NEW YORK (AP) — When the MetroCard replaced the New York subway token in 1994, the swipeable plastic card brought much-needed modernity to one of the world’s the oldest and largest transit systems.
Now, more than three decades later, the gold-hued fare card and its notoriously delicate magnetic stripe are following the token into retirement.
The last day to buy or top-up a MetroCard is Dec. 31, 2025, when the transit system fully transitions to OMNY, a contactless payment system that allows riders to pay for fares by holding a credit card, phone or other smart device, much like they do other everyday purchases.
Traffic officials say more than 90% Metro and bus journeys are now paid for using the tap-and-go system introduced in 2019.
Major cities around the world, including London and Singapore, have long used similar contactless systems. In the US, San Francisco launched a pay-go system joining Chicago and others earlier this year.
MetroCards have changed the way New Yorkers commute
The humble MetroCard may have outlived its lifespan, but it was revolutionary in its day, says Jodi Shapiro, curator of the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn, which opened an exhibit earlier this month reflecting on the MetroCard’s legacy.
Before MetroCards, bus and subway riders relied on tokens, brass coins introduced in 1953 that were bought from station booths. When the subway opened in 1904, paper tickets cost just a nickel, or about $1.82 in today’s dollars.
“There was resistance to change from tokens to something else because tokens work,” Shapiro said during a recent visit to the museum, which is located underground in a decommissioned subway station. “MetroCards introduced New Yorkers to a whole other level of thinking.”
The Metropolitan Transport Authority has launched public campaigns to teach commuters how to swipe the originally blue cards correctly, hoping to avoid the dreaded error message or lost fare. Officials even briefly toyed with the idea of a quirky mascot, Cardvaarkbefore they come to their senses.
The cards quickly became collectibles as the transit system issued special commemorative editions for major events such as the “Subway Series” between baseball’s New York Mets and the New York Yankees in the 2000 World Series. It cost $1.50 at the time.
The plastic card has been graced over the years by artists ranging from David Bowie and Olivia Rodrigo to notable New York hip hop groups such as the Wu-Tang Clan, Notorious BIG and LL Cool J, as well as iconic New York shows like Seinfeld and Law & Order.
“To me, the cards that present New York to the world are the most special,” said Lev Radin, a collector from the Bronx. “Not only photos of monuments, panoramas, but also of people who live and make New York special.”
Perfecting the correct angle and speed of the MetroCard swipe has also become something of a point of pride that separates real New Yorkers from those who have just visited.
Hillary Clinton, a former US senator from New York, had a harrowing experience during her failed 2016 presidential campaign five moves at the turnstile in the Bronx. Frankly, her main Democratic opponent at the time, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a native Brooklynite, didn’t even realize the tokens had been discontinued.
Cost savings and ongoing concerns
Unlike the introduction of the MetroCard, OMNY requires little modification.
Riders reluctant to use a credit card or smart device can purchase a reloadable OMNY card, similar to a MetroCard. Existing MetroCards will continue to work through 2026, allowing riders to use remaining balances.
MTA spokespeople declined to comment, instead pointing to its many public statements as the deadline approaches.
The agency said the switch to the euro will save at least $20 million a year in MetroCard-related costs.
The new system also allows for unlimited free rides in a seven-day period, as fares are capped after 12 rides. Once the price goes up to $3 in January, it will be a maximum of $35 per week.
But new changes keep coming with trade-offs, with some critics raising concerns about data collection and tracking.
On a recent morning near Times Square, Ronald Minor was among a dwindling group of “straphangers” still downloading MetroCards.
The 70-year-old Manhattan resident said he was sad to see them go. He has an OMNY card but found the reload machines more cumbersome.
“It’s hard for the elderly,” Minor said as he caught the train to Brooklyn. “Don’t push us aside and act like we don’t count. You push these machines away, you push us away.”
John Sacchetti, another MetroCard user at the Port Authority stop, said he likes being able to see his balance when he goes through the turnstile so he knows how much he’s spent on his rides.
“It’s just like anything else, it just takes some getting used to,” he said as he headed into town. “Once I get used to it, I think it’ll be fine.
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