Proposal for Platform Screen Doors in the MTA Subway System

By: Tyler Ortiz, Ali Ceron Garcia, and Calvin Jean-Charles

Professor von Uhl

Writing for Engineering D3

May 8, 2023

Table of Contents:

Press Release 2

Summary 3

Introduction 4

Proposed Program 5

Innovation Process 10

Appendices 12

References 14

Press Release

Contact info:                                                                                     For immediate release: 05/8/23

Email: acerong000@citymail.cuny.edu

Writing for Engineering Proposal

Proposal for implementing platform screen door in the MTA

Convent Ave, New York: From 2021 to 2023, the number of violent crimes involving individuals being pushed onto the New York City subway tracks as well as suicides involving the trains has spiked almost 50 percent (Meyer, 2022). News reports on these incidents have flooded the internet. And while countermeasures like increasing police presence have been implemented to subdue the issues, there is a more effective way of preventing violent crimes like these. The solution comes in the form of platform screen doors in the MTA. Our group, group five, announces our proposal to implement platform screen doors in the MTA. 

To further emphasize the pressing issue as to why screen doors on the MTA platforms are necessary, we must understand how the increase in violent crimes affects everyone who uses the MTA. For example, according to a survey by the NYC Comptroller’s office, over 70 percent of subway users reported significant delays at least half the time (The Human Cost of Subway Delays, 2017).  These delays are attributed to a plethora of issues with the MTA, including suicide, people being pushed onto tracks, track fires, etc. These issues can be solved with the proposed program created by my group, and this solution is platform screen doors. 

Features and benefits of platform screen doors on the MTA include:

• These platform screen doors would act like a tall barrier between the train and the platform. 
• They would not only prevent violent crimes like pushing people onto the tracks, suicide, etc, but they will prevent track fires, delays, and much more. 
• This proposal seeks to articulate the design and use for implementing platform screen doors in the MTA. 

About Group Five: Group five is the fifth group in our writing for engineering class for the assignment on a proposal. The project required us to find a problem and use our skills as engineers and writers to articulate and construct a proposal for a solution to our specific issue. In the case of group five, we choose to stay local and focus on the MTA subway. We selected to propose platform screen doors that would solve many different issues with our subway line. 

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Summary

In New York City, many people tend to fall on or get pushed on the tracks, which is a safety liability for passengers. It is also inconvenient for all New Yorkers as it tends to cause numerous delays due to track intrusions or track fires caused by littering. We are engineering students attending the City College of New York that have experience writing papers on engineering. We believe that if the MTA implemented platform screen doors, it would not only make public transit safer but decrease the number of delays that occur due to interference with the tracks. Platform screen doors are automated doors placed between the rails and the platform that are made and used as a safety measure for passengers on the platform (Moon, 2022). The budget for this project has been estimated at around seven billion dollars if it was implemented at every supported station.

Introduction

Every day, the New York City subway system suffers from delays that slow down the lives of commuters and tourists alike. Many of these delays have to do with the tracks the subway runs on. From individuals obstructing the tracks to thrown trash causing track fires, the open tracks have caused a myriad of issues for people living in and visiting NYC. A study by the NYC Comptroller in 2017 elucidates this issue further; over 70% of survey respondents reported significant delays at least half the time they use the subway (The Human Cost of Subway Delays, 2017). The news website The City reported over 4000 delays in 2021 due to track fires. In addition, a recent surge of individuals being pushed onto the tracks has opened the dialogue about the open tracks (Martinez, 2022). 1,136 track intrusions occurred in 2022, with almost 30 people being pushed into the tracks and a distressing total of 88 deaths (Martinez, 2022). New Yorkers have increasing anxieties about taking the subway in part due to the fear of being pushed onto the tracks. We propose to install platform screen doors (PSDs) at all supported NYC subway stations to prevent people as well as debris from entering the tracks. This solution will significantly help to reduce delays caused by track fires and intrusions while helping New Yorkers to feel safe and confident riding the subway. PSDs are commonly used in other countries’ metro systems to prevent customer contact with the electrified rail that carries the trains but were never implemented in the MTA subway system due to the cost associated with upgrading the infrastructure as well as the age of the MTA system. The total cost of upgrading supported stations in the MTA subway would cost around 7 billion dollars. However, if this plan were to be implemented, the benefits would far outweigh the drawbacks. Therefore, platform screen doors, or in other words, PSD’s, should be implemented at all feasible stations. Below are the technical specifications to make PSDs a possibility. 

