New anti-fare-evasion gates at 20 New York City subway stations are showing measurable results, with Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) officials saying unpaid entries fell by over a third where the equipment was tested.
The results are prompting a broader rollout across the system, with dozens more stations lined up for the next phase.
Here's what to know
As ABC7 New York (@ABC7NY) reported on TikTok, the MTA has been testing a redesigned gate system at 20 subway stations to make fare-skipping more difficult.
@abc7ny Fare evasion dropped about 35% during the first half of the year as the MTA tested new fare gates at 20 New York City subway stations, officials said Wednesday. The next 20 subway stations expected to receive the gates will be split among the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.
♬ original sound - ABC7NY
The results have been immediate.
"Fare evasion dropped about 35% during the first half of the year," the station wrote in its caption.
Gov. Kathy Hochul cast the issue in part as one of fairness to paying riders, while she and MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber pointed to the decline in unpaid entries as evidence that the pilot is helping.
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"They steal money that pays the salaries of our union transit workers and who fits the bill for the missing revenue?" Hochul asked in the station's report. "The taxpayers, riders who do the right thing."
According to ABC7, the next 20 stations set to receive the gates will be located across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.
Commenters tied fare enforcement to the cost of using the system. One commenter wrote, "LOWER THE PRICES!!!!!" while others similarly argued that the $3 fare is already hard to manage.
More background
Officials told the outlet that the strongest result came at the Hoyt station near Fulton Street in downtown Brooklyn, where fare evasion was down 72%. They added that 63 million riders have used the new gates.
ABC7 noted that the gates are being promoted as more than just a barrier to unpaid entry. Officials also say the design can improve accessibility and make it easier for customers to move through stations, including those traveling with luggage. The video shows one man rolling a suitcase through the new entrance.
The report also showed two men getting through together on a single payment, and commenters questioned whether the upgrades are worth the cost if some riders can still get around them.
"People usually find a way to get through," a rider told ABC7. The same rider said they typically look behind them to make sure nobody is trying to go through the gate at the same time.
What's being done?
Another 20 stations are reportedly expected to receive the new fare gates, expanding the program across four boroughs. While the results are hard to argue with, a TikToker quibbled with the cost.
"Yea and how much did they cost to install?" they asked.
A user pointed to New York's $1.1 billion investment. Along those lines, Hochul said the agency is preparing for a much wider installation effort. The plan calls for 50 additional stations, with a goal of 150 stations down the road.
Calling the pilot an opening step rather than an endpoint, Hochul alluded to the growing effort: "We're just getting started."
Where can I learn more?
New York's subways and streets are a lightning rod for discussion that extends out of the Big Apple.
• In New York City, subway fares are increasingly becoming out of reach for many riders.
• In New York, the congestion pricing initiative is cutting traffic and changing commuter behavior.
• On some NYC subway cars, ad-free subway interiors fueled debate over calmer commutes.
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