MARTA switching to thicker glass after faregate panels shatter

MARTA is swapping out the glass on its new faregates to make it sturdier after a handful of panels shattered, an agency spokesperson said.

About five faregates have been broken so far, spokesperson Payson Schwin.

One was vandalized, he said. The others were broken by people trying to squeeze through the gates.

Riders were seen walking through a broken gate at the Civic Center Station on Tuesday morning. Glass on another gate at the Georgia State Station was shattered but the faregate was still operational.

On social media, riders have shared photos of broken gates at several other stations.

Originally, the faregates included two panels of quarter-inch-thick glass placed back-to-back. Now, MARTA’s shifting to a single half-inch panel that is more secure, Schwin said.

MARTA is in the process of installing new faregates throughout the system, part of a larger upgrade to the fare payment system. The agency has struggled with broken fare gates and fare evasion for years, problems that cause both safety concerns and lost revenue. MARTA police Chief Scott Kreher said the suspect in a fatal stabbing last weekend had not paid his fare.

Installation started last fall and is still continuing, a process that’s been confusing for many riders navigating the maze of new and old, open and closed faregates.

An initial fare grace period was planned from March 28 to May 2 to give riders time to transition to the new fare cards. The grace period was extended until last Saturday.

Where new faregates have been installed, the gates were closed at that point and fare began being required.

But many stations don’t have new gates installed yet. At those stations, either the old gates or emergency exits are open to allow riders through.