Proposed Program

Platform screen doors or PSDs are used at train stations to separate the platform and the tracks. The screen doors act as a barrier that prevents people from being pushed or falling into the train tracks. While similar designs have been created before, our innovation will be more technologically advanced, durable, and effective. The layout of these platform screen doors can be broken up into four main components: physical structure, technology, cost, and location. 

Physical Structure, Technology and Material: 

To begin the implementation of the platform screen doors, we must take into account the material and design of the structure. As shown in illustration number one, our platform screen doors will require several materials, including: steel frameworks, structural glass, an electric pulley system, cables, and motion sensors. All of these, put together, will create the design of our platform screen doors as seen in figure five. 

Figure/ illustration # 5 (Galicia Ceron, A. 2023) 

The first priority comes in the base design of the platform screen doors. As shown in image one, a single platform screen door will have two steel frames on the side of each structural glass. The steel frames will have a height of seven feet for the purpose of being a little bit above the height of the actual train. The seven-foot screen doors would be made this way for the purpose of preventing anyone from climbing over the screen doors and throwing trash into the tracks. An additional part of the base design is the structural glass from which the sliding doors will be made. The structural glass will ideally be fifty-eight inches to match the width of the train doors. The structural glass is valuable in itself as it is a remarkably sturdy material that will not sustain damage easily, and it’s a familiar material that the MTA has already worked with. 

Figure/ illustration # 1 (Galicia Ceron, A. 2023) 

The second part of the design is the technological aspect, including the electric pulley and the motion detectors. The electric pulley, as shown in figure two, will be at the top of the sliding doors. The design of the pulley will contain locks at each end of the pulley to ensure that the doors won’t open due to any motion detected when the train is not there. The locks will be manually operated because, in emergencies, the operators can open the doors to allow people to exist. The pulley system will also be connected through the timing belt with the motion detectors so that they will open once the train has made a complete stop and the doors are aligned with the screen doors. The motion detectors are depicted in figure three and they will be on the back part of the steel frames. These motion detectors will only be triggered when the train has come to a complete stop. The motion sensor will then only open once the doors on the train have aligned with the screen doors as seen in figure four. 

Figure #2 (Galicia Ceron, A. 2023) 

Figure #3 (Galicia Ceron, A. 2023) 

Figure #4 (Galicia Ceron, A. 2023) 

Cost: 

The final component to take into consideration is the cost of everything. So based on the material and labor required for the installation of the screen doors, we estimated a cost of seven billion dollars for the complete full-height PSDs. For 128 feasible stations out of the 400 stations, we estimated a cost of around $55 million for each station. And considering that maintenance will be required to make sure they are safe, we predicted about $120 million in annual maintenance costs.  

Innovation Process

The MTA subway system was first created in 1904 and has received numerous upgrades since its inception. The subway system is constantly being maintained, improved, and upgraded. The age of the system means it has been through many technological innovations; attempting to keep up with every new technology has proved difficult for the MTA, so they have been focused on keeping the system running as efficiently as possible. Due to this, the MTA could benefit from many changes that have not been implemented yet. One important improvement that has been on the mind of New Yorkers over the past couple of years is the implementation of platform screen doors at subway stations around the city.

Platform screen doors, our design of which has been established above in the previous section of this paper, exist to prevent accidental falls into the tracks, reduce littering in the tracks, and reduce delays due to track fires and track intrusions. Implementation of a similar design system for PSDs has been researched by the MTA and a detailed document was released on the research in 2020. According to the document, installing PSDs would only be possible in 128 of the 472 existing subway stations, which is 27% (New York City Transit, 2022). The reasons for this are abundant: not enough clearance according to ADA requirements (Americans with Disabilities Act), the inability to support the weight of PSDs, having columns too close to the edge, and not having any space for a PSD equipment room (New York City Transit, 2022). Even so, busy stations like Times Square 42nd street and 14th street Union Square are among the supported list and are potentially where PSDs are needed the most. Busy stations are often subject to overcrowding during peak hours, making the possibility of being pushed or accidentally falling into the track much greater. Installation of PSDs at supported stations is worth it to reduce the risk of accidents occuring, especially in busy stations.

