MTA to expand new OMNY tap and go fare system over the next year
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The MTA said Tuesday that the new OMNY cashless payment system will be in every subway station and on every bus line in the next 12 months.
OMNY, short for One Metro New York, will then expand to Metro North and the LIRR after that.
The system has already become popular with many commuters.
"It's great," said one rider. "It's a real good sign of things changing."
"Oh yeah it's much better," another said. "It's finally becoming closer to what London and other major cities are doing."
The system allows commuters to use Apple Pay, or contactless credit cards, even their watch. They can tap and go, right to their train with no more swipes.
"I ran into a problem a few weeks ago where the magnetic stripe on my credit card stopped working and there's no way to buy a MetroCard if your stripe doesn't work," said commuter Austin Federa. "Didn't hve any cash. So this was the first time I used it then, it worked perfectly."
"Three million people have tapped OMNY and the momentum appears to be unbelievably well received," said MTA Chairman Patrick Foye.
The Transit Authority has been piloting the system for the last few months on the 4, 5 and 6 between Grand Central and City Hall.
Now it will be expanded further uptown to Harlem, along with stations on other lines in every borough.
"The fundamental premise is customer choice," said Foye. "So the MetroCard is around until it's retired and then there will be an OMNY card, customers will always be able to use cash in the subways."
The MetroCard has been used since the early 1990's, taking the place of the token.
Now, all Federa has to do is tap his Apple watch. He's sold on the system, but doesn't get the name OMNY, saying, "It's a terrible name."
No matter how mystifying the branding may be, the fact is it's the most consequential thing to come to the MTA perhaps in decades.
December is the beginning of a blitz phase of installations that will bring the new system to all 472 stations as well as all MTA bus routes by the end of next year.
----------
