MTA Denies New Yorker’s Pleas To Have Subway Barrier Doors Installed After a Woman Was Pushed To Her Death

New Yorkers are pleading with the MTA to seriously consider installing subway platform barrier doors to prevent unsuspecting victims from being pushed into the tracks.

Last week, 40-year-old Asian-American woman Michelle Go was pushed to her death while waiting for her subway ride. A man with whom she didn't interact was responsible for killing her.

Coincidentally, Go works with the homeless people of New York. And it was later revealed that the suspect, Martial Simon was also a homeless man who was suffering from mental health issues.

Michelle Go mourned by her family, friends

Go is remembered by her loved ones as someone with a compassionate soul.

In their statement, Go's grieving family said they hope the 40-year-old will be remembered for how she lived and not how she died. They also described her as a beautiful, brilliant, kind, and intelligent woman who loved her family and friends.

They also said that Go had a penchant for traveling, having recently visited the Maldives for the New Year and her birthday, according to CNN.

New Yorkers want MTA to install subway barrier doors

Following the incident, New Yorkers, including newly-elected Mayor Eric Adams, admitted that they don't feel safe while riding the subway. After all, there are no platform barrier doors in all the subway stations in the state.

However, MTA acting chair Janno Lieber said that the transportation agency wouldn't be able to install such barriers because it could interfere with ADA accessibility.

Former MTA staff accuse agency of stalling the idea

But Charles Moerdler, who was part of the MTA board until 2019, said that Lieber's claims aren't 100 percent accurate. In fact, there have been countless discussions about installing the barriers during his ten years with the agency.

"Not only is it feasible, it is readily feasible in many but not all stations. The constant ducking of the issue is really offensive to me... It has never been prioritized. And that's the failing. you have to have a will," Moerdler said via NBC New York.

According to the New York Post, the MTA previously knocked platform screen doors as prohibitively expensive and complicated that's why they never had them installed.

As of press writing, the only subway station in New York with platform barriers is the JFK Airport Air Train.

Former Transit President Andy Byford admitted that he previously weighed screen doors during his time with the MTA. But he eventually decided that other security measures are more important.

Due to the high cost of installing platform barrier doors, Byford said that the MTA just decided to focus its resources on creating more signals.

MTA wants more police officers to patrol NYC subway stations

The MTA acknowledged that the incident that took Go's life shouldn't have happened in the first place. But the agency also believes that it could've been avoided if police officers and other resources in the transit system were able to address mentally ill passengers adequately.

Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul also vowed to provide more homelessness outreach programs throughout the city's subway system. NYPD cops have also been deployed at the subway systems to help identify potential public safety issues.

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