When will MetroCards be phased out? It might still be a while

Editor’s note: The video was originally published on July 25.

NEW YORK (PIX11) — New York City students will receive OMNY cards instead of MetroCards for the upcoming school year, Mayor Eric Adams announced last Thursday. So, how much longer until we stop seeing MetroCards altogether?

The short answer is it’s still unclear.

The MetroCard replaced tokens as the method of entry into the transit system 30 years ago, but in 2019, the city rolled out tap-enabled OMNY cards. According to a press release from the MTA four years ago, the contactless form of payment was expected to replace MetroCard swiping by 2023. As of July 25, more than half of New York City’s transit riders use OMNY to enter the system.

“[The] MetroCard will continue to be available until all comparable services are offered with OMNY,” an MTA representative told PIX11 on Thursday.

The agency is working to expand programs for paratransit customers, Fair Fares customers , and pre-tax commuter benefit customers by the end of the year. By the end of 2024, more than 1.5 million transit riders who still have Reduced-Fare MetroCards will also receive OMNY cards.

OMNY card vending machines came to the system in October 2023 to make it “easier than ever for transit customers to leave MetroCard in the past,” as then-NYC Transit President Richard Davey said.

The first sets of OMNY card vending machines can be found at:

• 86th Street and Lexington Avenue ​​​in Manhattan
• Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center ​​​​​​​​​in Brooklyn
• Bowling Green ​​in Manhattan
• Fordham Road ​in the Bronx
• Junction Boulevard ​in Queens

The OMNY cards can also be found at Walgreens, CVS, 7-Eleven, CFSC Check Cashing, and Payomatic stores, as well as many bodegas and independent pharmacies, as listed on the OMNY website. To find a participating store, click here .

The MTA isn’t new to delayed rollouts of new systems. Despite the introduction of the MetroCard in 1994, it took about three years for all turnstiles to be MetroCard-enabled, according to an MTA press release. Tokens continued to be made and used until May 2003.

Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here .

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