OMNY tap-based fare payment system
begins to slowly replace MetroCards
BY MARK HALLUM
The launch of the “One Metro New
York” (OMNY) fare payment system
will be leaving the MetroCard in its
dust in the next two years, as the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority
rolled out more tap-and-go screens at
Penn Station on Wednesday.
Now that OMNY has been at 16
stations around the city as part of
the pilot to iron out any kinks before
making a full commitment, New
York City Transit President Andy
Byford said the agency is getting
into the “business end” of $573 million
rollout.
Byford said the OMNY system
modernizes the fare payment system
improvements, bringing them from
far behind other cities to well ahead
of the pack. Under OMNY, no one
will need a specific card to get into
the system; riders can just tap their
smartphones or credit cards to enter
through turnstiles.
“So far already, we have recorded
over $4 million taps… that exceeds
our honest expectations, people love
OMNY, they want OMNY, they’re
taking it up with relish,” Byford said.
“We’re now making OMNY accessible
to a whole new market, namely
customers of Long Island Rail Road,
customers of New Jersey Transit and
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customers of Amtrak.”
Among other banks, the MTA has
partnered with Chase in order to fund
the program’s rollout — something
that Al Putre, executive director of
the OMNY Fare Payment Program,
said is mainly because the agency is
always in need of money.
Commuters benefit from this partnership
by virtue of the MTA avoiding
the need to raise fares, Putre said.
“This contract is completely funded.
These partners are only giving
additional money and we could always
use money so we take it,” Putre
said. “We don’t want have to raise the
fare and we don’t like to get funding
from our customers. Every dollar we
can get from another funding source
allows us to put that money toward
our expenses.”
Seven day or 30-day unlimited pay
options will be available through the
program between late 2020 or February
2021 through the OMNY app’s
pay options, according to Putre.
OMNY on the bus system will
make its first appearance on the Select
Bus Service, Byford said. OMNY
panels will be installed next to both
doors for all-door boarding.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by email
at mhallum@schnepsmedia.com
or by phone at (718) 260–4564.
Al Putre, MTA’s OMNY Program Executive, said the two-year rollout of the program
is now underway. Photo by Mark Hallum
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