The MTA is installing new platform barriers at the 191st Street station

Travelers will notice something a little different next time they're at the 191st Street subway station in Manhattan.

Washington Heights Station now has barriers on the platforms. It is the first of four to get the new technology as part of a platform safety pilot program that could spread to the rest of the city.

“They are still in a pilot phase, and we will be watching carefully to determine whether the barriers are effective in deterring lane incursions without interfering with passenger traffic. If they pass the test, we will be ready for widespread deployment,” Janno Lieber, MTA president, said in a press release on Sunday. wide”.

The barriers – which are placed at the edge of platforms to allow people to safely enter and exit the subway – were put in place at the station over the weekend. The pilot is part of a larger program from New York City Transit to prevent people from getting hurt on the tracks.

The West 8th Street – NY Aquarium station – where the F and Q trains stop – and the Clark Street station – where the 2nd and 3rd trains pass – are also part of the pilot program. The MTA has not yet revealed which station will receive the new barriers.

The MTA said it used existing resources and internal labor to complete construction on Friday and Saturday.

“This indoor approach is a good low-cost, low-tech first-step solution, and we look forward to more such efforts to help riders feel — and be — safer underground,” said Lisa Daghlian, CEO of the company. MTA Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee, said in the release.