The MTA’s new contactless fare payment system is now available at New York City’s busiest commuter hub.
The system, called OMNY, lets travelers to use a contactless card or smart device to pay for fare and gain entry. The system just surpassed it’s 4 millionth tap, according to a press release. Wednesday, transit officials announced that Penn Station is the latest to go live with OMNY, which they hope will make life easier for commuters at NYC’s busiest transportation center, which sees more than160,000 people pass through each day. Ninety-six OMNY readers went live at 18 turnstiles serving the A, C, E, 1, 2, and 3 lines in Penn station.
OMNY has become popular for subway users, and the adoption rate is expected to climb. The MTA stated by the end of the month, all MTA-operated buses on Staten Island, two Staten Island Railway stations, and 85 subway stations will have OMNY readers.
“I’ve always known we had a great team working on this project, but even I’m not sure I knew just how successful the pilot would be,” said Alan Putre, OMNY Program Executive, in a press release.
Putre added, “The success of the OMNY contactless payment pilot has brought new viability to our bus and subway network, and I’m thrilled that we’re now expanding OMNY to our customers across the system.”
The MTA stated by 2023, when the OMNY project is completed; the MTA will say goodbye to the MetroCard for good. Despite the change, the MTA reports that purchasing media with cash will always be an option.
“Today is yet another momentous occasion in the continued rollout of OMNY, the MTA’s game-changing contactless fare payment system,” said NYC Transit President Andy Byford.
Byford added that “Penn Station is one of the system’s busiest subway stations and will allow hundreds of thousands of commuters the opportunity to tap and ride using a device or contactless card of their own choosing, including customers arriving on the Long Island Rail Road, New Jersey Transit, and Amtrak, who connect with the subway system here at Penn Station. Chase, Visa and other partners have done an immense amount of work to help spread the word about OMNY and we’re thankful for their support.”
