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OMNY (/ˈɒmni/ OM-nee, short for One Metro New York) is a contactless fare payment system, currently being implemented for use on public transit in the New York metropolitan area. OMNY can currently be used to pay fares at all New York City Subway and Staten Island Railway stations, on all MTA buses, AirTrain JFK, Metro North's Hudson Rail Link, and on the Roosevelt Island Tram; when completely rolled out, it will also replace the MetroCard on Bee-Line buses, and NICE buses. OMNY will also expand beyond the current scope of the MetroCard to include the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad.
 | |
| Long name | One Metro New York |
|---|---|
| Location | New York metropolitan area |
| Launched | May 31, 2019 |
| Predecessor | MetroCard |
| Technology | |
| Generation | First |
| Operator | Cubic Transportation Systems |
| Manager | Metropolitan Transportation Authority |
| Currency | USD ($1 minimum load) |
| Stored-value | $1–300 |
| Credit expiry | 7 years |
| Auto recharge | Yes |
| Unlimited use | Yes |
| Validity | |
| Variants |
|
| Website | omny |
The MetroCard, a magnetic stripe card, was first introduced in 1993 and was used to pay fares on MTA subways and buses, as well as on other networks such as the PATH train. Two limited contactless-payment trials were conducted around the New York City area in 2006 and in 2010. However, formal planning for a full replacement of the MetroCard did not start until 2016.
The OMNY system is designed by Cubic Transportation Systems, using technology licensed from Transport for London's Oyster card. The system accepts payments through contactless bank cards and mobile payments as well as physical OMNY cards. OMNY began its public rollout in May 2019, with the first readers installed at select subway stations and on buses in Staten Island. The Staten Island Railway received OMNY readers in December 2019, and rollout on the New York City Subway and on MTA buses was completed on December 31, 2020.
The MTA began offering OMNY contactless cards on October 1, 2021, and introduced fare capping on February 28, 2022. Reduced-fare customers were allowed to use OMNY starting in June 2022 using their own debit or credit cards which must be registered with OMNY. Reduced Fare OMNY cards were expected to be issued in late 2023, but were still not available in June 2024. Full deployment to other New York City-area transit systems had been expected by 2023 but has been delayed. The phasing out of the MetroCard—originally expected in 2023—has been delayed indefinitely.[1]
Previous fare media
Subway tokens had been used as the MTA subway and bus systems' form of fare payment since the 1950s. MetroCards made by Cubic Transportation Systems started to replace the tokens in 1992; the MetroCards used magnetic stripes to encode the fare payment. By 2003, the MetroCard was the exclusive method of fare payment systemwide.[2]
Payment system trials
MasterCard and Citibank funded a trial of contactless payments, branded as PayPass. The trial was conducted at 25 subway stations, mostly on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line,[a] beginning in July 2006. The trial was limited to select Citibank cardholders, but it proved popular enough to be extended past its original end date of December 2006.[3][4][5][6]
In light of the success of the first contactless payment trial in 2006, another trial was conducted from June to November 2010.[7][8] The 2010 trial initially only supported MasterCard-branded cards, expanding to Visa PayWave cards in August.[9][10] The 2010 trial eventually expanded to include multiple Manhattan bus routes, two New Jersey Transit bus routes, and most PATH stations.[b]
In 2016, the MTA announced that it would begin designing a new contactless fare payment system to replace the MetroCard.[11][12][13] The replacement system was initially planned for partial implementation in 2018 and full implementation by 2022.[14] In October 2017, the MTA started installing eTix-compatible electronic ticketing turnstiles in 14 stations in Manhattan. The eTix system, already used on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, allows passengers to pay their fares using their phones. The system would originally be for MTA employees only.[15]
On October 23, 2017, it was announced that the MetroCard would be phased out and replaced by a contactless fare payment system also by Cubic, with fare payment being made using Android Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, debit/credit cards with near-field communication enabled, or radio-frequency identification cards.[16][17] The announcement called for a phased rollout, culminating in the discontinuation of the MetroCard by 2023.[17] The payment system would use technology licensed from Transport for London's Oyster card.[18] Critics responded to the proposals with concerns about security and privacy, highlighting a 2016 security breach of fare systems in San Francisco.[19]
