Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Announces New Subway Gate Pilot Reduced Fare Evasion By 35%, Unveils Next 20 Stations to Receive Modern Fare Gates

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul 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.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

It is great to be here. I'm so proud to be here on this day to celebrate a significant milestone. I am joined by our MTA President and CEO, Janno Lieber, and he'll introduce his team. But for five years we've been on a team to build the best mass transit system in the world - a system where reliability and safety and accessibility are all second to none.

In a moment we'll make an announcement that bolsters all three of those objectives. Now, I've already made some substantial investments in the MTA, rescuing it from a fiscal cliff. Literally my first year in office, and fully funding an ambitious capital plan, including $1 billion for new technology to stop fare evasion and driving down subway crime to near-record lows.

Working with city leaders, we've taken smart, proactive steps - deploying more police officers on the trains, fast-tracking cameras so every single subway car has a camera to be a deterrent to would-be criminals and also capture footage if necessary after a crime's been committed. A lot of people said it couldn't happen this quickly, and we got it done.

Adding bright LED lighting in every single station, again, giving that sense of brightness and starting to eliminate the sort of gloom-and-doom effects that many people felt when they went into our stations. It's a whole different experience now. Building platform barriers because a lot of people are anxious about their safety on a platform. This gives them the option to stand behind a barrier while they're waiting for their trains, and we're on track to have them at over 200 stations by the end of this year.

We've also focused on the people, launching 15 mental health and homeless outreach and scout teams that have helped roughly 1,300 people get critical care and shelter. Many of them have been long-term homeless, living in the subway stations, and we found supportive housing to give them a far better outcome in life.

And finally, one of our biggest challenges had been how to cut down on fare evasion. It's been a real challenge for us. But nothing is more frustrating for those who are paying their fares to see others who can clearly pay but don't. Fare evasion spiked after the pandemic and left unchecked. It really created a sense of disorder for riders - people just going about their days, but they were witnessing something that was a new phenomenon.

And every time a fare beater steals a ride, they're stealing money meant for our trains and our buses to keep them moving. They steal money that pays the salaries of our union transit workers. And who foots the bill for the missing revenue? The taxpayers, riders who do the right thing, riders who do pay their fair share and that's just wrong.

That's why for the first time in more than 30 years we set out to overhaul our fare system. Starting with a new pilot program, we went out to 20 stations, replacing old turnstiles with modern fare gates. They have cutting-edge sensors, long double doors that make them nearly impossible to jump over or crawl under and we're already seeing a difference. Across our 20 pilot stations, fare evasion is down an average of 35 percent. In fact, at two of those stations, it's down 72 percent. So when something works, we double down.

Today, I'm announcing the next 20 stations that'll be getting these high-grade fare gates. There are four right here in Queens, six in Brooklyn, six in Manhattan, four in the Bronx and we're just getting started. Let me be clear, this is just the next phase. It's just the beginning. We'll eventually install these new fare gates at 472 stations. Now, based on the results in this pilot, we already know this will save ratepayers, taxpayers, nearly $100 million per year that otherwise was stolen in fares. That means in a span of a number of years, the gates will literally pay for themselves. Now, what does that mean? It's money we can reinvest in the system, maintain the cars and the tracks, complete vital repairs, as well as pay our employees.

And there's other benefits as well. These gates make it much easier for paying riders to get on the subway. Right now, the turnstiles across the system are so old, they actually predate the MetroCard. They're not suited for the tap-and-ride era. They're not suited for speed, not suited for convenience and not suited for accessibility. Everyone knows how frustrating it can be to drag a piece of equipment, a piece of luggage, a bike or stroller through the turnstiles.

As a mom, I know what that's about. I can imagine how hard it is for parents just getting their little ones through the turnstiles. It doesn't have to be that way, and pretty soon, it won't be. As we swap in more of these modern gates, the more people will see and feel the difference. We'll have fewer fare evaders, faster, easier entry and a more seamless rider experience - the best in the world because that's what New Yorkers deserve.

I want to turn it over to Janno Lieber. I want to thank him for shepherding this project, and his team, who have been so committed to make sure we get this right. And they can describe more, our next steps and how far we've come. Janno?