BART has installed new fare gates at its San Francisco International Airport station that will help protect against fare evasion, the agency announced.
The SFO station is now the ninth in the BART system to be outfitted with the new gates, which feature clear swing barriers with a one-of-a-kind door locking mechanism to deter fare evasion, the agency said Thursday.
The gates also include advanced 3D sensors that can detect if someone is in a wheelchair or has a bike, stroller, or luggage with them, allowing for more time before the barrier closes. There is LED lighting on the swing barriers and a pathway through the gate to help visually impaired riders, according to BART.
The taller and stronger gates are part of an effort to prevent fare evasion, a prevalent issue that costs BART an estimated $15-$25 million in lost revenue per year. The current fare gates, which are over 20 years old, are easier to hop over or under as they're shorter with large gaps and barriers that have weak resistance.
The updated gates were first tested at the West Oakland BART Station as a prototype. They have been installed in eight other stations, including the Civic Center station, in addition to the SFO station.
"As a transportation system, we take tremendous pride in saying our community is what runs BART," BART General Manager Bob Powers said in a statement. "Among the world's transit agencies, BART relies the most on rider fares; they are directly responsible for funding our operations. These new fare gates will protect against fare evasion."
The new gates are scheduled to be deployed at every station by the end of 2025, costing $90 million.
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