Students call on MTA to upgrade OMNY cards, claim they are too fragile
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Some New York City high school students are calling on the MTA to upgrade the student OMNY cards, which they say are too fragile, too unreliable and too difficult to replace.
On Wednesday, they gathered on the steps of City Hall to demand that changes be made and released a report.
"A card that promises so much lets us down when it is tattered, ripped, and falling apart," a youth council member said. "Free transportation to school is not actually free when the card stops working and never gets replaced."
A survey of nearly 700 students found 88% of students said their cards had been damaged, while more than 85% reported problems getting the cards to work when tapping.
The group is calling for more durable plastic cards and a digital version that could be stored on a phone.
"We've seen we're leaving too many students behind with flimsy cards that aren't working," Councilman Harvey Epstein said.
Students say a broken card can do more than delay a trip. It can mean missing school, internships, sports or after school activities.
"As a student, being able to flow seamlessly from borough to borough has been essential for my development as a student, and in my school, my career, life and to my social connections with family and friends," a student said.
The report also found more than half of students who needed replacements waited longer than a week, and nearly a quarter never received one.
"Transportation is vital to our education. Transportation connects us to our schools. It connects us to our classmates from all across the city. It connects us to our jobs and to our after school activities," a student said.
Among the recommendations: provide year-round access to public transit, expand student fares to options like the LIRR and express buses and establish better card replacement policies.
"Hear our voices. We need reliable OMNY cards that will not leave us stranded," a student said.
MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara issued a statement after the rally:
"We appreciate the feedback from student customers. The MTA plans to provide plastic sleeves to students to protect current cards, with a durable plastic version of the Student OMNY card coming in time for the 2027-2028 school year. In addition, we are piloting a program this year that will allow students to tap with their phones just like other riders are already doing today."
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