CTA Seeks New Fare Gates for Chicago Train Stations

The Chicago Transit Authority is seeking proposals for tougher, more modern fare gates and related station technology at Chicago train stations, with goals that include improving accessibility, addressing aging infrastructure and deterring fare evasion.

The CTA issued the request for proposals in July 2026. The effort could eventually change how riders enter stations, but it remains at the proposal and procurement stage. No new gates have been installed under this initiative.

The proposed technology is intended to address several problems at once. The CTA is looking for equipment that can better support riders with accessibility needs, replace or respond to aging fare-gate infrastructure, and make it more difficult to enter the rail system without paying.

For Chicago riders, the practical impact will depend on what the CTA ultimately selects and where it deploys the technology. Until those decisions are made, the project is best understood as an effort to identify and procure newer fare-gate equipment—not as a completed system upgrade.