In June 2018, the MTA revised the timeline for implementation of the then-unnamed new payment system. The first stage of implementation would take place in May 2019. In the second stage, all subway stations would receive OMNY readers by October 2020, in preparation for the third stage, which involved the launch of a prepaid OMNY card by February 2021.[20][21]: 13 The fourth stage involved the installation of OMNY vending machines by March 2022,[21]: 13 and the MetroCard would be discontinued in 2023.[22] Installation of OMNY vending machines in stations would be pushed back to the summer of 2023, with the discontinuation of MetroCards cancelled as further delays arise with rollout on regional rail and affiliate agencies.[23]
Initially, there were disagreements about what the payment system should be called; some executives wanted a "traditional" name that resembled the MetroCard's name, while others wanted more unusual names. Possible names included "MetroTap", "Tony", "Liberty" and "Pretzel". The name "OMNY" was eventually chosen as being "modern and universal".[24] The OMNY name was announced in February 2019.[25][26][27] "OMNY" is an acronym for "One Metro New York", intended to signify its eventual broad acceptance across the New York metropolitan area.[27] However, goals for broad acceptance have since been hampered, with PATH and NJ Transit unwilling to install OMNY, instead pursuing similar independent systems which would not be compatible with it.[28][29]
An internal trial launched in March 2019, involving over 1,100 MTA employees and 300 other participants. Over 1,200 readers were installed in subway stations and buses for the public trial, and the OMNY.info website was created.[21]: 14–15 Weeks before the beginning of the public launch, $85.4 million had been spent on the project, out of a total budget of $644.7 million.[21]: 14 The budget had risen to $677 million by June 2020 and to $732 million by November 2020.[30]: 37 The budget was $772 million by June 2021.[31]: 83
Buses and rapid transit
At a presentation in May 2019, the MTA's Capital Program Oversight Committee specified the following items to be implemented at an unspecified future date: launch a mobile app, allow customers to pay with OMNY Cards on Access-a-Ride paratransit vehicles, and add OMNY readers on Select Bus Service buses to support all-door boarding.[21]: 17 However, the committee expressed concerns that some bank cards would not be accepted, and that OMNY transactions could take longer than MetroCard transactions, increasing crowding at turnstiles.[21] All-door boarding at Select Bus Service routes with OMNY began on July 20, 2020.[33]
Rollout
OMNY launched to the public on May 31, 2019, on Staten Island buses and at 16 subway stations.[c] At first, OMNY only supported single-ride fares paid with contactless bank cards; mobile payments such as Apple Pay and Google Pay were also accepted, and free transfers between OMNY-enabled routes were available with the same transfer restrictions placed upon the MetroCard.[34][35][36] In June and July 2019, Mastercard offered "Fareback Fridays" to promote the system, where it would refund up to two rides made using OMNY on Fridays.[37][38] The OMNY system reached one million uses within its first 10 weeks and two million uses within 16 weeks.[39]: 58 On one day in June, 18,000 taps were recorded from bank cards issued in 82 countries.[40]
In November 2019, the MTA announced its first expansion. Over the following month, 48 additional stations would be outfitted with OMNY readers the following month, thereby bringing the system to all five boroughs,[d] and by January 2020 the system would then be expanded to Manhattan bus routes.[39]: 57 Furthermore, the MTA would begin launching pilot programs on Select Bus Service, the city's bus rapid transit system, and add self-service features.[39]: 60 OMNY readers were installed at the rear doors of buses.[41] By then, over three million riders with bank cards from 111 countries had used OMNY.[42][43][39]: 58 According to an internal MTA report, these riders had used over 460,000 unique payment methods between them, or about 2,000 new payment methods per day.[39]: 58
