Emergency exit gates at three subway stations will soon take 15 seconds to open, MTA officials announced Monday, as part of an effort to crack down on the “super highway of fare evasion.”
Transit officials estimate riders skipping the subway fare cost the agency $285 million in 2022. NYC Transit President Richard Davey said riders have found it easy to slip through emergency doors when they’re opened from the inside.
Come mid-February, the gates will be reconfigured with 15-second delays at three stations: The 138th Street-Third Avenue station on the 6 line, Flushing Avenue on the J, M and Z lines; and 59th Street on the 4, 5 and 6 lines.
MTA officials said they chose those three stations because they have enough turnstiles for masses of riders to quickly escape actual emergencies, like a fire or terrorist attack, even if the emergency gates won’t open for 15 seconds.
I cannot wait for this is completely backfire. Underground metro stations have never had major fires or have been subject to terrorist attacks.