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It was originally reported back in December that Metro was looking into gates and turnstyles for railways at the cost of $30 million. Today, in an opinion piece by LA City Beat, they say it's now $80 million and that there is no need to spend money on this project:
This morning (Thursday, February 28), the Metro board is scheduled to give final approval to an $80 million, 10-year contract to install turnstiles along the Red Line subway and at select light-rail stations. The numbers don’t add up and the project should be abandoned.We think this boondoggle will likely cost far more to set up than Metro estimates and save less in unpaid fares than the transit agency, in its overly optimistic way of viewing the world – when it serves their interests – says it will.
So far, only one of 13 board members – Richard Katz – has risen up to oppose the plan. Last month, when the Metro board was all set to sign off on the plan, Katz came forward with a last-minute letter raising questions about Metro’s assumptions. In the letter, Richard Stanger, the mastermind behind the region’s Metrolink commuter train network, poked holes in all of Metro’s budget numbers and discounted claims that turnstiles would improve security one ounce.
A study found that 5% of people rode for free, costing an estimated $5.5 million annually. That means this would pay off in over 14-years and this is a 10-year-contract. What. is. going. on?
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I thought the money was going to go to building gates for the Blue Line.
I recently moved from Long Beach and took the Blue Line 5 days a week for 6 months. I have been using the Red Line for 2 months and can't believe the difference. I feel 100% safer. When riding the Blue Line, everyday brought crazy stories and dangerous situations.
The Blue Line needs this so much more than the Red Line. I have witnessed (on several occasions) Blue Line passengers evading fare and then lieing right to the Sheriffs faces about how they lost their tickets.
I don't care if they don't pay the $1.25. What I care about is safety for myself and other passengers and I've noticed that the fare evaders are almost always the ones who cause problems a board the train.
I don't understand why there's even an outcry against turnstiles...
Every major metro/subway system in the world has them and — in the end — they will make more money for the system here (in the long run) and will increase safety.
What's 'overly optimistic' is assuming that people will still pay when they're not forced to.
Because it's a waste of money. And most cities that implement such gates did so before terrorism was ever a concern. Even New York considered removing them after 9/11. They become human barriers in an emergency and it's more effective to have security patrol the stations and trains, might as well have them checking fares at the same time.
I'd MUCH rather see all this money spent on more security personnel; sheriffs and fare inspectors.