With the implementation of OMNY on the Staten Island Railway in December 2019, public transit in Staten Island became fully OMNY-compatible.[44] The next month, MTA officials announced that OMNY had seen its 5-millionth use, and also that it would expand to 60 more subway stations by the end of the month.[d] In addition, the MTA launched a marketing campaign for OMNY.[45][46] After another expansion the next month, there were over 180 OMNY-equipped stations and OMNY had been used over 7 million times.[47] This grew to 10 million uses by the time yet another expansion was announced in March.[48]
No new OMNY installations were added from March to June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.[49] The pandemic delayed the target date for which OMNY would be implemented at all subway stations and MTA bus routes, which was pushed back from October to December 2020.[50][44] OMNY installation in Manhattan was completed in July 2020.[30]: 29 By that September, two-thirds of subway stations were OMNY-equipped; this included all stations in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, as well as buses in the latter two boroughs.[51][52] In November 2020, OMNY readers were installed at AutoGates, where disabled riders could enter and exit the system.[30]: 29 By December[update], OMNY had been rolled out to 458 subway stations, representing 97% of the total, and OMNY had been used 30 million times.[53] On December 31, 2020, the MTA announced that OMNY was active on all MTA buses and at all subway stations, after the last OMNY readers were activated at Eastern Parkway–Brooklyn Museum station.[54][55][56]
Post-rollout
By July 2021, one-sixth of all fares paid on the bus, subway, and Staten Island Railway were being paid through OMNY, and 100 million fares had been paid using the fare system.[57] Reduced pay-per-ride OMNY fares were supposed to become available in mid-2022.[58] Reduced-fare OMNY was finally activated in October 2022, although it was not available to Fair Fares riders and students.[59][60] The MTA indicated in September 2023 that OMNY usage was highest in gentrified areas with young, white, and well-off populations. At the time, OMNY was being used for 47% of subway rides and 30% of bus rides.[61]
Although local buses all had OMNY readers at their rear doors, none of them were in use by early 2024, in part because, in an attempt to reduce fare evasion, the MTA had ordered bus drivers to open the buses' rear doors only for alighting passengers.[41] In May 2024, a small number of people enrolled in the MTA's Fair Fares program (which gave discounted fares to low-income residents) were allowed to begin using discounted OMNY cards.[62][63] By then, 55% of subway rides and 34% of bus rides were being paid for using OMNY.[62]
Regional rail
As of 2019[update], the MTA also plans to use OMNY on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad over "the next several years".[64] In June 2019, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced it was in talks with the MTA to implement OMNY on the PATH by 2022.[65] This would be called off in 2021 with PATH pursuing a separate new fare system that is also designed by Cubic.[28] There are no plans for OMNY to be used on NJ Transit, which plans to implement a new fare payment system with a different contractor by late 2024.[66][29]
Plans for OMNY installation on the LIRR and Metro-North were still being revised as of November 2020[update].[30]: 31 The COVID-19 pandemic had pushed back the implementation of fare cards on the commuter railroads from February 2021 to June 2022, and that of in-system vending machines from March 2022 to June 2023.[30]: 29 As of June 2021[update], there were delays in the commuter railroads' mobile ticketing system as well as vending machines. According to the MTA's independent engineering consultant, this could potentially delay full rollout of OMNY for six months from the original projected completion date of July 2023.[31]: 82 By February 2022, the rollout of OMNY on the LIRR was pushed back to between 2023 and 2024.[67] As of 2024[update], OMNY has not been rolled out on MTA commuter rail. On January 29, 2024, the Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Rail Link began accepting OMNY.[68][69] In May 2024, the MTA announced that it would hire two existing contractors, rather than Cubic, to implement OMNY on the LIRR and Metro-North.[70][71]
Other agencies
As part of the rollout, OMNY is expected to replace MetroCard on affiliate agencies such as Westchester County's Bee-Line Bus System, and the Nassau Inter-County Express. As of 2023[update], Westchester County's Bee Line expects OMNY to begin rolling out in 2025 at the earliest,[72] along with Nassau County's NICE Bus System.[67][73]
