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It was bound to happen: with the rollout of the tap-and-go OMNY system well underway, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will officially stop selling and refilling MetroCards by the end of the year, MTA chair and CEO Janno Lieber told Crain’s New York Business earlier today. The agency had previously announced plans to phase out the iconic cards entirely by 2027.
“After 32 years, it’s time to say goodbye to the MetroCard and go all in on the fare payment system of the future,” Lieber said in an official statement.
The news shouldn’t come as a shock. As iconic as MetroCards have been for decades, the sleek, tap-and-go system—introduced across subway stations in 2019—is a far more efficient and modern way to pay. Passengers can purchase and reload an OMNY tap card or simply use their phone to tap and ride, making the commuting process a bit smoother.
After all, even the beloved subway token, which MetroCards replaced in 1994, was officially retired by 2003. Cheers to the emblematic NYC products that have moved us through the city, only to eventually fade into the unknown.
Lieber specifically explained that, once the MetroCards will stop being sold, commuters will be able to make use of their existing funds for a minimum of six months.
According to Gothamist, the MTA will start installing vending machines that will let passengers buy and reload their (plastic!) OMNY cards at every subway station by this upcoming fall.
If all goes according to plan, explained Leiber, the earliest time the MTA would employ a full-on OMNY operation would be late June 2026—but no official date has yet been announced.
As they say: it is, truly, the end of an era.