By: Jordan Baker

The MTA’s latest attempt to crack down on fare evasion is already rattling subway riders — literally — as its newly installed “smart” turnstile gates unleash ear-piercing alarms that are frequently triggered by mistake, according to frustrated commuters and visitors, as the New York Post reported.

At the Broadway–Lafayette station in NoHo, the blaring alarms were going off so often that riders struggled to tell whether anyone was actually trying to beat the fare or if the system itself was simply malfunctioning. During the gates’ early rollout, the ultra-sensitive clear-panel doors — equipped with overhead scanners designed to count riders — appeared to misread perfectly normal movement, the New York Post reported.

One Brooklyn property manager described a jarring encounter with the new setup, telling the Post that the doors abruptly slammed shut after he tapped to pay, pushing him backward. While he said the experience wasn’t painful, he called it uncomfortable and questioned whether the technology was fully thought through.

“If this doesn’t get smoothed out, it’s not a great experience,” the rider told the New York Post, noting that the nonstop alarms made the station feel chaotic rather than secure.

The Broadway–Lafayette station became the second location to receive the new gates, following an earlier installation at the Third Avenue–138th Street station in the Bronx. The MTA plans to roll out the technology to 20 stations initially, with a long-term goal of installing the gates in 150 locations systemwide, as the Post reported.

The doors are designed to open only after a rider pays, using overhead sensors to ensure just one person passes through per swipe. If the system detects something unusual — such as two people entering together or someone attempting to exit while another enters — the doors snap shut and trigger a loud alarm, according to the New York Post.

But in practice, the technology appears prone to confusion. A Toronto tourist told the Post she set off the alarm simply by exiting near another rider, saying the system was loud, unclear, and startling. “I didn’t understand what was happening,” she said, adding that the experience left her flustered.

Some riders were openly skeptical about whether the gates would actually deter fare beaters. A Long Island commuter dismissed the project as a waste of money, pointing to viral videos that show groups pushing through the doors together while alarms blare — a scenario the New York Post has highlighted in its coverage of fare-evasion countermeasures.

Others echoed that concern, arguing that determined fare jumpers would simply find new ways around the system. “Train hoppers always adapt,” one Manhattan rider told the Post.

Still, not everyone was opposed. A Brooklyn resident originally from the UK said the gates resemble those used in London and called them an upgrade. Another Manhattan student suggested that while the most determined fare evaders might crawl under the doors, many casual jumpers would likely think twice about humiliating themselves to save $2.90, as the New York Post reported.