NYC’s reduced-fare public transit riders now have access to OMNY, replacing the MetroCard as their only way to receive the discount, MTA officials announced on Friday.
Reduced fare customers, including seniors ages 65 and older and New Yorkers with disabilities, represent the MTA’s largest customer base to receive OMNY access. The group represents nearly 1.5 million New Yorkers participating in the discount program.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber described the reduced-fare transition to the tap-and-go payment program as a “major milestone” for the New York state agency.
“This isn’t just an announcement. The enrollees are already getting cards in the mail,” Lieber said.
Benefits are the same as MetroCard
Reduced-fare customers who switch from MetroCards to OMNY will receive the same half-price fares that they currently get on MTA buses, subways, Staten Island Railway, the Roosevelt Island Tram and the Hudson Rail Link.
Riders will also continue to get free transfers when they tap their cards at each stop along their trip.
A video on how to use a reduced-fare OMNY card is available on the MTA’s YouTube channel.
Currently, customers interested in applying to the reduced-fare program can only do so in person at the NYC Transit Customer Service Center located at 3 Stone St. in Lower Manhattan.
However, MTA officials said they will accommodate in-person applications at other customer service centers and mobile vans throughout the five boroughs by early 2025.
“New Yorkers love OMNY. They love how it makes paying the fair so easy,” Lieber said. “They love how OMNY makes sure they get their best bag for a buck.”
The tap-and-go technology is streamlined to automatically give customers the best deal, he added.
“You don’t have to pick between $100-plus for a monthly. Or $30-plus for a weekly. Just tap-and-go and the system will give you the best deal.“ Lieber explained.
Jamie Torres-Springer, the MTA’s construction and development president, said OMNY will make commuting in NYC faster and easier for reduced- and full-fare riders.
“We have restructured our contract to ensure better, faster and cheaper delivery of this crucial service, and today we’re proud to celebrate a great win for riders everywhere,” he said.
State Sen. Jessica Ramos from Queens said her staff will help constituents enroll in the program if they do not receive an OMNY card in the mail.
“I urge all my neighbors to check your mailboxes for your new reduced-fare OMNY cards,” she said. “If you do not receive one, my office is open to help New Yorkers enroll in this cost-saving program to keep money in your pocket and transit riders moving through our city.”
Over 80% of full-fare riders use OMNY instead of MetroCards. To date, transit customers have used OMNY to tap into the transit system nearly 2 billion times, MTA officials said.
The MTA reached another milestone over the summer when 1.1 public school students transitioned from using MetroCards to OMNY to navigate the city.
The transition also gave kids access to more rides, as they are now permitted to take four free rides on mass transit per day, up from three with student MetroCards. The cards are also active 24/7 every day of the year, rather than from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on school days only.
How to switch to OMNY
The MTA will host a webinar to help customers transition from MetroCards to OMNY on Friday, Dec. 20, at 10 a.m.
Participants can register online.
