Check out the “fare evader gates” that the MTA is testing out at 20 stations this fall

The MTA is getting serious about fare evasion. This fall, New Yorkers will start to see a futuristic fix popping up across 20 subway stations: modern fare gates designed to foil even the most determined turnstile jumper.

Four vendors—Conduent, Cubic, Scheidt & Bachmann and STraffic—have been tapped to pilot the agency's next-gen fare gate designs at five locations each as part of a broader crackdown on fare evasion that costs the system up to $800 million annually. The new gates, which feature tall glass paddles and advanced object detection technology, are meant to prevent climbing, holding or forcing gates open, tactics the MTA says are all too common.

“They generally use paddles that open and close and are very difficult to force open, hold open or climb over,” Jamie Torres-Springer, President of MTA Construction & Development, told WABC. “They use the most modern sensor object detection and machine learning technology to open and close only for fare-paying passengers.”

These gates are just one piece of a sweeping MTA initiative to modernize the system and restore trust among riders. It's part of the same push that brought brand-new subway maps to every train—a cleaner, easier-to-read redesign that reflects how New Yorkers actually move through the city today. (If you're wondering how it compares to the classic version, here’s a side-by-side look.)

Anti-fare evasion efforts specifically include delayed egress doors, gate guards and reconfigured turnstiles to stop “backcocking,” a sneaky method where riders pull a turnstile back just enough to squeeze through. The results so far? Turnstile jumping is down 60% where the new hardware has been tested.

With 40% of the MTA’s operating budget coming from fares and tolls, every swipe counts. And according to Governor Hochul, the strategy is working: fare revenue reached $5 billion in 2024, a $322 million increase from the previous year.

Long-term, officials are hoping to expand modern fare gates to 150 stations within the next five years.

Stations getting modern fare gates

Here are the first few stations where you'll first see the new fare gates tested:

• 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

...and more to be announced as testing rolls out.