BART unveils prototypes of new fare gates at West Oakland Station

On Dec. 28, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) unveiled prototypes of its new fare gates at the West Oakland Station. BART is upgrading its fare gates for the first time in 20 years as part of its Safe and Clean Plan and has committed to opening 700-plus new fare gates systemwide by the end of 2025.  

Mechanical door lock to be installed soon 

The fare gates are not the final version of the fare gates that will be installed throughout the rest of the system. The development team will be installing the latest door-braking technology in the coming weeks. The mechanical door lock will be exclusive to BART.  

The prototypes now installed at West Oakland will test the new gates in a station environment with riders. Initial field testing will primarily focus on door material options.   

“As a transportation system, we take tremendous pride in saying our riders are what runs BART," said BART General Manager Bob Powers. "Among the world’s transit agencies, BART relies the most on rider fares; they are directly responsible for funding our operations. These new, state-of-the-art fare gates will protect against fare evasion, expand access to transit-dependent riders and reduce system downtime due to maintenance, which helps boost investment in BART’s long-term growth.” 

“We welcome the new fare gates starting at West Oakland and its future expansion to other stations," said BART Police Chief Kevin Franklin. "These stronger, higher gates will limit fare evasions through self-enforced fare payments, keep riders safe and engaged to return to BART and have police officers focused on more serious situations that require emergency services.”  

BART’s Safe and Clean Plan focuses on attracting riders to return to the system by reimagining the BART experience, including new payment systems and infrastructure renovations.