Contactless Payment System Now Available at More than 60% of All Subway Stations
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that the OMNY contactless fare payment system has been activated at all subways stations in the Bronx, following reader activations at Grand Concourse stations last week. More than 60% of all subway stations are now equipped with OMNY, with 2,820 OMNY readers systemwide.
“The installation and activation of OMNY at all subway stations in the Bronx shows that even during a pandemic, this team is committed to completing this project on time and on budget,” said Al Putre, OMNY Program Executive. “We are excited that all of our riders in the Bronx will now have the opportunity to experience OMNY, and can skip the lines at MetroCard machines.”
The MTA also announced that OMNY is now available on the entire line, as well as the Franklin Av shuttle, which were completed last month. Stations on the and lines in Astoria and parts of Manhattan were also activated in June, as were Second Av Subway stations on the line.
The MTA is now working to complete the installation of OMNY readers on the and lines to Flatbush Av/Brooklyn College and the and lines to New Lots Av, as well as beginning installation on stations along the Queens Boulevard line.
All subway stations and buses in New York City are expected to have the OMNY readers installed by the end of 2020. OMNY time-based options, comparable to the current 7-day and 30-day MetroCards, will be available in the first quarter of 2021, after the activation of OMNY across the entire NYC Transit system.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT MTA FARE PAYMENTS AND OMNY:
- A list of all subway stations and bus routes where OMNY is currently in use is at this link: https://omny.info/system-rollout
- The MetroCard was first tested in the system in 1993, debuting to the larger public in January 1994. All turnstiles were MetroCard-enabled by May 1997 and all buses began accepting it by the end of 1995. Tokens were sold until April 2003 and acceptance was discontinued that May in subway stations and that December on buses.
- OMNY readers accept contactless cards from companies such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover, as well as digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Fitbit Pay.
- Following the completion of OMNY installation at all subway turnstiles and on buses, the MTA will introduce all remaining fare options, including unlimited ride passes, reduced fares, student fares, and more.
- In 2021, the MTA will introduce an OMNY card at retail locations throughout the New York region.
- Also in 2021, the MTA will begin to install new vending machines at locations throughout the system.
- Only after OMNY is fully available everywhere MetroCard is today, expected in 2023, will the MTA say goodbye to the MetroCard.
Purchasing your fare with cash will remain an option. Additional info about OMNY is available at https://OMNY.info.