Installation work to begin week of December 11th on next generation fare gates at West Oakland Station
On December 28, 2023, BART opened the new fare gates at West Oakland station.
Installation of the prototypes of BART’s next generation fare gates is scheduled to begin the week of December 11 at West Oakland Station. The installation process is expected to take approximately two weeks to complete and the new fare gates will be open for use before Jan 1, 2024.
During those two weeks a construction barrier will be built around the existing station gate array. Riders will use two temporary accessible gates to enter and exit West Oakland Station. During peak hours, riders should expect lines to form. We advise people to arrive a few minutes early.
Both gates are located next to the Station Agent Booth, one on each side. When facing the booth from the non-paid area of the station, the fare gate to your right is used to enter the station and the fare gate to your left is used to exit.
Additionally, a carpet has been installed immediately before the entrance to each fare gate, to make these two gates easier to locate for riders with visual impairments. The removal of the old gates and installation of the prototypes will not impact train service.
The prototypes being installed at West Oakland will help us to test the new gates in a station environment with riders. These are not the final version of the fare gates that will be installed throughout the rest of the system. The development team is researching the latest door-braking technology and will add that enhanced capability to the fare gates in the coming months.
All BART stations will have new fare gates by the end of 2025. You can learn more about BART’s Next Generation Fare Gate project at bart.gov/about/projects/fare-gate.
BART General Manager Bob Powers released a statement on new fare gates:
“As a transportation system, we take tremendous pride in saying our riders are what runs BART. 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.”
BART Police Chief Kevin Franklin also applauded the unveiling in a statement:
“We welcome the new fare gates starting at West Oakland and its future expansion to other stations. 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 introducing the transit system to the 21st century. BART is making dramatic improvements, from new payment method systems to infrastructure renovations, to guarantee customers a clean, safer ride.