Fare evasion dropped by an average of 35% at the 20 New York subway stations where the Metropolitan Transportation Authority installed modern fare gates during its pilot, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on releasing the programme's results.

The governor also named the next 20 stations across Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens that will receive new gates at all entrances — the first phase of a $1.1 billion overhaul of fare control areas at 150 stations funded through the MTA's 2025-2029 Capital Plan. The MTA has qualified three vendors — Cubic, STraffic and Conduent — to bid for the work. Bids for phase one are due this month, gate installation begins by the end of 2026, and early station preparation work is expected to start in October 2026.

"The data is clear: these new fare gates have created a better riding experience for customers and made it harder for would-be fare evaders to enter the system without paying," Hochul said. "By replacing turnstiles that date back to the token-era, we can achieve the twin benefits of accessibility upgrades and reduced fare evasion that riders deserve."

What did the pilot measure?

The pilot followed a request for information the MTA issued in December 2023 to identify firms capable of designing modern fare gates meeting its technical requirements. Three vendors advanced to the piloting phase and supplied gates at no cost to the MTA at 20 stations. Some stations received fully replaced fare arrays; others received only a new wide-aisle access gate.

From last autumn, the MTA evaluated the gates on fare evasion impact, accessibility, customer experience, entry and egress throughput, maintenance, integration, data and detection accuracy. Since the pilot began, the gates have recorded roughly 29 million entries and 34 million exits, and the MTA estimates 40 to 50% of typical daily subway riders have used them at least once.

The agency adjusted the technology during the pilot based on performance and customer feedback, and says those findings shaped the final system designs.

Measured results varied sharply by station. The largest decreases in fare evasion were recorded at Hoyt Street on the 2 and 3 and at Nostrand Avenue on the A and C, both down 72%, followed by 3 Avenue-138 Street on the 6, down 65%.

"The early returns on the new fare gate pilot are pretty impressive – an average 35% reduction in fare evasion at these stations," said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. "Right now, we're focused on expanding to the next 20, but thanks to Gov. Hochul, we'll get to 150 stations as part of the billion-dollar investment funded in the MTA Capital Plan."

Which stations come next?

The 20 stations in phase one are:

• Brooklyn: 36 Street (D, N, R); Bedford Avenue (L); Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue (D, F, N, Q); Hoyt-Schermerhorn (A, C, G); Myrtle Avenue (J, M, Z); Newkirk Plaza (B, Q)
• Bronx: 3 Avenue-149 Street (2, 5); 161 Street-Yankee Stadium (4, B, D); Fordham Road (B, D); Parkchester (6)
• Manhattan: 14 Street-Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W); 72 Street (1, 2, 3); 86 Street (4, 5, 6); 125 Street (4, 5, 6); Chambers Street (1, 2, 3); Spring Street (C, E)
• Queens: Astoria Boulevard (N, W); Flushing-Main Street (7); Forest Hills-71 Avenue (E, F, M, R); Sutphin Boulevard/Archer Avenue-JFK Airport (E, J, Z)

Once phase one and a second phase of 30 additional stations — under construction by the end of next year — are complete, 70 subway stations will have modern fare gates. The rollout continues into 2027, and the MTA says stations covered by the full 150-station programme serve nearly three quarters of all daily subway riders.

Why replace the turnstiles?

The MTA describes the overhaul as the first comprehensive redesign of its fare array system in more than 30 years, since it began installing tri-wheel turnstiles in the early 1990s. That design dates to the token era and was not usable by customers in wheelchairs or travelling with strollers or luggage, which led the agency to create emergency exit gates as a wider-clearance workaround — a gap the new touch-free gates are intended to close.

"Station accessibility goes far beyond elevators," said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo. "It's about how smoothly one can move from the entrance to the platform. These touch-free fare gates represent a leap forward in making our transit system more welcoming for everyone, especially riders like me who use a mobility device, those pushing strollers or carrying luggage."

The MTA is now moving to purchase gates from the approved vendors for the 20 listed stations, with installation set to begin by the end of 2026 and phase two construction following through 2027.