Rollout to faregates on the AirTrain JFK was planned to occur in 2023, replacing the MetroCard payment requirement to use the system.[23] Installation of OMNY readers on the AirTrain JFK and Roosevelt Island Tramway was underway by mid-2023.[74][75] On August 24, 2023, the Roosevelt Island Tramway started to accept OMNY.[76][77] In early October 2023, governor Kathy Hochul announced that the AirTrain JFK would start accepting OMNY on October 10, although some turnstiles would continue to accept MetroCards only.[78][79]
Physical cards
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In October 2021, the MTA started selling a physical OMNY card at certain retail locations throughout New York City, such as CVS, 7/11 and Duane Reade drugstores, as well as bodegas, CFSC Check Cashing, and dollar stores that sold MetroCards. The cost of the card was (and is) $5.00 plus a minimum of $1 to be loaded on the card at time of purchase. The MTA planned to expand the rollout to vending machines inside stations in September 2022. OMNY cards featuring commemorative designs, as well as special fare-classes such as students, senior citizens, and MTA employees, were not available at the time of the standalone OMNY Card rollout.[80] Even at the end of 2021, reduced pay-per-ride OMNY fares were not available at all.[81] The physical card was seldom used in the months after its rollout; by February 2022, less than 1 percent of all OMNY fares were being paid using a card, and 4,367 cards had been sold at stores.[82] On October 30, 2023, OMNY machines were activated at six subway stations.[83][84] As of June 2024, OMNY machines have been added at more than 50 stations.[85]
The MTA announced in May 2024 that students and reduced-fare MetroCard users would begin receiving OMNY cards later that year.[86][70] The first students were issued OMNY cards on September 5, 2024.[87][88] The cards were initially not issued to students who lived within 0.5 miles (0.80 km) of their schools.[89][90]
Timeline
This list shows when direct entry by OMNY reader became possible on each bus line, train/subway segment, or tramway line.
A physical card is offered for people without access to mobile devices or contactless bank cards to load value onto and access the system. The card is thicker than the MetroCard it replaced, and is valid for seven years from purchase.[82] It can be purchased or reloaded from retailers such as CVS, Walgreens, 7/11 and Duane Reade stores, as well as bodegas, CFSC Check Cashing, and dollar stores that previously sold MetroCards. OMNY can also be purchased directly from subway station ticket vending machines in the future.[102] It contains two barcodes on the front and back; one barcode is used to record the card being purchased, and the other is used to encode fare information. On the standard card, half of the front side contains a barcode, which is oriented to resemble railroad tracks, while the other half of the front side contains a white-on-black OMNY logo. The back of the card contains the card number, card security code, expiration date, and the other barcode. Variants of the card are also planned for student, senior, and MTA employee fares as well as limited edition versions.[80]
Fare media
MetroCard is accepted on MTA Regional buses, the New York City Subway, Metro North's Hudson Rail Link, the Staten Island Railway, PATH, Roosevelt Island Tramway, AirTrain JFK, Nassau Inter-County Express, and Bee-Line Bus. Local MTA bus routes and NICE and Bee-Line buses also accept coins (though pennies and half-dollars are not accepted on Select Bus Service routes[103]), while MTA buses, Hudson Rail Link, the Roosevelt Island Tram, Airtrain JFK, the subway, and the Staten Island Railway also accept OMNY.[104] MetroCard, TAPP, and SmartLink are accepted on PATH; however, SmartLink and TAPP cannot be used on any other transit system in New York City. The subway, Roosevelt Island Tram, the Staten Island Railway, and express buses only accept MetroCard and OMNY as payment.
As of December 31, 2020[update], all subway stations, the Staten Island Railway,[h] and all MTA-operated buses are equipped with OMNY readers. As of August 2023[update], the only unlimited option available on OMNY is the 7 day fare cap; MetroCard remains the only option for other unlimited products.[107]
NYC Ferry and NJ Transit fares are paid using physical or digital tickets (in addition to cash on NJ Transit), which are not compatible with the MetroCard, OMNY,[113] or any of the city's other modes of transport.[114][115][116]
Base fares
All fares are in US dollars. Children under 44" tall ride for free with fare-paying rider; limit is 3[104] except for NYC Ferry[117] and Express Buses.
