San Francisco unveils new fare gates, ticket vending machines

On Monday, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which operates the Municipal Railway (Muni), unveiled the new Clipper fare gates and related ticket vending machines (TVM) for the Muni Metro stations, replacing the current 30-year-old system.

The single array of fare gates and the TVMs at Civic Center Station will go live next month along with the rest of the state-of-the-art equipment in the entire subway. The $30.1 million fare equipment project is supported by $11 million in federal stimulus funds along with additional funds from federal, state and regional sources.

"Muni moves nearly the equivalent of San Francisco's population every day," said SFMTA Executive Director/CEO Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. "We are constantly looking for ways to improve the riding experience for each of these customers by making our system even more efficient and easier to use. The new, modern Clipper fare gates and TVMs are more examples of our commitment to these important goals."

The new fare collection equipment to be installed in the nine Muni Metro stations this fall has been used in cities around the country and the world, such as London and Atlanta. It includes 81 standard fare gates (24.5 inches wide), 19 accessible fare gates (42.5 inches wide) and 40 TVMs.

This equipment will improve Muni customers' experience and accessibility in Muni Metro stations, reduce fare evasion, reduce the amount of paper waste, promote Clipper and regional transit use, and improve the transaction times at the fare gates and vending machines, according to SFMTA.