LIRR is right to crack down on fare evasion

The Long Island Rail Road's effort to set up a gating system at Penn Station — even as a pilot program — represents one of the railroad's clearest and loudest signals to freeloading riders: Pay up.

While the system has only been in place several times a week, it's a valuable experiment that appears to be working. Hopefully, it will result in far better fare collections, while keeping the trains safer for passengers and conductors. If it works, it should be made permanent at Penn, and considered for other high-traffic spots in the LIRR system.

Gating isn't new for the LIRR, but in the past was only deployed at large events at Citi Field, Forest Hills Stadium or UBS Arena. Gating for daily rush-hour trains will take time and effort but may be one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce the persistent fare-evasion problem, which causes losses of about $700 million a year across the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, including $24 million on the LIRR. 

There are kinks to resolve, and this effort will not replace the traditional role of conductors checking tickets on trains. In the moments before a train departs and the gating stops, the LIRR may end up allowing through some fare beaters. The conductors must still be sure to catch them once on board. And the LIRR should evaluate the new system for its impact on personnel safety, efficiency and performance.

The gating strategy should be part of a more comprehensive fare evasion solution. The LIRR's past effort to give non-payers IOUs didn't work; when no identification was required, just 5% of invoices were paid. A single fare-beater absurdly racked up $2,154 in tickets, receiving 155 invoices in six months.

The LIRR's recent change — in which conductors issue IOUs only to those riders who provide identification, and remove riders who can't pay and don't provide ID — may be more successful. MTA Police's expanded presence on the trains is key. Also important: The LIRR should use all technology at its disposal to target repeat offenders and to otherwise improve fare collection. 

Fares go toward the MTA's operating budget, making these efforts especially important as the agency attempts to address a capital budget hole dug by the pause in the plan to impose vehicle tolls in Manhattan.

Efforts like gating at Penn Station and removing nonpaying riders from trains should have a critical impact on rider perception. Riders who do pay will feel safer, riders who don't may be less likely to continue their evasions. The LIRR must try every effort to stop this behavior.