Vallone: Turnstiles Are Deathtraps

Yesterday, Queens City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. took a stand for anyone who has ever rode the subway. During a City Council hearing, Vallone blasted the MTA over their continued reliance on  HEETs (High Entry/Exit Turnstiles), which Vallone called a disaster waiting to happen should there be an emergency in a subway station.

HEETs, which the Councilman referred to as the "Iron Maiden" because of their appearance, limit only one rider at a time to exit a subway, and create the possibility of people becoming stuck in the cage. A bottleneck of evacuees could not only prevent people from leaving, but also block emergency responders from entering, noted Vallone, who also got the MTA to admit that the function of the HEETs could be accomplished through other means.

"They are living in a fantasy world and don't appreciate the risk faced by our transit riders," Vallone said. "This is criminal negligence. We must do something before people become trapped like third class passengers on the Titanic."