BART riders are in for a high-tech update at the West Oakland Station. The transit system now sports new fare gates—part of a pilot project initiated to curb fare evasion, which has been bleeding millions from BART's coffers. These gates, which travelers began navigating the week of December 11, were mounted within a two-week window and went live shortly before we bid farewell to 2023.

Despite ongoing construction, service remained its usual self—uninterrupted and on the mark. However, temporary paths were established for commuters, including two accessible gates designed for ease of use, especially for visually impaired individuals. "The right gate for entering and the left for exiting," reported Hoodline, guiding passengers smoothly past the construction barriers.

In a battle against fare evasion, BART is rolling out 775 next-gen gates across all its stations by the end of 2025—a strategy that carries a $90 million price tag. A report by Hoodline sheds light on the funding sources for this significant overhaul, listing a combination of BART's budget, along with county, state, and federal funds.

The recent commencement of the new fare gate operations at West Oakland, however, isn't yet foolproof. A post by BART noted that the mechanical door locks to deter forceful gate crashing is pending installation. But the gates are already open for testing with three different door materials—a measure to determine which holds up best against unauthorized entries.

The new fare gates at West Oakland are now open. All riders must pass through these gates as we test 3 different door materials.

The new mechanical door lock to prevent people from pushing the doors open with force, has not yet been installed. https://t.co/0JoetKI5ON pic.twitter.com/HY0x6LUAuE

— BART (@SFBART) December 28, 2023

Alicia Trost, BART's Chief Communications Officer, highlighted the importance of each rider's contribution in a statement obtained by Hoodline, especially as remote work reshapes commuting patterns. She emphasized, "The fare paid by passengers is crucial to the system's operation."