Though we’ve known OMNY will eventually replace the classic MetroCards, it’s been slow & steady progress. However, the MTA announced the latest steps underway regarding the tap-and-go payment system.
All NYC students will receive a student specific OMNY card in the 2024-2025 school year starting this September that will grant them four free rides per day. The MTA hopes this effort expands OMNY to all customer groups as less than half of MTA customers are currently using OMNY already five years after its introduction.
This is because students and those who have or use pre-tax benefits, fare discounts, weekly/monthly cards, or the Fair Fares program still require a MetroCard. Beyond students, OMNY has rolled out other pilots to reach the remaining untapped customer base. For example, all Reduced-Fare MetroCard users will receive an OMNY card via mail by the end of the year. Plus, OMNY’s own Fair Fares pilot just launched on May 1, 2024.
“By treating OMNY as the megaproject that it is, we have turned a corner on delivering its benefits to all categories of customers,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “The new approach is going to give users the sense of interoperability they expect, while limiting MTA’s contractor risk and saving millions of dollars. Congratulations to the project management team.”
Those who use the OMNY system have found it to be 85% satisfactory. Not to mention, MTA officially completed their OMNY Vending Machine Pilot on April 29, 2024 with 70 machines across 37 stations. Commuters can expect them in every subway station come the middle of next year.
Discover more OMNY milestones here.