> high tech
Lel
The really high tech fare gates are tracking people’s movements through the station so that the gate already knows who you are as you walk up to it.
I guess good luck with that
…. But they didn’t justify lost fares as even close to the cost of the gates.
…. But every time they make an attempt to catch a few evaders, they make it more complicated for everyone else
…. I’m probably a bit sheltered but the only time I see people hop the gates is when their fare card doesn’t work, the machines don’t work, and there’s no attendant to ask for help. It seems like this punishes a segment of riders just trying to do the right thing despite maintenance and staffing cuts
Comment on your first point - If BART’s share of the new gate’s price (likely stretched over 5-10 years) is less than lost fairs retrieved the cost is justified. Quickly clicking through the Iinked articles I could not find a breakdown of either number.
Also, the collected fair is around 50% of BART’s budget. It is easier to get govt agencies to kick in once towards this project than increase their yearly contribution.
If I recall correctly most other large transit systems in the US have the collected fair contributing around 25% of the overall budget. BART relies on collected fairs more than any other large transit system in the US.
When these things are investigated properly, it’s always the case that someone with connections is getting a serious kickback from this happening. The actual economics of the project are secondary.
