TORONTO — The Toronto Transit Commission is moving ahead with plans to test subway platform barriers and expand the use of artificial intelligence as part of a broader effort to reduce track intrusions and improve passenger safety across the transit system.The proposals are set to be presented to the TTC board next week and form part of a wider safety strategy that also includes increased staff visibility and additional special constables on the network.Under the plan, the TTC will allocate an additional $6 million toward upgrades at Bloor-Yonge Station, including preparations that would allow for future installation of platform edge doors. Another $2 million will be directed toward a pilot project at TMU Station, where waist-high steel barriers will be installed along the platform edge.The TMU Station pilot will be modelled after a similar system used in New York City, where partial barriers have been added to make access to subway tracks more difficult.Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said the broader rollout of platform barriers would require support from other levels of government.“The steel barrier is now, and we plan to do four more,” Chow told reporters Wednesday. “The comprehensive system will need financial support from other levels of government.”The city has not released a full cost estimate for installing platform doors across the entire subway network, and most of the proposed expansion remains unfunded..Toronto city councillor Brad Bradford, who is running for mayor in the October municipal election, criticized the announcement and questioned the scope of the plan.A spokesperson for Bradford’s campaign described the proposal as “a pilot project in one station, with no funding and no system-wide plan.”Alongside the physical barriers, the TTC also plans to use artificial intelligence technology to help identify stations and situations where track intrusions are more likely to occur.TTC chief executive officer Mandeep Lali said the system would analyze historical intrusion data and generate predictive algorithms intended to assess the probability of someone entering the tracks.The transit agency also said it plans to increase the visibility of fare inspectors and other TTC staff during peak travel periods, while deploying more special constables using real-time operational data.The TTC has faced growing pressure in recent years to improve safety measures following a series of violent incidents and service disruptions across the transit system.
