BART riders begin testing new fare gates at West Oakland station
OAKLAND – BART unveiled new fare gates to riders at the West Oakland station on Thursday, as the agency begins field testing a design aimed at cutting down on fare evasion.
"These new, state-of-the-art fare gates will protect against fare evasion, expand access to transit-dependent riders, and reduce system downtime due to maintenance, which helps boost investment in BART's long-term growth," General Manager Bob Powers said in a statement Thursday.
The gates, which are significantly taller than the ones in use at the system's other stations, will include advanced sensors detecting wheelchair users and riders with luggage, strollers or bikes.
Gates would also be compatible with the next generation of Clipper readers, which would accept payments via debit or credit card. The next generation system is slated to roll out in August 2024.
According to the agency, initial testing of the gates is focusing on three different door materials.
"We have polycarbonate doors and we also have metal mesh. So we're going to see which ones will withstand vandalism, graffiti better, which ones are harder to push through and then we'll decide on how to roll them out systemwide," BART spokesperson Anna Duckworth told CBS News Bay Area Thursday morning.
In the coming weeks, BART plans to install mechanical door locks aimed at keeping would-be fare evaders out.
"This mechanical door lock will be exclusive to BART. No other transit system in the world has it. Once installed, these gates will be harder to push through than any other fare gate in the world," the agency said.
BART looks to install more than 700 new fare gates at stations by the end of 2025. The agency plans to announce the next eight stations to get the new gates at a board meeting on January 11, 2024.
