In the ongoing battle against subway fare evasion, the MTA will unveil new modern fare gates designed to stop turnstile hopping at 20 stations across New York City this fall.
The new gates use “the absolute cutting-edge technology” to feature various elements that make it much harder for commuters to jump over, as outlined in an MTA Joint Committee Meeting which took place Monday, April 28th. As a result of efforts to combat fare evasion, fare revenue is up 67% compared to 2021, according to a press release. The release also states:
With 40% of the MTA’s operating budget coming from fare and tolls, fare compliance directly impacts the MTA’s ability to run the system — every paid fare keeps the trains and buses running and supports a better transit system. With support from multiple anti-fare evasion strategies, total fare revenue is trending up, reaching $5 billion for 2024 and increased by $322 million from 2023.
Four different vendors have been shortlisted–Conduent, Cubic, Scheidt & Bachmann, and STraffic–each of which have their own unique design for the fare gates which, beyond attempting to prevent turnstile hopping, are said to “make the system more accessible and easier to use.” Each design will be tested before the MTA makes its final determinations on which type will be used, and all have a set of baseline characteristics, including:
- Wide-aisle gates that replace the emergency gates
- Standard gates that replace the turnstiles
- The use of paddles that open and close and are “very difficult to force open hold open or climb over”
- The use of the most modern sensor object detection and machine learning technology to open and close only for fare paying passengers
Later this fall, the MTA will start testing these new modern gates at a total of 20 subway stations, including the following:
- Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr
- 14 St-Union Square
- 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal
- Delancey St-Essex St
- Nostrand Av
- Crown Heights-Utica Av
- Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av
- Forest Hills-71 Av
Modern fare gates will be installed at 150 subway stations over the next five-years, including an additional 20 in 2026. The new gates will be funded through $1.1 billion set aside in the MTA’s 2025–2029 capital plan, which is still awaiting approval. The news of the new modern fare gates comes shortly after the MTA unveiled “half moons” on downtown turnstiles and turnstile fins, both of which are also meant to combat fare evasion.
Governor Kathy Hochul stated:
Our comprehensive strategy to combat fare and toll evasion is working and system users and taxpayers are benefitting. We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal — including increased enforcement efforts and new infrastructure — to prevent fare evasion, hold perpetrators accountable and keep these numbers trending in the right direction.
The Joint Committee Meeting can be seen below: