OMNY Users Get Free NYC Subway Rides: What You Need to Know

In an effort to bring New York City subway passengers closer to pre-pandemic levels, officials are planning to provide amenities and discounts. From March 1, the New York subway will introduce a limit on weekly one-time trips, after which the rest of the trips will be free. This promotion only applies to users Omny, a contactless fare payment system that was introduced two years ago, reports The New York Times.

Passengers using OMNY now pay the regular rate of $ 2,75 per ride. But under the proposed change, users will automatically receive a weekly unlimited travel pass once they hit the $ 33 threshold over a seven-day period. This amount is equivalent to the cost of a weekly unlimited MetroCard. The seven-day period will be calculated from Monday 00:00 to Sunday 23:59.

The plan will take effect as a four-month pilot project, with discounts ending on June 30th. Although Janno Lieber, Acting Chairman and CEO of MTA, hopes the plan will eventually become permanent.

Everything will be decided on December 15

The proposal was made public on December 13 and the MTA board will vote on it at a meeting on December 15. Lieber said he is awaiting board approval for the tariff plan.

On the subject: New OMNY fare cards: how much they cost, where they are sold and who needs them

“We want to make sure that those who stand in front of the turnstile on their first ride on Monday morning and who may not have enough $ 33 for a weekly ticket are not left out,” Lieber said. "Many people at the beginning of the week do not know if they will use the metro 10 times, 11 times or 20 times this week."

How OMNY works

MTA Statement was stabilized by billions of dollars in federal aid due to the pandemic. But its long-term financial outlook is heavily dependent on passenger returns and fares. Tolls constitute the agency's largest source of funding. Almost 40 percent of the agency's revenue comes from tariffs. In New York, they are higher than most other major public transit systems in the United States.

OMNY has made it easier to pay for public transport. Now you don't need to buy a special card. Passengers can pay for their fare directly using a credit card or smartphone. Those for whom such options are not suitable can buy a special OMNY card. OMNY readers are already available at all 472 metro stations and on all 5 buses. The fare limit with the transformation of the card into an unlimited travel pass will be applied to both types of transport.

OMNY will completely replace MetroCard by 2023

The MTA introduced the OMNY system in May 2019 on multiple metro and bus routes. Today it is available at all stations and over 25% of all public transit fares in New York City are made using the OMNY system. It will completely replace MetroCards by 2023.