Some PATH Turnstiles Will Now Scream At Riders Who Skip Fares

NEW JERSEY — Are you planning to skip a PATH train fare by hopping through the turnstiles that are meant to serve people with disabilities, like so many riders have done before you? Get ready to be publicly shamed by a robot, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Thursday.

According to the Port Authority, a new anti-theft system has been installed on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) gates that serve its PATH trains.

These gates – which accommodate customers with mobility issues by opening and closing more slowly than other PATH turnstiles – are where the majority of fare evasion happens.

To combat the problem, the Port Authority began installing a mini-circuit board at ADA gates at Journal Square in Jersey City earlier this year. When someone tries to skip a fare, the system sets off a flashing red light that’s accompanied by a vocal warning: “Pay first!”

If that doesn’t do the trick and the rider pushes forward, a second message alert barks out a sterner warning: “Violation, you didn’t pay! Violation, you didn’t pay!”

The pilot program at Journal Square has now been expanded to all PATH stations, authorities announced this week.

Other anti-theft measures that have been floated to cut down on fare evasion include making “enforcement and equipment adjustments,” and increasing the number of public service announcements at its stations, the Port Authority said.

Fare evasion on the PATH system costs millions of dollars in lost revenue every year, Port Authority officials say.

Depending on the state where the fare evasion occurred, fines range from $50 to $250.

• See Related: Port Authority Proposes $1 Billion Budget Hike In NJ, NY
• See Related: Robotic Shuttle Van Drives Itself Around Newark Airport (VIDEOS)

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