| Service | Fare type | Fare | Special fares |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTA Bus / NYC Bus (Local, Limited-Stop, Select Bus Service),[104][note 1] NICE Bus,[note 2][111] NYC Subway,[104] SIR,[note 3][104] Roosevelt Island Tramway[109] |
Full | $2.90 | $3.25 for a SingleRide Ticket[104] |
| Reduced[120]: 3 [121] | $1.45 | ||
| Bee-Line Bus (except BxM4C),[note 2][112] PATH[108] | Full | $2.75 | $2.75 for a PATH SingleRide Ticket[108] |
| Reduced | $1.35 | $1.25 for PATH by using Senior SmartLink Card[108][note 4] | |
| Express buses (MTA / NYC)[120]: 4 | Full | $7.00 | Children under 2 ride free when sitting on the parent's lap |
| Reduced (off-peak)[note 5] |
$3.50 | ||
| BxM4C bus[112] | Full | $7.50 | |
| Reduced (off-peak)[note 5] |
$3.75 | ||
| Student OMNY card[note 6][123] | Free | ||
| NICE Student Fare[note 7][111] | $2.25 | ||
| NYC Ferry[117] | $4.50 | ||
| AirTrain JFK[110] | $8.50 | ||
| Access-A-Ride[124] (NYC paratransit) | $2.90 | ||
| Able-Ride[125] (Nassau County paratransit) | $4 | $80 for a book of 20 tickets[126] | |
Notes:
| |||
Unlimited-ride fares
All fares are in US dollars. There is a $1 purchase fee for all new MetroCards issued within the subway system or at railroad stations (except for expiring or damaged MetroCards or MetroCards bought as part of a UniTicket).[127]
Between February 28, 2022, and August 20, 2023, Monday-to-Sunday fare capping applied on OMNY. Users of OMNY paid the base fare on buses, subways, and the Staten Island Railway until they had paid a total amount equal to the cost of the 7-Day Unlimited MetroCard option for fares within a single week (from Monday to Sunday), upon which they did not pay fares for subsequent trips. As of March 2022[update], this meant that full-fare passengers paid $2.75 for each of the first 12 trips made in a week; after they had paid for 12 trips, their fare payment medium became an unlimited-fare on the 13th tap.[128] Reduced-fare customers were also eligible for the unlimited cap by making 12 trips in a week at $1.35 per ride, for a total cost of $16.20.[129] When the base fare was raised to $2.90 on August 21, 2023, the 7-day cap was modified to apply to any consecutive seven-day period.[130][131] In addition, the fare cap was raised to $34, so riders paid $2.90 for their first 11 trips and $2.10 for their 12th trip.[131]
| Fare product | Fare type | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 7-Day Unlimited[104](and weekly fare cap[128][129]) | Full fare | $34 |
| Reduced fare MetroCard | $17.00 | |
| Reduced fare OMNY[132] | $16.20 | |
| 30-Day Unlimited[104] | Full fare | $132 |
| Reduced fare | $66 | |
| 1-Day Unlimited SmartLink[108] | $10 | |
| 7-Day Unlimited SmartLink[108] | $34.50 | |
| 30-Day Unlimited SmartLink[108] | $106 | |
| 7-Day Express Bus Plus[104] | $64 | |
| 10-Trip AirTrain JFK[110][104] | $26.50 | |
| 30-Day AirTrain JFK[110][104] | $42.50 | |
- The 7 Day Express Bus Plus MetroCard is the only Unlimited-Ride MetroCard accepted on MTA express buses.
- The 30-Day AirTrain JFK MetroCard is the only Unlimited-Ride MetroCard accepted on AirTrain JFK. This MetroCard is not valid on any other services.
