This UES Subway Station Will See Major Fare Gate Changes

UPPER EAST SIDE— Subway riders at 20 more stations will soon encounter wider, touch-free fare gates designed to make it harder to enter without paying and easier for people with wheelchairs, strollers and luggage to get through.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to begin installing the new gates by the end of 2026, and will start preparing the stations in October.

The agency qualified three companies to compete for the first contracts, and bids are due this month.

The new gates form part of a $1.1 billion overhaul of fare-control areas at 150 stations under the MTA’s 2025-2029 capital plan.

The stations in the full program serve nearly three-quarters of all daily subway riders.

What Will Change At The 86th Street Station?

The new fare gates will replace or upgrade existing fare-control areas, giving riders wider and more accessible entrances while making it harder to enter without paying.

The new designs include touch-free gates and wider passageways intended to make it easier for people using wheelchairs, pushing strollers or carrying luggage to move through stations.

The 86th Street station on the Upper East Side and the 72nd Street station on the Upper West Side are among the next 20 stations scheduled for the upgrades.

The 125th Street station on the 4, 5 and 6 lines also will receive new gates.

Why Is The MTA Replacing The Old Turnstiles?

The current fare-control system dates largely to the early 1990s, when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority began installing the familiar three-pronged turnstiles.

Those turnstiles can create problems for riders who need more clearance to enter or exit. The system also relies on wider emergency gates, which the MTA says have become a common point for fare evasion.

The new fare arrays aim to address both issues by redesigning the entire fare-control area rather than simply adding another barrier.

The MTA has already taken other steps to limit fare evasion, including changing locks, adding gate guards and delaying some exits.

Will The New Gates Make A Difference?

The MTA found a 35 percent average reduction in fare evasion at the 20 stations included in the pilot.

The largest reductions occurred at Hoyt Street in Brooklyn and Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn, where the MTA reported a 72 percent decline, and at 3rd Avenue-138th Street in the Bronx, where fare evasion fell 65 percent.

The agency evaluated the gates for fare evasion, accessibility, customer movement, maintenance, technology integration and the accuracy of their detection systems before moving ahead with the next phase.

The MTA expects modern fare gates at 70 stations once the pilot and first two phases are complete.

The agency plans to continue the broader rollout through 2027.

The project marks the first comprehensive overhaul of the subway's fare-control system in more than 30 years.

Which Other Stations Will Get The New Gates?

The next 20 stations are:

Brooklyn

• 36 St — D, N, R
• Bedford Avenue — L
• Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue — D, F, N, Q
• Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets — A, C, G
• Myrtle Avenue — J, M, Z
• Newkirk Plaza — B, Q

The Bronx

• 3 Avenue-149 Street — 2, 5
• 161 Street-Yankee Stadium — 4, B, D
• Fordham Road — B, D
• Parkchester — 6

Manhattan

• 14 Street-Union Square — 4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W
• 125 Street — 4, 5, 6
• Chambers Street — 1, 2, 3
• Spring Street — C, E

Queens

• Astoria Boulevard — N, W
• Flushing-Main Street — 7
• Forest Hills-71 Avenue — E, F, M, R
• Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue-JFK Airport — E, J, Z