Will Seattle's Link light rail add fare gates?

SEATTLE - Transit systems are building stronger, better security gates to avoid fare skippers. It's part of an effort to win back customers concerned about safety. But does cracking down on ticketless riders really help eliminate violent crime?

Amid ballooning costs of light rail service to West Seattle, will Sound Transit invest in fare gates?

In 2023, fare revenue was projected at $5.5 billion in Sound Transit's financial plan. The agency said removing fares would make Sound Transit’s financial plan unaffordable.

Police in Washington, D.C.'s subway system the Metro have issued some 10,000 citations this year for fare evaders. More than 250 were arrested for outstanding warrants and 16 guns were recovered.

Systems in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco are making their gates taller or stronger to deter people who try to slip throughout without paying. St. Louis is going even further, adding payment gates for the first time after using onboard spot checks to enforce fares for the past three decades.

Sound Transit, which operates the regional light rail system in the Seattle area, has never had fare gates and has no plans to add them after one study concluded the systemwide cost could approach $200 million.

"If they do not provide ID or they refuse to provide ID, they could be asked to leave the train," said Sound Transit spokesperson Rachelle Cunningham. "Other than that, people who don't have proof of payment, they're allowed to continue their journeys and get to where they're going. We don't ask people without fare to leave the train."

Bay Area Rapid Transit in San Francisco has had fare gates since it opened in 1972, but until 2018 an officer had to actually witness someone evading a fare to write a ticket. Now, customers risk fines if they don't carry proof of payment or a fare card. Also, every gate is being reinforced with security wings, which spokesman Jim Allison says are nearly impossible to push open "unless you're an NFL linebacker and take a full run at it."

"We began to view fare evasion a little differently, as not just a cost of doing business but also a cultural liability," Allison said. "There was a sense that because so many people were observing fare evaders, it was eroding trust in the system."

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.