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Late on Monday afternoon, some commuters were held up when a traveler hopped the turnstile and took a stroll down the tracks at the Naylor Road Metro Station.
The strange scene led to delays approaching 30 minutes on Monday night on the Green Line as Metro Transit police waited to apprehend the man, who may face charges.
No injuries were reported.
The incident comes as Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) officials have worked for months to crack down on fare evasion across their transit system, including new gates that are more difficult to jump, though some have still slipped through the cracks.
According to WMATA officials, the new faregates have reduced evasion by more than 70 percent at the Metro stations they have already been installed.
The new design includes an L-shape door panel that extends over the faregate to minimize gaps between the openings, officials said. The increase in barrier height from the original 28 to 48-inch prototype to 55 inches will also make it more difficult to jump over faregates, they added.
"After testing multiple prototypes and getting feedback from customers, the new faregate design is having its intended effect – reducing fare evasion,” Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said.
“It is critical for Metro to collect as much fare revenue as possible and keep the system safe so we have a transit system worthy of this great region.”
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