K&J was instrumental in the Faregate Modification Project Team recommending mitigation strategies to reduce the fare evasion issues WMATA was experiencing with the newly installed faregates. The first series of stations were modified with 55″ high swing gates, a stronger gate motor to prevent pushing through the gates, increased height of all the adjacent railings and emergency gate systems, installed barriers to prevent assisted jumps over the gates, installed software changes to account for tailgating, reduced the time the gates stayed open from 4 to 2 seconds, re-established fare enforcement with MTPD officers on site as needed, and increased public announcements and fare evasion and vandalism warning signage. Future improvements include locking down the gates once closed and reducing the ADA gates gap from 3″ to 1 inch. The first stations modified include Fort Totten, Pentagon City, Bethesda, Vienna, Mt. Vernon Square, and Addison Road. Initial data shows that the mitigations have reduced fare evasion by 70% among these stations. Modifications will continue throughout the remaining 92 stations through September 2024, and K&J will continue to perform Safety and Security Certification activities.
Original Faregates:
New Faregates:
