New York City’s subway system is getting more turnstile upgrades to reduce fare evasion. The MTA announced that the metal fins and plastic paddles, already installed at 327 stations, will be added to another 129 stations by the end of next month.
The fins and paddles, designed to make it harder for riders to skip the fare, have already proven effective, cutting fare evasion by 60% at the stations where they’ve been installed. The 3-foot-high metal fins prevent riders from hopping the sides of the turnstiles, while the plastic paddles fit over the gates themselves to deter jumping, though some New Yorkers have still managed to find ways to jump over them.
The agency is spending $7.3 million on the expansion, a fraction of the $1.1 billion budgeted for fully redesigned fare gates at 150 stations over the next five years. Fare evasion is projected to cost the MTA $400 million this year, up from $285 million in 2022…