TTC board debates platform barriers versus full doors
The transit authority wants steel guardrails at TMU station; a councillor argues the $2 million would be better spent on full-length platform doors.
The TTC board faced heated debate Wednesday over its plan to install platform edge barriers at TMU station, with Councillor Josh Matlow calling the $2 million investment a waste of money.
The barriers are waist-high steel guardrails positioned near the platform edge, modeled after a system in New York City that CEO Mandeep Lali worked on previously. The TTC wants to install them at 10 high-priority stations eventually, but right now only TMU has funding. The barriers have gaps to allow passengers to enter and exit trains, and they'll be paired with an AI-powered track intrusion system meant to detect when someone may be thinking about jumping onto the tracks.
Matlow argued that full-length platform doors—which act like walls and open when a train arrives—offer far better protection. Staff reports peg those doors at $500 million total, or $50 million per station, making them prohibitively expensive. Lali acknowledged the ultimate goal is full doors but defended the barriers as "a step in the right direction."
"I think it's a waste of money," Matlow said of the guardrails, pushing to redirect the $2 million toward the costlier goal.
The barriers matter: in 2024, trespassers on TTC tracks caused 90 hours of subway delays. Lali noted that customers he spoke with in New York appreciated having "something between them and the approaching train." Design costs for full doors haven't been finalized, leaving room for potential savings below the current $50-million-per-station estimate.
The board was not voting on whether to proceed; staff were presenting an update. The debate comes amid a municipal election where TTC safety has become a central issue.