New York City Mayor Adams and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced on July 25th that students’ free MetroCard will be replaced with an OMNY card starting from the upcoming school year in the fall.
The new program allows students to take up to four free rides on the subway or bus every day, without any time restrictions. This initiative was revealed during a press conference held at Transit Tech High School in Brooklyn by Mayor Adams and Janno Lieber, the Chairman and CEO of MTA.
Previously, the MetroCard issued to students only allowed for three free rides between 5:30 am and 8:30 pm on school days, excluding evenings and weekends. Additionally, the MetroCard needed to be renewed every semester, while the OMNY card can be used throughout the entire school year. This enhancement in flexibility with the new OMNY card allows students to utilize public transportation for evening classes, weekend activities, or summer programs.
Mayor Adams mentioned that some students had to take public transportation outside of school hours for various reasons such as picking up siblings, visiting doctors, or going to the library. However, due to the limitations of the old MetroCard, they often resorted to fare evasion, resulting in negative consequences. The free OMNY card program aims to save students money and prevent them from breaking the law. It is estimated that OMNY could help students save $1,000 over the 12-week summer break and $80 per month during the school year.
MTA estimated a loss of $690 million last year due to fare evasion, though the exact proportion related to students is unclear. Fare evasion incidents peak between 3 pm and 4 pm, coinciding with school dismissal times. Some students expressed to MTA’s survey teams that the three free rides per day were insufficient for internships or extracurricular activities, leading them to evade fares by jumping turnstiles. In response, MTA and public schools will launch awareness campaigns to promote the expanded free ride services of the OMNY card to students.
Students from kindergarten to 12th grade living more than half a mile away from their school are eligible to receive a free OMNY card. This card can be used on various MTA services including subways, buses, Staten Island Railway, Roosevelt Island Tram, and Hudson Rail Link buses. The distribution of OMNY cards will begin at the start of the new school year and students could start receiving and using them as early as next month. For more information about the student OMNY card, visit the MTA website: https://new.mta.info/fares/student-omny