BART's new push to stop fare evaders is leading to other problems.
On Wednesday, NBC Bay Area cameras captured people still able to sneak through the higher gates. Things then turned violent at the Richmond BART station when police detained the fare evaders.
The new fare gates, which feature an additional set of flaps located at about shoulder height for an adult, are designed to clamp down on fare evaders, but some riders say they are clamping down on the wrong people, including the disabled.
"They're horrible," BART rider Tara Ayers said. "Look at where they'd hit somebody if a child, someone in a wheelchair, short people -- somebody's going to get really badly hurt by these things."
Ayers said BART's new modified fare gates being tested out at the Richmond station are clamping down on the wrong riders. Many say the gates are downright daunting.
Disabled riders say the gates are especially tough for them to navigate through.
Janet Abelson, who serves on the BART accessibility task force, says she's had the gates close on her wheelchair.
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"There isn't enough time for me to always get through," Abelson said.
"We understand the concerns, but we are encouraged by the fact that no one has been injured by these gates," BART spokesperson Anna Duckworth said.
While the gates may be deterring some fare evaders, NBC Bay Area on Wednesday saw plenty still sneaking through. Young people not only ducked their way through the gates, but they then scuffled with police when the authorities tried to stop them.
Police say one of the teens faces charges of battery on an officer.
On Thursday, BART will install a new type of fare gate at its Fruitvale station in Oakland. The gate has just one set of flaps with increased pressure and a pop-up leaf.
