The Metropolitan Transit Authority has unveiled a new strategy to tackle fare evasion by installing spikes on turnstiles.
Workers were spotted installing the intimidating-looking apparatus on Wednesday at the 59th Street/Lexington Avenue stop, which serves the N, R, W, 4, 5, and 6 lines, according to The Post.
The sharp-edged panels serve as a deterrent for individuals trying to evade the toll by leveraging the handrails to hoist themselves over the turnstiles. However, they fail to address the method of exploiting the turnstiles by pulling on them to slip through, as well as the act of climbing over or under them.
Veronica Pisani, a 40-year-old building manager residing in the Fordham area of the Bronx, expressed her opinion on the recently installed metal gear, deeming it “silly and foolish.”
“I don’t think it’s going to prevent anyone from jumping the turnstiles,” said Pisani, who takes the subway nearly every day.
“I see fare evasion all the time. People will find a way. I just don’t really think this is [an effective] preventative measure,” she said.
“It’s definitely a waste of money.”
The MTA spokesperson did not respond to The Post’s inquiry regarding the cost of the metal spikes or any potential plans to install them at other subway stations.
Kristen, a designer and Manhattanite at the age of 39, found the spikes to be unwelcoming.
“I think [the MTA] definitely could have used some peer review in regards to the overall feel of [the spikes],” she told The Post. “If the entire point of the subway is that it’s supposed to be used by everyone, [the spikes] very much tell me that it’s for everyone — except a select group of people.”
Maybe that’s the whole idea.
The MTA loses approximately $500 million every year due to fare evasion. The transit company has been making persistent efforts to recoup this lost revenue.
In 2023, the MTA implemented expensive new gates with the intention of deterring fare evaders. However, a TikTok video revealed that these high-tech electronic panel doors, costing $700,000, could be easily bypassed using a simple hack.
Jose Hernandez, a 37-year-old restaurant worker residing in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx, had been optimistic about the MTA’s latest endeavor to curb fare evasion. He had expected it to yield better results.
“I think it’s good. I hope it will help,” Hernandez said. “It’s just crazy that it’s come to this.”