- Dec. 31 marks the last day for purchasing MetroCards in New York City.
- MetroCards will be replaced entirely by the OMNY contactless payment system.
- MetroCards were introduced in 1994 when they replaced the token system.
Nearly everyone who has traveled to New York City at some point or another has an old MetroCard lying around somewhere, whether it’s in their wallet, lost somewhere in their house or kept safely in a box of keepsakes.
But this collecting of the iconic yellow and blue plastic cards is now coming to an end.
Dec. 31 will be the last day that anyone can buy or refill a MetroCard in New York City as transit authorities are working to discontinue the cards and modernize the system, per CNN. The transit system will be switching entirely over to OMNY, a contactless payment system.
OMNY allows riders to tap their credit card, phone or other smart devices to pay for transit just like they do with other common purchases, per The Associated Press.
The tap-and-go system was first introduced in 2019, and currently, more than 90% of subway and bus trips are paid using that system. Now it will be the only option.
A number of major cities around the world, such as London and Singapore, have used similar contactless systems for years. There are also a number of U.S. cities using similar systems, including San Francisco and Chicago.
How long has the MetroCard been around?
When the subway opened in New York City in 1904, riders purchased paper tickets for a nickel, equal to about $1.82 today, per the AP.
Then in 1953, the transit system switched over to tokens. The brass-colored coins could be purchased from station booths, per CNN. The coins were the size of a dime and most had a hollowed-out Y between an engraved N and C spelling out NYC.
The tokens remained in place until the MetroCard was introduced in 1994. The swipe-able plastic card brought a sense of modernity to one of the world’s oldest and largest transit systems.
“There was a resistance to change from tokens to something else because tokens work,” said Jodi Shapiro, curator at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn, according to the AP. “MetroCards introduced a whole other level of thinking for New Yorkers.”
Earlier this month, the museum opened an exhibit reflecting on the legacy of the MetroCard. When the cards were introduced, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority launched public campaigns to teach commuters how to correctly swipe the cards. The goal was to avoid the dreaded error message or lost fares.
Officials even considered introducing a mascot for the cards, the Cardvaark.
Over the years, the cards became collectors’ items as the transit system released special commemorative editions to mark major events such as the “Subway Series” between baseball’s New York Mets and the New York Yankees in the 2000 World Series, per the AP.
The transition to the contactless system
Commuters who don’t want to use a credit card or smart device to pay the fares can purchase an OMNY card. The cards can be reloaded, similar to a MetroCard. Existing MetroCards will work into 2026, allowing riders to use any remaining balance they may have.
MTA said the changeover will save the agency at least $20 million annually in MetroCard related costs per the AP.
The new system also gives riders unlimited free rides within a seven-day period because the fare is capped after 12 rides. When the fare rises to $3 in January, it’ll max out at $35 a week.
Some critics of the new system have raised concerns about data collection and surveillance through the digital system.
What people online think about the end of the MetroCard
After the MTA announced the end of the MetroCard, a number of people took to social media to express their thoughts and make jokes about the system changeover.
One user wrote, “Just swiped a MetroCard for, most likely, my very last time …”
Another user shared a photo of an advertisement for the new OMNY system writing, “this is what we gave up MetroCard for.”
Mike Sisak, a reporter for the AP, shared photos of the lines in front of the new OMNY machines.
Another user reminisced about what they believe was their last time using a MetroCard.
Here’s a look at some other posts about the end of the MetroCard: