The first SkyTrain fare gate has been installed, but fare evaders still have a few months of grace before it goes into operation.
The gate was unveiled at the Marine Drive SkyTrain station yesterday.
TransLink is spending up to $100 million to install the fare gates in all SkyTrain, Canada, Expo and Millennium line stations as well as the SeaBus terminal.
Once they are in place, TransLink will test them before they are commissioned in 2013. The full system is expected to be in operation by the fall of 2013.
All Evergreen Line stations will also have fare gates when the line opens in summer 2016.
The system will be designed for use with a smartcard system, which adds another $71 million to the project’s capital costs ($171 million).
Fare gates were not originally considered for the transit system – in fact, TransLink argued against them. However, the City of Richmond lobbied for fare gates when the Canada Line was first proposed, saying they were critical to eliminate fare evasion and improve safety, and the B.C. government eventually announced it would help cover the cost of installing them.
Victoria is providing $40 million and Ottawa is contributing up to $30 million. TransLink will pick up the balance of the costs.
“We’re bringing a new convenience for customers, while helping to ensure every customer is paying their fare and feels safe on the system,” TransLink CEO Doug Kelsey said Monday at the installation at Marine Drive.
“We are grateful to our partners in the federal and provincial governments for providing the funding to do the job.”