- No Unlimited MetroCards are accepted on the BxM4C and PATH trains.[112][108]
- SmartLink is the only Unlimited-Ride card accepted on PATH. SmartLink is not valid on any other services.[108]
Transfers
MetroCard and OMNY
All transfers with MetroCard or OMNY are free from bus to subway, local bus to local bus, and subway to local bus (only one transfer per fare paid unless otherwise stated below). For transfers from local bus or subway to express buses (except the BxM4C), a step-up charge of $4 is charged.[120]: 2 Customers transferring to suburban buses from another system with a lower base fare must pay the difference between the fare on the first bus and the fare on the second bus. With coins, transfers are available to different local buses only, with some restrictions, and issued upon request when boarding only.[133] All transfers are good for two hours and 18 minutes.[134][133][135][112] The transfer system also includes Bee-Line and NICE services as buses, and the Roosevelt Island Tramway as subway (a Tramway-to-local-bus or Tramway-to-subway transfer is allowed).[120]: 16
SingleRide tickets are valid for one ride within two hours after purchase on local buses and the subway. One bus-to-bus transfer is allowed;[136] however, transfer between buses and subways in either direction are not allowed.[137]
On the Select Bus Service routes except S79, customers paying with coins requiring a transfer must board via the front door and request a transfer from the operator. All other customers may board via any of the three doors on Select Bus Service buses.[138]
Bee-Line customers needing to transfer to Connecticut Transit (I-Bus and route 11),[139] Transport of Rockland (Tappan ZEExpress),[140] Putnam Transit (PART 2),[141] or Housatonic Area Regional Transit (Ridgefield-Katonah Shuttle)[142] services must ask for a transfer, even if paying with MetroCard. The BxM4C does not accept or issue any transfers.[143][112]
NICE customers needing to transfer to City of Long Beach N69, Suffolk County Transit, or Huntington Area Rapid Transit[144] services must ask for a transfer, even if paying with MetroCard.
There are no free transfers to or from PATH.[108]
Designated multiple-transfer corridors
Two transfers are available at several places. The transfers must be made within two hours in order or in reverse order, unless otherwise specified.[120]
Bus
- Between Staten Island bus routes crossing the Staten Island Railway, through St. George Ferry Terminal, and then any local bus or subway service below Fulton Street in Lower Manhattan.[119][120]: 71
- Between the B11 and B6, and any connecting bus route on either line.[120]: 53
- Between the B61 and B62, and certain connecting bus routes on either line.[120]: 54–55
- Between the Bx29, the Bx12, and certain bus routes connecting with the Bx12.[120]: 56–57
- Between the M20 and M10, and certain connecting bus routes on either line.[120]: 58–59
- Between the M55 and M5, and certain connecting bus routes on either line.[120]: 60–61
- Between the M104 and M42, and certain connecting bus routes on either line.[120]: 63–64 A second transfer is also valid between the M104, the M42, and the subway at 42nd Street–Bryant Park/Fifth Avenue or Grand Central–42nd Street.[120]: 62
- Between the Q4, Q5, Q42, Q84 and Q85 at Jamaica Center; the Q17, Q30 and Q31 in downtown Jamaica; and the Q1, Q2, Q36 and Q43 at 165th Street Bus Terminal. Additionally, the second transfer in both directions can be to a Q83 bus.[120]: 65
- Between the southbound Q27, the westbound Q83, and the subway (or vice versa). A second transfer is also available between certain connecting bus routes on the Q27, the southbound Q27, and the westbound Q83 (or vice versa).[120]: 66
- Between the S59 or S78, the S79 SBS, and any connecting bus or subway route in Brooklyn.[120]: 67
- Between the n20G, the n20H or n21, and then any connecting bus route.
