What is New Turnstiles?
MTA riders have expressed displeasure with its experiments with new fare gates designed to deter turnstile jumpers and metal barriers on platforms, as many do not see positive outcomes from these changes.
This week in Jamaica, new subway turnstiles were installed at Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue-JFK Airport station to increase accessibility for wheelchair users and strollers while preventing fare evasion.
Waist High Turnstiles
Waist high turnstiles are an effective solution for managing pedestrian traffic in indoor and outdoor settings, from offices to factories to parks. Their tight security prevents entry by unauthorised personnel while their various styles and configurations provide accessibility features like ADA accessibility.
There are various kinds of waist-high turnstiles designed for specific applications. While some models can detect tailgating, others provide aesthetic appeal in office buildings and educational facilities. For maximum security, some waist-high turnstiles come equipped with gates that require valid credentials to open; such types are commonly known as “people shredders”. They can be integrated with access control systems for added peace of mind.
When selecting the optimal waist high turnstile for your needs, keep in mind the number of lanes you wish to create and anticipated volume within a given time period. For instance, if 100 employees need to leave within 3 minutes during lunch breaks at once then semi-automatic full height gates with multiple lanes would likely provide better performance.
Material selection for waist-high turnstiles is another crucial element. Stainless steel is often chosen, and comes in grades such as 304, 201 and 316 for optimal corrosion and environmental challenges resistance.
No matter which waist-high turnstile you opt for, its installation must comply with all manufacturer specifications and local building codes/regulations requirements to meet safety, fire, and accessibility regulations.
As security needs increase, some individuals attempt to bypass turnstiles using various tactics. Fare evaders in New York City are known for using “spikes” on gates’ handrails as a way around the system. The MTA has taken measures to combat this behavior by increasing staff levels at stations including booths as well as posting signs reminding straphangers that turnstile entry passes or ID are nontransferrable.
Middle-Out Turnstiles
The MTA is currently testing various modifications to its turnstiles in an effort to combat fare evasion. One tool includes sleeves that extend the height of turnstile arms – this should make it harder for people with long strides to slip past – according to transit chief Demetrius Crichlow of The Daily News Wednesday. These sleeves serve as temporary solutions while they search for full-height turnstiles.
The MTA expects the sleeves-equipped machines will cost them about $1,500 each and be deployed at some subway stations in Brooklyn. Some have already been installed at Bowling Green Station; other stations may receive them in future. In addition, wide-aisle gates opening from the middle out rather than on either side can make travel easier for straphangers with strollers or luggage while remaining more difficult for jumpers to jump over than traditional turning arms; currently these gates have been introduced at Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center Station and 34 St (A, C, E) stations since 2021 with 15 more expected by 2024.
Last year, the MTA suffered losses of $285 million due to turnstile jumping and entry through emergency exit gates at subway stations. Now they are seeking design firms who can create gates that are hard for criminals to hop over yet accessible for those with disabilities.
MTA officials believe that gates could be more effective if constructed from thicker steel that would make it harder to bend or smash them, as well as close together so people with long legs cannot easily hop over.
The MTA is currently testing sharp metal barriers on platforms to help keep riders away from reaching the tracks and reaching for them. The system aims to prevent many people from being hit by trains every year and those injured from falling on platform edges from reaching for tracks themselves.
Wide-Aisle Turnstiles
Turnstile jumpers have long found ways to bypass New York City Transit systems, so New York Transit has increased their efforts against turnstile jumpers by installing wider gates designed to deter fare evaders. They are currently testing “wide-aisle” gates at a subway station in Queens as well as replacing traditional emergency exit gates at several other stations with wider ones designed to deter fare evaders.
The new gates, which resemble barn doors, open from the middle out and are more difficult to crawl or jump under than previous designs. Furthermore, these gate openings enable those with strollers, bikes, luggage or luggage – who would otherwise need to use emergency exit – to pass through with one swipe or tap instead of having to use emergency exit. According to MTA data analysis experts this approach provides more efficient movement through station corridors while wide gates make navigation simpler for riders with large bags or mobility devices.
Though these gates could prevent turnstile jumpers, who cost the MTA millions each year in unpaid fares and tolls, it remains uncertain whether they will prove effective against turnstile jumpers. As of April 2019, a few stations began using them, with plans underway to install more.
Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue was among the stations that received new gates. Here, riders connect to AirTran and Long Island Rail Road trains; Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center and Flushing Avenue stations in Brooklyn where more than half of fare evasion occurs through emergency gates; wider gates will also be installed at these two Brooklyn stations to reduce fare evasion through emergency gates; these new ones were created so it would be harder for someone ahead of you to “piggyback,” an effective means of bypassing payment mechanisms; new gates were made wider than traditional ones so “piggybacking” is harder – thus helping prevent fare evasion;
RS Security, the company that designed the MTA’s OMNY card and turnstiles, created these new gates to combat an increasing trend: people buying tickets but never using them to enter the system. They’re part of an ongoing effort by the MTA to curtail fare evasion due to COVID-19 pandemic which has doubled since 2015. With this aim in mind, additional unarmed security guards were posted at emergency exits, new locks installed to stop “back-cocking,” wider gates installed where possible and old gates replaced with wider ones at certain locations.
Security Turnstiles
Turnstiles can help prevent security breaches by restricting the number of people passing and controlling their direction of passage. Furthermore, turnstiles can integrate with other technologies like 3D fingerprint scanning, iris scanning and facial recognition credentialing for more robust access control solutions that eliminate issues like piggybacking, badge theft or any potential security threats while providing greater convenience for users and enhancing efficiency.
Security turnstiles have many advantages over regular gates in terms of tracking people as they pass through, providing real-time responses. Furthermore, they use sensors to detect tailgating, piggybacking, loitering and forced passage – including tailgating attempts that bypass entry authorization – prompting prompt them to open for one person at a time to enter or exit before quickly locking again – potentially notifying staff about an intruder situation and quickly responding.
The type of turnstile necessary depends on the needs of any facility; some types are better suited to high-volume environments than others. Full height turnstiles, for instance, are suitable in locations with stringent security regulations like subway stations where fare evasion is a serious threat. They can either feature one revolving arm or series of barriers which can only be passed through with valid tickets in hand.
Waist-high and mid-height turnstiles are effective access control solutions in high-volume applications, offering visitors easier and safer entry control. These turnstiles can accommodate various credential readers including barcodes, magnetic stripe, proximity cards (RFID/NFC), biometrics and even biometric readers; additionally they often meet ADA compliance to allow access to individuals with disabilities.
Security turnstiles can be made even more effective by installing them with other technologies, such as video surveillance cameras. This combination enables security turnstiles to capture images of all people entering and exiting a facility, and then use that data to identify potential security threats or vulnerabilities. Furthermore, integrated turnstiles may also help streamline workflow processes and increase efficiency.