The necessary materials to construct each PSD is as follows:

1. Automatic bi-parting gates made of tempered glass (60 glass panes for 30 train doors: 10 train cars times 3 doors per car)
2. Steel framework to connect each gate
3. Emergency exit doors, 3 doors per PSD
4. Motorized pulley system for opening gates
5. Obstruction detection system

Utilizing such materials will make for a system that is adequately designed for emergencies, such as a power outage or an individual becoming stuck between the gates. Emergency exit doors will be placed between every ten gates on the PSD for workers to access the tracks or in the case of an emergency. Since each subway platform is between 480 to 600 feet, around 4 to 8 tons of steel will be needed to create the framework connecting the gates. Each door will need its own motor connected to the system to control the opening and closing of the gates, which will be configured to occur in unison with the train doors. An obstruction detection device, such as an infrared sensor, will need to be utilized so the gates do not close if a person or object is between the two panes of the gate. 

In terms of costs, installation of PSDs in all 128 supported stations is estimated to be around $7 billion for the total project (New York City Transit, 2022). These figures stem from costs associated with the construction of the PSDs, the necessary construction at the station to install and properly support them, the cost needed to pay laborers, and the cost associated with upgrading the stop signals to stop trains directly at their gates.  Each PSD would cost around $20 million with all associated technology to construct, with another $15 million associated with construction on the platforms and installation of the PSDs. Laborers would need to be paid and outfitted with proper equipment to make the installation possible, adding around another $20 million to the cost. Adding this up, each station would cost around $55 million to fully outfit with a PSD system (New York City Transit, 2022). Implementation would be fully handled by the MTA Construction and Development division.

Appendices 

Appendix A- Labor workers

There will be 2 groups of labor workers with 20 within each group. These workers will be splitted to work on a station during the weekends, they’ll work from 12 am-6 am so it’ll not obstruct commuters trying to go home later in the evening or the morning. This’ll be the same case when it comes to any repairs on the platform screen doors. The labor workers will work station by station as working at each and every station at the same time would be too much in terms of cost and require more manpower. 

Appendix B- Implementation of PSD strategy 

When it comes to naturally busy stations like Times Square-42nd St or 14th St Union-Square we decided it was best to limit the access of cars for passengers. The labor workers would have to construct the first half of the PSD where one-half of the train arrives, and that half of the train no passengers can get on or off those first five cars. If they want to exit the train they would have to move down to the next 5 cars that allows them to enter and exit, and vice versa for the second half of the station once the first half is finished. For the smaller/less busy stations that can afford to be shut down completely for implementation, we would have the alternative of shuttle buses as a temporary substitute while the station is under construction.

Task Schedule 

Task Dates	Tyler	Ali	Calvin
Tasks finished by 5/3	-Introduction	-Press Release	-Summary
Tasks finished by 5/6	-Powerpoint	-Powerpoint- Design sketches	– Power point
Task finished by 5/8	-Innovation process	-Proposed program	-Appendices/Task Schedule

References

Insivia. (2019, March 4). Glass block in Transportation. Architectural Glass Floor, Glass Block & Sidewalk Vault Lights Pavers. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.gbaproducts.com/blog/2019/03/04/glass-block-transportation#:~:text=Glass%20block%20and%20structural%20glass,tear%20for%20years%20to%20come.

Martinez, J. (2022, April 28). There’s a spike of people on NYC’s subway tracks. it’s leading to deadly accidents. The City. https://www.thecity.nyc/2022/4/28/23047218/deadly-stretches-of-subway-people-on-tracks 

Full height platform screen doors . (n.d.). Gilgen door system . Retrieved May 8, 2023, from https://www.gilgendoorsystems.com/en/products-and-systems/platform-screen-doors/full-height. 

The Human Cost of Subway Delays: A Survey of New York City Riders. (2017). New York City Comptroller Website. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://comptroller.nyc.gov/wp-content/uploads/documents/The-Human-Cost-of-Subway-Delays.pdf.

New York City Transit. (2022, February). System-Wide Platform Screen Door Feasibility Study: Summary of Conclusions. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://new.mta.info/document/73241

Moon, K. (2022, August 18). Advance screening: Platform Screen Doors on the NYC subway. Sam Schwartz : Making the Journey Better. Retrieved May 8, 2023, from https://www.samschwartz.com/staff-reflections/2022/3/31/advance-screening-platform-screen-doors-on-the-nyc-subway#:~:text=Platform%20Screen%20Doors%20(PSDs)%20are,when%20the%20train%20is%20approaching).