After nearly three decades in service, the MetroCard has reached its final stop. MetroCard sales officially ended on Dec. 31, 2025, fully replaced by OMNY. All native New Yorkers know that the MetroCard was a defining part of the subway experience, whether that be dropping it on the decrepit, stained station floor, or swiping it through the wrong side and slamming into the turnstile. Here at Fieldston, many kids have received student MetroCards since elementary school. So, why the change? What does the OMNY card have that the MetroCard doesn\u2019t?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
OMNY (One Metro New York) is a contactless fare payment system.<\/a> In contrast to the MetroCard, we can now tap our devices or cards onto the screen, and no longer have to swipe to pay (thus no longer having to feel the pain and frustration when your MetroCard bends and won\u2019t correctly swipe through). While the price of $2.90 per ride hasn\u2019t changed, OMNY eliminates the need to buy or refill a card, as you can pay directly from smartphones, smartwatches or contactless credit\/debit cards. Riders are also given the option to have a physical OMNY card. As someone who has purchased the OMNY card, I can confirm that they are much more durable, stiffer and won\u2019t bend and flop around. They\u2019re similar to gift cards or credit cards, still thin enough to keep in a wallet. While bidding farewell to the beloved MetroCard has been nostalgic and sad, the OMNY card is, in general, a much more efficient option. The new system also allows for your, \u201c13th ride of the week (and each subsequent one) [to be] free of charge<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another defining feature of the NYC subway systems are the turnstiles. Thousands of people hop over or duck under these turnstiles to avoid paying. At this point, most people don\u2019t do more than simply turn their heads, because what else can be done? It\u2019s difficult to force people to pay. Many train riders evade the fare by jumping over the turnstiles. To do this, they put their hands on the tops of the platforms, vaulting their bodies over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To combat this problem of people avoiding paying the fare, the MTA has installed spikes and sleeves. The spikes \u2013 referred to as fins \u2013 were first installed at 59th Street-Lexington Avenue Subway Station in Manhattan<\/a>. They prevent people from using the sides of the turnstile to lift themselves up and over. Along with fins, sleeves are crescent-shaped, with metal shields on the rotating arms of the turnstile. This prevents what is called \u201cback-cocking\u201d where you maneuver the arms of the turnstile to create a gap, allowing people to slip through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The MTA is exploring these fare gates at 20 different stations across NYC, such as 14 St-Union Square, Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av and the 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal. Despite the fin installation, people are reportedly still trying to jump over without paying. The new fare gates are very long and said to be difficult to hold or force open, according to Jamie Torres-Spring, President of MTA Construction and Development<\/a>, so people shouldn\u2019t be able to get through without paying the fare from now on. Through fins, sleeves and new fare gates, the MTA is determined to prevent fare evasion, as this problem costs between $700 to $800 million yearly. In the next 5 years, \u201cthe goal is to expand to 150 stations<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n