When a Uniticket is purchased on the Long Island Rail Road or the Metro-North Railroad, passengers traveling to a valid Uniticket station may transfer to a local bus at that station without paying an additional fare. The reverse is true for Uniticket holders boarding a bus toward a valid Uniticket station.[120]: 70
Additional transfer corridors are listed in the NYCT Tariff.[120]: Appendix II
Subway
Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard and OMNY customers cannot make subway-to-subway transfers by exiting the turnstile and entering again, with two exceptions:
- Upper East Side, Manhattan – Lexington Avenue/59th Street on the IRT Lexington Avenue and BMT Broadway Lines (4, 5, 6, <6>, N, R, and W trains) and Lexington Avenue/63rd Street on the 63rd Street lines (F, <F>, and Q trains).[145]
- Brownsville, Brooklyn – Livonia Avenue (L train) and Junius Street (3 train).[146]
Until 2011, an extra out-of-system subway-to-subway transfer was allowed in Long Island City, Queens, between 23rd Street–Ely Avenue/Long Island City–Court Square on the IND Queens Boulevard and Crosstown Lines and 45th Road–Court House Square on the IRT Flushing Line. This transfer was eliminated with the opening of an in-system transfer passageway among the three stations.[147] Additional out-of-system transfers are added on a case-by-case basis, usually whenever a regular transfer is unavailable due to construction. Past instances included two transfers in Williamsburg and Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, due to the 14th Street Tunnel shutdown from 2019 to 2020;[148] a transfer in Gravesend, Brooklyn, due to the BMT Sea Beach Line (N train)'s partial suspension from 2019 to 2020;[149] and two transfers in Inwood, Manhattan, in 2019 due to the closure of the 168th Street station (1 train).[150]
Transfer restrictions
There are restrictions on transfers, as noted below. The transfer rules and restrictions are identical for MetroCard and OMNY, where OMNY is available.[151]
Bus
For Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard and OMNY customers, there is no free transfer back onto the same route on which the fare was initially paid, or between the following buses:[152]
- No transfer in the opposite direction (but transfers are permitted to buses in the same direction):
- No transfer in either direction:
- No transfers between NICE bus routes that are not listed on the timetable of the route on which fare is paid. Essentially, one cannot transfer between bus routes that do not intersect.[153]
- Express:
- No transfers to/from BxM4C, even with a Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard.[112][143]
- No transfers between different Union Turnpike express buses (QM1, QM5, QM6, QM31, QM35, QM36) traveling in the opposite direction.
Between subway and bus
There are no subway-to-bus or bus-to-subway transfers allowed without a MetroCard or OMNY, with one exception:
- At the Rockaway Parkway Intermodal Center on the BMT Canarsie Line (L train), westbound B6, B82 Local, and B82 Select Bus Service customers arriving from East New York and Canarsie, eastbound B6 Local customers on trips terminating at Rockaway Parkway, and all B42 customers, are transported directly into the subway system's fare control without having to pass through turnstiles (as the former trolley line had a loop installed within fare control). Similarly, subway passengers can transfer to B42 and westbound B6 and B82 Local service without using a MetroCard or OMNY (westbound B82 SBS customers must still obtain proof of payment, but have a second transfer to another route).
NYC Ferry
As NYC Ferry uses a separate fare payment system from the rest of New York City's transportation system, it does not provide any free transfers to any other modes of transportation using MetroCard or OMNY. However, passengers can request one free transfer to a connecting NYC Ferry route, valid within 90 minutes of the passenger boarding the first route. Tickets are checked prior to boarding, when the boat arrives at the station.[117][114]OMNY-specific features
The technology for making a transfer on MTA buses and subways differs slightly between MetroCards and OMNY devices. To allow for operation on vehicles disconnected from the MTA communications network, MetroCards store information about the transfer on the card itself.[154] Third-party digital wallets, debit cards, credit cards generally cannot store transit-specific information on the consumer card or device. OMNY solves this problem by only charging riders once a day,[155] after vehicles have had a chance to return to base and download boarding data. Though the second entry may display to the rider that the full fare is being charged, as long as the same device was used within the two-hour window, it is discounted when calculating the amount to actually be paid.[155]
