The MTA is installing “modern fare gates” complete with a twist: Spiked barriers that aim to stop potential fare evaders from entering the subway platforms without paying.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the new turnstile infrastructure during her State of the State address on Jan. 14. On Thursday, the barriers were officially rolled out at the Lexington Avenue-59th Street station in Manhattan. The new gates were revealed to be standard subway turnstiles equipped with high metal panels accented with pointy spikes on top, placed between each entranceway.
The new barriers aim to prevent fare beaters from hopping over the turnstiles, or at least make them think twice about doing so due to the painful-looking devices.
Yet during amNewYork Metro’s visit to the station on Jan. 16, a photographer observed no fewer than four fare-beaters breach the turnstile with relative ease—either by climbing or jumping over the steel bars, undeterred by the jagged side panels.
An MTA spokesperson said the barriers now at the Lexington Avenue-59th Street stop — where New Yorkers can get the N, R, W, 4, 5 and 6 trains — are “part of the same fare evasion prevention pilot project we announced back in May,” but offered no further update on when and where else the devices would be added.
Straphangers using the subway on Thursday said they do not think the barriers will work and could possibly hurt people with its spiked edging.
“It’s a good attempt, but I don’t think it is going to stop it,” Yolanda, a subway rider, said. “I have seen people with bare hands grab them [the spiked barriers] and still jump over.”
She added that she wants people to pay the fare because she wants transit to be better.
“I pay my fare, but I can see why people not paying could lead to us not getting improvements or them raising the fare for the rest of us.”
Another subway rider, Patty A., expressed concern for the fare evaders.
“I think it looks dangerous,” she said. “I think people will get hurt. They will get hurt trying to jump.”
But she also said she is scared to ride the subway now.
“I’ve lived in the city my whole life and this is the first time I have ever been scared,” she said. “Mostly of people getting pushed in the train, you know shoved in the train. I was pickpocketed once.”
As for additional safety measures, the governor and the state-run MTA will add platform edge barriers at more than 100 stations by the end of 2025 to prevent falls and criminal pushes onto the tracks. The agency will prioritize stations with standard car-stopping positions in segments of the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, F, M and L trains.
The governor will also add uniformed police officers to every overnight train between the hours of 9 pm. and 5 p.m. over the next six months. According to a CBS News article, the governor is pledging $77 million to support an additional police presence in the transit system.
