Platform doors bridge gaps, helps improve safety on TTC

CASANDRA LONDON

For the past ten years, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has been in need of a facelift as the number of riders increases.

TTC Vice-Chair Peter Milcyzn says installing Automatic Train Control (ATC) doors on the train systems may help improve safety and maintenance.

The doors, which stand on station platforms, help close gaps between the subway and the platform. However, the doors are expensive.

Milcyzn places the cost of the doors at roughly $10 million per station. With 69 stations currently in the system, the renovation plans could cost up to $690 million.

The TTC’s budget for 2011 is $1.4 billion.

“We can’t do everything we would like to do at once,” says Milcyzn.

He is not the only one who agrees. According to Kevin Carrington, TTC spokesperson, safety is the commission’s main priority. The biggest issue for the transit system is funding or lack of it.

Platform doors also serve as a deterrent to possibile injuries or deaths. According to TTC statistics, 13 people committed suicide by trying to jump on the tracks in 2007 and nine others attempted.

“One death is one too many,” Milcyzn says. “The federal and provincial partners would need to provide the funding for the barriers because the City of Toronto cannot afford it.”
Milcyzn says the only station currently equipped for the ATC doors is Sheppard. According to an article last year in the Toronto Star, there are plans to install the doors on the Yonge line within the next few years.
According to a TTC report on subway suicide prevention, London, Paris, Barcelona, Hong Kong and Rome have installed ATC doors in their subways.
Currently, the TTC’s main focus is on customer service and improving the rider experience.

Tags: budget, Eyes On, TTC