New York City public school students will soon be getting more free rides on the subway.
Starting this upcoming school year, eligible students will receive and use green OMNY cards instead of MetroCards in order to take public transportation.
The OMNY cards will be valid for 24 hours a day and are good for four free trips daily, including on weekends.
Previously, school-issued MetroCards limited students to only three rides each day between 5:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., and could only be used on days when class was in session.
The new changes are expected to expand the flexibility for students' everyday travel needs.
"These expanded student OMNY cards are a gamechanger for families across New York City, particularly for working-class families that need just a little more help to afford our city - families where older siblings pick their younger brothers and sisters up from school, or where kids have after-school and summer jobs to help make ends meet," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. "This builds on the work we've done to make our city more accessible, particularly for young people and low-income New Yorkers. From our subways, to our ferries, to our greenways, we're making it easier and more affordable to get around New York City."
Student OMNY cards will work on New York City subways, busses, the Staten Island Railway, Roosevelt Island Tram and on the Hudson Rail Link.
Cards will be distributed to students at the start of the school year at their schools, along with promotional flyers outlining the benefits of the program. Officials believe the program will help students navigate the public transit system and become used to a culture of tapping, as the MTA phases out the use of MetroCards.
MetroCards have been distributed to students citywide since 1997.
Read more about the change and student eligibility on the One Metro New York (OMNY) website .
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