NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Goodbye MetroCard, hello OMNY!
The MTA has announced its new transit payment system, one that will replace the MetroCard.
It's called OMNY, which stands for "One Metro New York."
Transit officials say it will make riders' trips faster and more convenient.
It includes a new tap-and-go card system for anyone with a smartphone.
It will also allow riders to use an app to pay for their ride on subways and buses. The app can be linked to bank accounts, and the MTA says it's backed by the latest payment security standards.
The OMNY phase-in will begin May 1 at 15 stations on the 4, 5 and 6 lines between Grand Central and Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It will also be rolled out on Staten Island bus routes at that time. MTA employees will start testing out the new system a bit earlier in March.
But don't toss your old MetroCard just yet. The MTA says they won't be fully phased out until 2023.
Although there's some skepticism about OMNY, including its name, Garth from Brooklyn remembers the same reaction when the MetroCard was roled out back in 1992.
"It was 'outrageous.' 'Why call it a MetroCard?' And it took about a year and nobody cared about tokens," Garth said.
