NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – The MTA has installed new gates at a Queens subway stop that officials hope will discourage fare-dodgers while also helping riders with luggage.
The new faregates were installed at the Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue station in Jamaica, which links directly to JFK Airport's AirTrain.
The gates essentially replace the emergency exit gates by combining the turnstile and gate into a taller and wider double-doored gate that's about 4 feet tall.
The wider design allows riders with strollers, wheelchairs, and luggage to get through without having to pass through the old gates, which are a major contributor to fare evasion.
The taller design also makes it more difficult to hop over the turnstiles, the other way farebeaters usually slip into the system without paying.
NYC Transit President Richard Davey hopes the new turnstiles will discourage farebeating, which costs the MTA an estimated $690 million a year on the subway and buses.
"We are evaluating these turnstiles to see if there are modifications that would help our customers get through and also ensure that folks are paying," Davey said.
While there was a pilot of the new gates at the Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center station in March 2023, this is the first full deployment of them in the subway system.
MTA officials said they'll examine the feasibility of placing more of the gates at other stations in the future.
