End of the line for the NYC subway MetroCard

[marmar]

End of the line for the NYC subway MetroCard
The MTA is phasing out the iconic yellow plastic card that carried millions through decades of daily commutes.

By CK Smith
Weekend Editor
Published December 28, 2025 12:45PM (EST)




(Salon) The MetroCard, a scuffed yellow rectangle that lived in wallets, coat pockets and the bottoms of tote bags for more than three decades, is officially reaching the end of the line.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority has confirmed that the MetroCard is being phased out at the end of this year in favor of OMNY, the tap-to-pay system that now dominates turnstiles across the city. Once fully retired, the card that helped define modern New York commuting will become a relic — less a transit tool than a piece of civic nostalgia.

Introduced in 1994, the MetroCard replaced subway tokens and quickly became part of daily life for millions of riders. It bent. It cracked. It demagnetized at the worst possible moment. It got eaten by machines and resurrected by station agents with near-mythical patience. For visitors, it was confusing. For New Yorkers, it was a relationship built on routine frustration and deep familiarity.

....(snip)....

OMNY promises speed, convenience and fewer lines at vending machines and is the system that most travelers already utilize. Riders now tap phones, credit cards or transit passes without worrying about balances disappearing or cards mysteriously refusing to swipe. Transit officials say the change will streamline operations and reduce maintenance costs tied to aging fare machines. .....................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/12/28/end-of-the-line-for-the-nyc-subway-metrocard/

[PJMcK]

1. I broke down and got an OMNY card

Of course, luddite that I am, I used subway tokens to their end, too.