SEPTA installing 100 more full-length fare gates to deter fare evasion
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Nine more SEPTA stations will soon have full-length fare gates purchased with the goal to stop fare evaders.
The new gates will expand on a pilot program that was started back in April at 69th Street Transportation Center.
SEPTA said its board approved the purchase of 100 new gates on Thursday. It is part of a $6.96 million contract with Conduent Transport Solutions, Inc. The new gates will be installed at Somerset, Huntingdon, Cecil B. Moore, 11th Street, 13th Street, Frankford Transportation Center, Allegheny, 52nd Street and City Hall stations.
The transit service said it expects the 100 gates to be fully installed by the end of 2025.
The pilot program
The first fare gates to be installed were at 20 entrances to the Market-Frankford Line and Norristown High Speed Line at the 69th Street Transportation Center.
"We are excited to see that the new gates are helping reduce fare evasion and enhance the quality of our service as a result," SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. said in a news release. "We remain focused on efforts that are making SEPTA safer, cleaner and more secure."
SEPTA said that these gates use 3D imaging technology that can distinguish between adults, children and objects. It said that the system can also accurately count for fare evaders who may try to piggyback on a paying rider or force their way through the gates.
Why SEPTA is installing full-length fare gates
SEPTA said it loses at least $30 million a year from fare evasion. The new gates were placed to stop people from jumping over or crawling under the turnstiles to avoid a fee.
"When people ride our system without paying, it is unfair to our customers who do the right thing," SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie S. Richards said in a news release. "We also know that fare evasion can be a precursor to other violations and more serious crimes."
The agency is projecting a $300,000 increase in annual sales revenue from the 69th Street location alone after installing the gates and increasing the SEPTA Transit Police presence at the station.