The MTA's Evasion Crackdown: Deterrence, Design, Disparity

How the MTA is (really) fighting evasion — and whose backs it's on

The MTA isn't just raising barriers, it's reengineering the fare system. Across 100+ stations, about 1,400 turnstiles have been retrofitted to block the common "back-cocking" trick, and those stations saw an 80 % drop in that kind of abuse. The agency is also piloting delayed egress at emergency exits (a 15-second delay saw a 38 % drop in exit-based evasion at test sites) and plans to expand to 150 stations.

On top of the hardware, the MTA is deploying "smart" fare gates": tall, sensor-equipped glass barriers meant to resist climbing, forcing open, or tailgating, in 20 stations to see which design works best. Meanwhile, gate guards are now assigned at 200+ stops, where those stations logged 36 % lower evasion after deployment.

Still, critics argue that the burden falls hardest on riders least able to absorb friction. Enforcement campaigns, summonses, and tech-heavy barriers may dissuade casual evaders, but the question of who pays for this crackdown is far from settled.