A 5-year-old girl became the latest victim of the MTA’s new turnstiles, getting her head stuck and requiring hospitalization due to swelling, as reported by her mother and the FDNY.
This incident occurred on December 19 around 1:40 p.m. at the Broadway-Lafayette station, where her head got caught between the doors.
She was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, but luckily, by the time paramedics arrived, she seemed to have recovered from the frightening ordeal, according to the FDNY.
Bystanders were instrumental in helping free the girl, her mother noted, and I can imagine how chaotic that must have been.
In a somewhat disturbing twist, a video of the aftermath showed her brother in a panic, screaming after being separated from the family during the chaos.
This incident follows another viral video that captured a woman stuck in the same type of turnstile at the same station.
A technician from a Bronx station had commented that freeing someone from these gates usually involves closing the automatic door and then opening it manually. Quite a cumbersome solution, I’d say.
Yet, despite such incidents, the MTA is continuing to test these turnstiles, which they’ve referred to as “state-of-the-art,” although that feels a bit of a stretch given the recent injuries.
The MTA design is purportedly meant to deter fare evasion, which they’ve estimated cost them around $1.1 billion in 2024. Still, it seems fare evaders have figured out ways around the technology, and on top of that, others have suffered injuries from the quick-moving doors.
An MTA spokesperson remarked on the pilot program, emphasizing that it leverages technology found in transit systems worldwide, and they’re learning every day about how to optimize the design.
Curiously, this statement mirrored one given on Monday when The Post observed multiple individuals bypassing the gates, and one MTA employee reported witnessing several people getting caught in the rapidly closing gates.
After a recent board meeting, MTA Chairman Jano Lieber shared that the agency had been working for a couple weeks on the installation and testing of these gates.
He expressed a desire to ensure they are functioning properly. One can only hope they get it sorted out soon.
The MTA is currently piloting three types of fare gates across 20 New York City stations, with plans for a broader rollout to 150 stations starting in 2026.
Concerns linger, though, as the MTA has reportedly lost approximately $400 million to fare evasion in the past year.
When asked by The Post if the MTA knew how many passengers had been injured since the gates launched, their spokesperson did not respond.
Interestingly, on New Year’s Eve, the MTA released a list named “25 Things the MTA Will Be Proud of in 2025,” and notably, there was no mention of these new turnstiles.
