Pilot moves into a larger phase
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is preparing to install modern fare gates at 20 additional subway stations after reporting that fare evasion fell by an average of 35 percent at the 20 stations included in its pilot. The next phase will replace complete fare arrays at selected entrances rather than adding only a single wide gate at some locations.
The expansion reaches all four boroughs served by the subway. The list includes major transfer and destination stations such as 14th Street–Union Square, 161st Street–Yankee Stadium, Bedford Avenue, Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue, Flushing–Main Street and Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport.
What the pilot measured
According to the MTA, the new gates recorded roughly 29 million entries and 34 million exits during the pilot. The authority said 40 to 50 percent of typical daily subway riders have used one of the designs at least once. The largest reported reductions in fare evasion were 72 percent at Hoyt Street and Nostrand Avenue, followed by 65 percent at Third Avenue–138th Street.
Those figures are agency measurements and will continue to be tested as the equipment is used in more stations with different passenger volumes and layouts. A larger deployment should provide a stronger basis for judging maintenance demands, passenger flow, safety, accessibility and the durability of the reported compliance gains.
Three vendors will compete
Cubic, STraffic and Conduent qualified to submit bids for the next generation of fare-control systems. Bids for the first phase are due this month, and installation is expected to begin by the end of 2026. Station preparation work is scheduled to start in October.
The gates use touch-free swinging panels rather than the narrow, tri-arm turnstiles introduced in the early 1990s. The wider path is intended to help riders using wheelchairs, pushing strollers or carrying luggage. Sensors and software are also designed to distinguish paid entry from attempts to pass through without tapping.
A $1.1 billion program
The broader capital plan allocates $1.1 billion to upgrade fare-control areas at 150 stations, which the authority says serve nearly three quarters of daily subway riders. After the 20-station phase announced this week, another 30 stations are expected to be under construction by the end of 2027. Counting the pilot, the first two phases would bring modern gates to 70 stations.
The MTA’s goals extend beyond lost revenue. Traditional turnstiles can be difficult or impossible for some riders to use, while emergency exit gates have become a common point of unpaid entry. The replacement program is meant to address both problems with one design.
What riders should watch
The important test is whether the average improvement survives broader use. Stations vary widely in crowding, staffing, transfer patterns and the number of entrances, so performance at one location may not repeat at another. Procurement costs, repair time and safe movement during rush periods will also shape the value of the investment.
For now, the MTA is treating the pilot as sufficient evidence to proceed. Riders at the next 20 stations will begin seeing construction before the new gates arrive, and the agency will have an opportunity to show whether a modern entrance can improve access and fare compliance without creating new delays.
Sources: MTA Media Relations release index; ABC7 New York report on the pilot. Reporting reviewed October 8, 2026.