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WMATA tested proposed new fare gates and decided they need to be even higher
Facing a surge in fare evasion in its rail stations, WMATA has decided to replace its newly-installed faregates with higher ones that are harder to jump over or push through without paying. The agency tested a handful of 4-foot tall gates at Ft. Totten station, and while they did reduce fare evasion by half, Metro decided that was not enough. They will instead use even-higher 5-foot tall gates with reinforced hinges. The 5-foot gates are expected to be installed throughout the rail system this year at a cost of $35 million. (Justin George / Washington Post)

TRANSPORTATION

Metro to increase height of modified fare gates to combat evasion

The new fare gates are among several changes the agency has made to curb a rise in transit crime and to help riders feel more secure

By Justin George
April 27, 2023 at 7:11 p.m. EDT



A person squeezes through a fare gate at the Silver Spring Metro station. Metro is modifying the gates to add five-foot panels that will better deter fare evasion. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Modified fare gates intended to curb a surge in fare evasion within the Metrorail system will be raised another foot higher than previously planned and will be equipped with stronger hinges to make the gates harder to push through.

The design change, announced Thursday, comes after Metro monitored newly installed four-foot-tall doors at the Fort Totten station in Northeast Washington. While transit police said the doors have cut fare evasion in half, officials say some fare avoiders have pushed through the gates. Metro leaders said the added height — making gates five feet tall — and reinforced hinges would lead to even fewer incidents while protecting the expensive, high-tech gates.

The modifications and continuing efforts to slow the ubiquitous offense are part of Metro’s strategy to boost public safety, which has grown into a top concern that surveys have shown is stunting ridership. Metro is searching for solutions to bridge a budget gap stemming from steep decreases in fare revenue as telework rises.

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Metro officials say they believe fare evasion will decrease significantly after all fare gates are modified this year, a process that will cost $35 million on top of the $70 million spent to upgrade fare gates in recent years. Modification of gates at all 97 stations started last month but is being paused while Metro orders the taller glass barriers and other parts needed to reinforce the fare gates.

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By Justin George
Justin George is a reporter covering national transit and Metro, the D.C.-area public transportation system, for The Washington Post. He previously covered criminal justice for the Marshall Project and the Baltimore Sun. Twitter https://twitter.com/justingeorge