New York Governor Kathy Hochul It announced a new $77 million plan to crack down on subway crime, while the MTA also began installing “bolts” on some of its turnstiles to stop fare evaders who cost the transit agency hundreds of millions of dollars a year in lost revenue.
The new height features consist of sharp-edged metal plates mounted on the guardrails between the turnstiles which are intended to prevent fare rackets from using the gate's railings for pressure when jumping.
But the spikes aren't very sharp, and dodgers can still put their hands on top of the spikes and jump over them – or simply crouch under the bars. The spikes have so far been installed at the 59th Street station on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan, which serves the N, R, W, 4, 5 and 6 trains.
The new “spikes” of the New York City subway turnstile were photographed. (Fox 5 New York)
Skipping payment is very easy, especially in subway stations that don't have high turnstiles. One of the riders said New York Post The new increases were “ridiculous and foolish” and a waste of money.
In addition, the MTA also spends about $1 million a month on unarmed private security guards to deter fare violators, per Fox 5But the guards do not have the authority to arrest those who evade payment.
Hochul's fare evasion plan focuses on installing more modern, towering turnstiles at 40 stations, and it's not clear if the surprise rollout at 59th Street is part of that plan.
Hochul said fare evaders cost the MTA about $700 million a year in lost revenue. About $500 million of it is via Subway systemWhile the rest returns to the bus system.
“I'm saying it's time to crack down on fare evaders, who are so brazen as to pass through, and others who pay, why should I bother with them,” Hochul said at a news conference in Grand Central on Thursday in which he announced. Its $77 million plan.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul revealed details of her plan to station hundreds of police officers overnight in the New York City subway on January 16, 2025. (Selcuk Akar/Anatolia via Getty Images)
New York governor touts increased surveillance amid MTA chaos: Cameras on 'every subway car'
Total crime Hochul said traffic in the city is at a standstill, but recent high-profile incidents in the transit system have struck fear into ordinary outsiders.
An illegal Guatemalan immigrant has been charged Setting a woman on fire She was burned to death on a subway train last month, while on New Year's Eve a man was pushed in front of a moving train but miraculously survived.
There has been an uptick in subway violence in recent weeks, and Hochul said an additional 750 police officers will patrol the subway system in addition to the 2,500 officers already hired. An additional 300 troops will be assigned to trains on board trains between 9pm and 5am. These numbers are in addition to the estimated 1,000 National Guard soldiers assigned to the subway system.
“This basically means we have doubled the number of law enforcement personnel in the area New York City “The subway system in one year,” Hochul said.
A subway fare evader crouches under the turnstile, left, while another passenger pays, right. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)
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New subway edge barriers will also be installed on platforms at more than 100 additional stations by the end of 2025 to prevent tapes from falling or being pushed onto the tracks.
The governor also announced funding to install LED lighting at all subway stations throughout the system in order to increase visibility throughout the stations.
“Let's go back to basics. These barriers have served their purpose,” Hochel said of the barriers. “They're there. If someone wants to stand behind them as a train approaches, it gives you the feeling of safety that every New Yorker deserves.”
Hochul also said that a 24/7 “welcome center” near the line's end stations will be expanded to create spaces for Homeless people.
