NEWYORK: Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the results of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) subway fare gate pilot, which saw fare evasion decline by an average of 35 percent at the 20 stations where new, modern gates have been installed.
Following this successful pilot, Governor Hochul also announced the next 20 subway stations that will receive new fare gates across all entrances, marking major progress to strengthen the system against fare evasion, modernize the system, and improve accessibility and customer experience. The MTA qualified three vendors – Cubic, STraffic, and Conduent – to submit bids and compete to deliver the next generation of fare array systems at an additional 20 stations across Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Bids for the first phase of the new fare gate program will be submitted this month, with new gates beginning to be installed by the end of 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,” Governor Hochul said.
“Now, we’re ramping up our plan to install these world-class fare gates across the subway system so even more riders can benefit. New York’s transit renaissance is powered by historic investments in aging infrastructure and improvements to safety and reliability, and 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.”
This initiative, part of the 2025-2029 Capital Plan, is a generational investment of $1.1 billion to upgrade fare control areas across 150 stations. Following the pilot, the next 20 stations represent the first phase of the broader 150 station overhaul, which will see modern fare gates installed at stations serving nearly three quarters of all daily subway riders.
The rollout of modern fare gates will continue into 2027, with a second phase consisting of 30 additional stations under construction by the end of next year. Between the pilot stations and phases one and two, 70 subway stations will be outfitted with modern fare gates.
“The early returns on the new fare gate pilot are pretty impressive – an average 35 percent reduction in fare evasion at these stations. Right now, we’re focused on expanding to the next 20, but thanks to Governor Hochul, we’ll get to 150 stations as part of the billion-dollar investment funded in the MTA Capital Plan,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber.
“Modernizing our fare arrays is one of the most important steps we can take to improve the daily experience for our riders. The pilot phase allowed us to customize designs to fit our system and now, we’re thrilled to bring this new technology to twenty additional stations,” said MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer.
“This is a generational investment in the way customers navigate through the subway system. These gates are more accessible and provide a better design that improves customer flow and deters fare evasion. Better fare compliance helps secure more of the revenue we rely on to deliver faster and more reliable service,” said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow.
