As New Yorkers know well, the MetroCard is being phased out and OMNY will swoop in as its successor by the end of the year. However, the straphangers who are already using the system aren’t entirely thrilled.
The Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC), which monitors the subway, LIRR, MetroNorth, and beyond, conducted a survey to see where exactly commuters think OMNY is falling short, and there were several areas of concern.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty details, let’s cover the basics: the survey took place from June 2nd to July 7th of this year and PCAC recorded 392 responses. The goal was to address tapping habits, experiences, and future hopes for the system.
Ready to see the results? Here’s what you need to know.
Nearly 75% of OMNY users have experienced system issues
Nearly 3/4 of riders have experienced a few kinks along the way, including:
- 42% of users had machines that couldn’t read their tap
- 34% experienced late charges
- 30% experienced extra charges
- 26% did not have any issues
Just this summer, commuters realized that OMNY was charging riders multiple times for a single trip, some users claiming to have had up to 12 charges on their account.
According to a graph on the survey findings, most people encountered troubles when using a physical credit or debit card or using an employee benefit card. Despite these findings, only 22% of commuters reached out to OMNY to complain about their issues.
When it comes to the financial aspect of the card, after 12 rides using the same payment method in any 7-day period, fees should not exceed $34. Over half of respondents reported hitting the weekly fare cap less than once per month, and 14% of respondents hit the fare cap every week.
So, what needs to be done before the end of the year? PCAC recommends OMNY address the following concerns, among other:
- Update the OMNY interface so riders can immediately see balances, expirations, etc.
- Implement fare incentives focused on low-income riders
- Invest in the OMNY website and customer service
- Include OMNY website features in the MTA app
You can read the study in full online. In the meantime, explore our guide to getting an OMNY card before the MetroCard becomes a thing of the past.