The Daily Californian published an article on the Bay Area Rapid Transit system’s recent installation of new Next Gen Fare Gates to crack down on “free-riders.” This $90 million effort to quell the practice of fare evasion was promoted as a way to not only reduce crime, but improve feelings of safety among riders. Unfortunately, these claims don’t hold up.
According to the article, studies fail to find consistent correlation between increased fare inspection and decreased fare evasion. Meanwhile, CPE, again in their 2025 report, “did not find evidence” of fare evaders “creating a lot of crime”, the words of CPE vice president Hans Menos, though BART attributes a 17% drop in crime last year to fare evasion measures, nor did the report conclude these measures were “effective at curbing incidents that make riders feel uneasy.”
It’s no secret that BART is facing a $350 million structural deficit, one that tackling fare evasion can’t fix.
Senate Bill 63, if it passes, could create a 10 to 15-year regional tax fund to help fund public transit organizations in Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco counties. But even with this funding, BART would still need to figure out a way to close the portion of the deficit that remains.
Read the full article on The Daily Californian’s website.