The MTA’s new subway fare gates are drawing mixed reactions after several reported incidents where riders were trapped between the glass doors.
One cellphone video on social media shows a woman with her head stuck between the recently installed gates.
In another incident, the FDNY said a child was removed from a gate at the Broadway-Lafayette subway station on Dec. 31 and transported to the hospital.
Some riders at Atlantic Terminal on Wednesday told News 12 that the new doors are a safety concern.
“It’s really not safe,” said Michelle, a subway rider who declined to give her last name. “It doesn’t look safe.”
But others said those who get trapped are being “careless.”
“Pretty simple,” said Rudy De Jesus, a subway rider. “[The doors] open and you go through. How are they going to get caught?”
The MTA said that the gates are one of three pilot designs being tested at 20 stations in the city, and the plan is to install the final design at 150 stations by the end of the year.
“I think I’d rather people evade the fare safety than hurt themselves,” said Mir Jivotovski, a subway rider.
The MTA declined to comment when News 12 specifically asked if officials believe the gates are a safety concern, or if those riders who get trapped are viewed as attempting to evade the fare.
However, MTA spokesperson Eugene Resnick released the following statement: “The new fare gates are a pilot program using technology from transit systems around the world. As we evaluate their performance, we're learning more every day about how to design modern, effective fare gates for New York City."