-safety-barriers-to-prevent-people-being-pushed-onto-the-tracks/u/30755459

www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nypd-probed-for-possible-racial-bias-in-subway-fare-policing/