LAFAYETTE, CALIFORNIA – BART has been hurting lately, and several local stations are at risk of closure if funding measures fail.
Still, that hasn’t stopped the system from staying innovative–and doing everything it can to keep more revenue!
Now, BART was just recognized with a big transit award. And it’s for something a bit surprising: fare gates.
A National Award… for Gates?
The Bay Area Rapid Transit system recently won a 2026 Public Works Project Award from the American Public Works Association for its Next Generation Fare Gate project.
That’s a major honor in the infrastructure world. The award recognizes standout public projects across the U.S. that improve safety, efficiency, and community impact.
At first glance, fare gates might seem like a minor upgrade. But BART’s overhaul was anything but small.
BART installed new fare gates at 50 stations across the entire system, all at once. It was part of a $90 million modernization project.
The new gates are extremely high tech. They’ve got tall, clear barriers that are much harder to jump or force open, 3D sensors to detect wheelchairs or strollers, and faster speeds so more people can make it through faster.
Millions in Savings
And they’re working! The new gates have apparently saved BART $10 million in fare revenue previously lost to gate-jumpers.
With the system facing big budget challenges, those savings are crucial. Interestingly, though, their impact has been even broader.
The gates are credited with reducing crime across the BART system, as well as vandalism. BART is saving money in repair costs, and the trains are more pleasant to ride (I do it multiple times per week to cover things happening downtown).
How would fare gates accomplish this? The people who jump the fare gates are likely also the people who might commit crimes on BART or vandalize trains. By keeping them out of the system, BART excludes the people most likely to cause harm–and the whole thing gets safer.
That’s a big part of why BART got an award for the gates. They’re not flashy, but tackling fare evasion turns out to make every aspect of riding BART better.
