New York Gov. Cathy Hochul announced a new $77 million plan to crack down on subway crime, while the MTA also plans to stop fare evaders who cost the transit agency hundreds of millions of dollars each. To do this, we have started installing spikes at some of the ticket gates. Annual revenue loss.
The new spike feature consists of a metal sheet with sharp edges attached to the guardrail between the turnstiles and is intended to prevent fare takers from using the gate railings when jumping. .
However, the spikes are not very sharp, so the evader can also place their hands on top of the spikes and jump, or simply dive under the bar. The spikes have so far been installed at the Lexington Avenue-59th Street station in Manhattan, which is served by N, R, W, 4, 5 and 6 trains.
A photo of the new “Spike” subway turnstile in New York City. (FOX5 New York)
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It's notoriously easy to skip paying, especially at subway stations that don't have high turnstiles. One rider said: new york post The new spikes were “dumb and stupid” and a waste of money.
Additionally, the MTA reportedly spends about $1 million a month on unarmed private security guards to deter toll violators. fox 5However, security guards do not have the authority to arrest those who evade payment.
Hochul's fare avoidance plan focuses on installing more modern high-rise ticket gates at 40 stations, but it is unclear whether the deployment of spikes at 59th Street is part of this plan. be.
Hochul said fare evaders cost the MTA about $700 million in lost revenue annually. About $500 million of that comes from the subway system and the rest from the bus system.
“What I'm saying is, shameless fare dodgers who have the audacity to just walk by and wonder why I even bother doing that,” Hochul said at a news conference Thursday at Grand Central. It's time to crack down on the people who are paying for it.” Her $77 million plan.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul revealed details on January 16, 2025 of a plan to station hundreds of police officers in New York City subways overnight. (Selcuk Achar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Hochul said that while overall crime in the city has decreased, recent major incidents on public transportation have caused fear among strangers.
Last month, an illegal Guatemalan immigrant was charged with setting a woman on fire to death in a subway car, and on New Year's Eve, a man miraculously survived being thrown in front of a moving train.
Violence on the subway has spiked in recent weeks, and Hochul said an additional 750 police officers would be patrolling the subway, in addition to the 2,500 already deployed. An additional 300 people will be allocated to the trains on board between 9pm and 5am. These numbers exceed the estimated 1,000 National Guard troops assigned to the metro.
“Essentially, this means we've doubled the number of law enforcement officers in the New York City subway in one year,” Hochul said.
A man evades subway fares by ducking under the turnstile (left) and another passenger swipes to pay (right). (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)
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New subway edge barriers will be installed on over 100 more station platforms by the end of 2025 to prevent straphangers from falling or being pushed onto the tracks.
The Governor also announced funding to install LED lighting at all stations throughout the subway system to increase visibility throughout the station.
“Let's get back to basics. They served their purpose,” Hotill said of the barriers. “They're there. Having someone standing behind them as the train approaches gives them that sense of security that every New Yorker should have.”
Hochul also said the 24/7 “Welcome Center” near the terminal station will be expanded to create space for homeless people.
