BART’s New Evasion-Resistant Gates Arrive in San Francisco for the 1st Time

BART has just brought its “next generation” fare gates to San Francisco for the first time, installing some at the Civic Center station as part of the struggling transit system’s attempt to address rider concerns over fare evasion and safety.

The new gates feature heavy polycarbonate door panels and steel frames that stand 7 feet tall, which officials hope will stop people from hopping or slipping through without paying.

BART has promised to replace the gates at all of its 50 stations, totaling over 700 new gates at a cost of around $90 million, by the end of 2025. Civic Center is the second station after West Oakland to get the new gates, although only the 7th Street entrance has been outfitted with the upgrade so far.

Anna Duckworth, a spokesperson for BART, said the new gates are a response to riders who desire a safer and more secure transit experience.

Like many other transit agencies, BART saw its fare revenue plummet during the COVID-19 pandemic and has struggled to lure riders back. Ridership remains less than half what it was in 2019 due largely to the pandemic-driven shift in work habits, though riders have also complained about service reliability, safety and fare evasion.

“This is something our riders have been telling us they want,” Duckworth said. “A lot of riders don’t want to see other people not paying to get into the system when they’re paying to get into the system.”

At the West Oakland station, where the gates were first installed in late December, over 1 million entries and exits were recorded in the first six months. According to Duckworth, that’s 120,000 more than the station recorded during the same period last year—an 11% increase versus 6% systemwide.

“I think this should be the way forward,” Shubh Ranjan, a frequent BART rider, told KQED on Monday at the Civic Center station. “People don’t try to bypass you, so this is a good thing, a good initiative.”

He noted that the gates were easy to use and that he had no trouble getting through the doors.

The new gates feature mechanical locks that make it difficult to push through without first paying. With the new gates, riders will also be able to use Apple and Google Pay on their phones to pay their fare directly, although the Clipper card will still be in use.

BART still has 49 stations, including the Civic Center, awaiting new gates.

The gates are produced by a South Korean vendor, so BART staff will have to wait for the next delivery of parts, which is scheduled for Aug. 14. Installation of the next gates at Civic Center is set to begin on Aug. 16, Duckworth said, after which BART will begin installing gates at Oakland’s Fruitvale station.

According to Duckworth, the transit system is still on track to finish the project by the end of next year.