"In January 2025, subway riders at the 59th Street-Lexington Avenue station in Manhattan noticed a surprising new addition: spiked metal partitions between each fare gate. Some commuters called the partitions "silly and foolish." Others said they were " a waste of money." Over the past nine months, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has rolled out the same spiked partitions to 183 stations across the subway network, with more on the way."
"Like spikes on a handrail prevent people from sitting on it, these metal screens (which the MTA calls "sleeves") are designed to prevent people from hoisting themselves over the turnstiles. They've also turned what was already an inhospitable system into an actively hostile public space."
"There is no way of knowing, however, if the drop is due to the "sleeves" or the other measures the MTA introduced at that station, including turnstiles with larger "fins," and new "anti back-cocking" mechanisms to prevent people from squeezing in through the turnstile without paying. It is also possible that offenders simply moved on to a nearby station that hasn't been retrofitted with these anti fare-evasion designs."
Spiked metal partitions were installed at multiple subway stations beginning January 2025, appearing between fare gates at 59th Street-Lexington Avenue and later at 183 stations. The metal screens, called "sleeves," are intended to stop people from hoisting themselves over turnstiles, similar to spikes on handrails that prevent sitting. The MTA emphasizes revenue risk: about 40% of operating budget comes from fares and tolls, and subway fare evasion cost roughly $350 million in 2024, exceeding $1 billion when including other unpaid transit and tolls. At one retrofitted station, the MTA reported an approximate 60% decline in fare evasion four months after installation, though concurrent upgrades and potential displacement of offenders make causation uncertain. The MTA is also piloting modern glass-paneled gates at select stations.
Read at Fast Company
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