Metro rail's getting barrier gates

Say bye-bye to the honor system. Today, The Metro Board voted to install 379 fare gates on all subway and some light rail stations.

The gates are intended to keep people who cheat the current honor system from getting freebie rides. Metro says the current fare evasion rate's 5 percent -- and costs the agency $5.5 million a year. The gates, according to Metro, could help recover $3-6 million a year -- in addition to saving as much as $7 million a year by reducing the need for fare inspectors whose jobs are to catch freeloaders.

To install the gating system, the Metro board approved a 10-year, $46 million lease contract -- plus $12 million for system maintenance and $10 million for station modifications -- with Cubic Transportation Systems with this hopeful statement: "Based on current forecasts, the savings enabled by the system will begin to pay for itself in the fourth year of full system operation." That projected breaking point will come six years from now, since the installation will take a couple years.

To install or not install the barrier gates has been a somewhat contentious issue with transit riders, some of whom prefer the current system for reasons ranging from a preference for the current "open" design of the subway stations to skepticism that the gates will actually save money.

Since the subway's still nowhere near me in Santa Monica, I won't have an educated opinion on the issue until 2012 or so, assuming the Subway to the Sea gets built out -- with fare gates in place.

Update: Damien Newton has details on the fare gate discussion at the Metro Board meeting.

Photo by FredCamino

Comments

[tim1724]

what a horrible waste of money