The OMNY system is also able to measure the usage of OMNY cards.[156] In October 2021, the MTA considered enabling a fare cap on OMNY cards and devices, similar to the fare caps on Oyster cards.[156][157] Under the proposal, an OMNY card or device would be charged a pay-per-ride fare on MTA buses and subways if a passenger has made fewer than a specified number of trips in a certain time period. After the passenger makes more than that quantity of trips, they would be charged the unlimited rate. For example, with a pay-per-ride fare of $2.75 and a weekly unlimited MetroCard cost of $33 (as of October 2021), a passenger would still pay $2.75 per trip if they made 12 or fewer trips in a week; under the proposal, they would pay no more than $33 within a week, even if they made 13 or more trips.[156] OMNY fare caps were implemented on February 28, 2022.[158][159]
Since June 1, 2022, riders who qualified for reduced-fare MetroCards could also use OMNY with their contactless bank cards or smart devices, paying half the standard fare. At the time, reduced-fare OMNY cards were unavailable.[160] Each qualifying rider can only use one contactless card or device for reduced-fare OMNY. If a reduced-fare rider has more than one card or device, the other cards and devices will either be charged a full fare or be restricted from tapping-in at an OMNY reader.[161]
Privacy advocacy group Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP) criticized the MTA and Cubic in an October 2019 report on the privacy of the OMNY system, arguing that it "allows the MTA, and potentially third parties, to collect an alarming amount of information about transit users."[162]: 1 STOP expressed concerns that the OMNY privacy policy was unclear, and warned that the MTA could share data with the NYPD and ICE to extend the reach of police surveillance.[163][164][165]
In February 2020, the MTA warned that some customers using Apple Pay's Express Transit feature might be accidentally double-charged if they were using a MetroCard. This occurred when riders unintentionally had their phones in proximity to the OMNY readers. At that point, the issue was relatively rare, having been reported 30 times.[166]
The MTA modified the OMNY website in August 2023 to remove a feature that showed users' trip history, following a 404 Media investigation[167] that showed it had a potential for abuse.[168] From its launch in 2019, the OMNY website included a feature that allowed customers to view all uses of a credit or debit card at OMNY readers for the last 7 days by providing the card number and expiration. 404 Media argued that this feature easily allowed abusers or identity thieves to view a victim's travel history, as credit card numbers can be obtained relatively easily. Following the discontinuation of the trip history feature, customers who create an account can still view trip history, and accounts are not verified. STOP founder Albert Fox Cahn criticized the changes to the trip history feature as a half-measure, arguing that it still left user information vulnerable.[169]
- The following subway stations participated in the 2006 trial:
- 23 stations on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line from 125th Street to Bowling Green
- Borough Hall/Court Street in Brooklyn
- 23rd Street-Ely Avenue in Queens
- The following bus routes and subway stations participated in the 2010 trial:
- the IRT Lexington Avenue Line (4, 5, 6, and <6> trains) from 138th Street–Grand Concourse or Third Avenue–138th Street stations in the Bronx to Borough Hall station in Brooklyn,
- the M14, M23, M79, M86, M101, M102, M103 New York City Transit local bus routes, and the BxM7 MTA Bus express bus route,
- most of the PATH train stations (except for Christopher Street and Ninth Street),
- #6 (Ocean Avenue – Journal Square), #80 (Newark Avenue), and #87 (King Drive) New Jersey Transit bus routes.
- A new route service was added at an unknown date: one was able to use the Newark Liberty International Airport's AirTrain monorail system to terminals A, B, and C and the long-term parking areas of the airport. However, this was only good for going to the airport, away from the Newark Liberty International Airport Station, and did not apply when leaving the airport, towards the station.
- "pay-as-you-go" RFID card scan at select turnstiles or locations; or,
- pre-funded fares via a pilot website called the "NY/NJ Transit Trial" for multiple and unlimited ride discounts. Pre-funded fares ceased to be available on the trial website on October 16, 2010, and the free trial ended on November 30, 2010.
- All stations on the 4, 5, 6, and <6> trains between Grand Central–42nd Street and Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center were in the initial OMNY pilot.
- See § Timeline for a list of additional stations.
- These are the only two Staten Island Railway stations with turnstiles.[91]
- In July 2020, all stations in the Bronx were equipped with OMNY. The only line where this had not been installed yet was the Concourse Line.[96] The entire A Division (numbered routes) was equipped with OMNY readers, except for the Eastern Parkway–Brooklyn Museum of the IRT Eastern Parkway Line, which was undergoing renovations at the time.[52]
- St. George and Tompkinsville are the only stations on the Staten Island Railway where fares are collected to enter and exit.[105][106]
- No half-dollar coins or pennies accepted on Select Bus Service buses.[103]
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