mikecintel

5 minutes ago, ABOGbrooklyn said:

And there's still no reduced fare OMNY card for all users yet..

I called them and they said it "should be" before the holidays and it should be in the "Summer or the Fall" like July, Aug, or Sept.  Another words the rep that works in the OMNY cell doesn't even know.  Take that with a grain of salt.  Hopefully this month MTA meeting will say when the Reduce Fare OMNY cards will come out and for the student OMNY cards when it will be available.  The student OMNY should be available in the beginning of the school year for the Fall of 2024.

I just went to the MTA website and they are talking about Fair Fares OMNY Pilot Program.  Her the link:

https://new.mta.info/press-release/mta-new-york-city-department-of-social-services-announce-launch-of-fair-fares-omny

MTA, New York City Department of Social Services Announce Launch of Fair Fares OMNY Pilot Program

For First Time Ever, Riders Enrolled in NYC Fair Fares Program Can Use Contactless Payments with OMNY Card on Subway and Buses

90-Day Pilot Launch Following Largest Single Day of Action for Fair Fares Enrollment

MTA Has Activated 39 OMNY Card Vending Machines at 25 Stations

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) today announced the official launch of the Fair Fares pilot on OMNY, the Authority’s contactless fare payment system. Fair Fares customers registered for the pilot can now use OMNY cards to pay via tap-and-go on New York City subways and buses. The pilot is scheduled to run for 90 days, which will allow for the agency to collect feedback from participants, evaluate the pilot, and finalize a plan for the full transition to OMNY across all Fair Fares customers at a later date. There are currently 50 Fair Fares members enrolled and already tapping into the subway system and on buses with OMNY cards as part of the pilot program.

Following the Adams Administration’s implementation of the first-ever expansion of Fair Fares eligibility, extensive community outreach, and numerous enrollment events held in partnership with the MTA, elected officials, agency partners, and community-based organizations, more New Yorkers than ever – over 330,000 – are currently enrolled in Fair Fares. This pilot comes after the MTA, New York City, Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement held the most expansive single day of action in all five boroughs of New York City to promote and enroll riders into the City’s half-priced Fair Fares program. 

Additionally on April 29, the Authority announced the completion of its OMNY Card Vending Machine rollout pilot program. To date, MTA crews have activated 39 machines at 25 stations with more activations scheduled – providing additional ways pilot participants can reload their cards.

“Targeted affordability is key to not only growing ridership, but ensuring the most loyal transit riders, no pun intended, pay the fair fare,” said NYC Transit President Richard Davey. “Fair Fares reps have been great partners, joining our TransitTalks to help spread the word about this vital program. Fair Fares has serious potential to be a game-changer, and with OMNY now in the mix the potential to substantially grow the program is highest it has ever been.”

“Transit needs to work financially for all New Yorkers,” said MTA Chief Customer Officer and Senior Advisor Shanifah Rieara. “Last month we held the most expansive Day of Action for Fair Fares, because there are so many that rely on transit who do not realize they qualify for the discounted fare. This pilot is a major step in the right direction, and along with our City partners, will continue outreach to riders in every borough so they know benefits available to them including fare capping which would give them an even better deal.”

“New York City’s public transit system is one of our city’s greatest resources, and it is critical that every New Yorker is able to afford to utilize it without sacrificing elsewhere,” said DSS Commissioner Molly Wasow Park. “As a result of our robust outreach efforts and program eligibility expansion, more low-income New Yorkers than ever are receiving half-priced fares through Fair Fares, and as we enroll even more eligible individuals, it is imperative that there is no disruption in service as we transition to OMNY. This pilot will ensure we have the necessary information and feedback to make the full transition smooth and painless for all Fair Fares enrollees.”

Pilot participants attended an in-person orientation where they were able to ask questions about the pilot, including how to reload the OMNY card, which, just like a MetroCard, must have money added to it before it can be used. The Fair Fares discount is added to the OMNY Cards when they are assigned to a participant and all participants will be able to continue using their OMNY card with the Fair Fares discount even after the pilot concludes.

As outlined in the Blue-Ribbon Report on MTA Fare and Toll Evasion, the Authority is aggressively expanding awareness around the Fair Fares program among the riding public to actively increase enrollment. City representatives and MTA staff informed and directed riders to the right resources and information, while offering the opportunity to sign up on site.

Reduced-Fare customers and select Fair Fares customers in the pilot program can now pay their fare with OMNY. In addition to being able to pay for the fare on subways and buses customers taking the Roosevelt Island Tramway and AirTrain JFK can use OMNY to pay full fare.

29 minutes ago, Chris89292 said:

Apparently the MTA has activated 39 omny card machines at 25 stations, does this mean the end of the metro card is slowly approaching???

Good question.  I "think" so but we have to wait for the MTA to say something about that.  The meeting was suppose to talk about OMNY last month but it got push back to this month at the end of May.  I guess we will find out soon.

Update on Main Street Flushing OMNY machines:

Yesterday while coming back from work the OMNY machines at Flushing says "Out of service".  I guess it is not yet to roll out.

3 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

 

As @Kamen Rider and other MTA employees have posted, there's seemingly no sign of the Employee Pass being switched over to OMNY, and until that happens, the metrocard tech has to stay around or the whole employee system will fall apart. But they don't advertise that to the public. 

I see.  They want us (as customers) to switch first.  If they announce that Employee are not switching until the OMNY is all over the system then i guess a lot of customers will not switch until all OMNY system are in placed like LIRR and the MNR etc.

4 hours ago, 7-express said:

I saw EasyPay was also not an option for all new senior MetroCard applicants now that the EasyPay program is sunsetting.  They'll just get a reduced fare MetroCard and have to refill at a machine.  The MTA really is in a weird grey zone keeping the MetroCard limping around but not ramping up OMNY offerings.

I agree with you and most of the time the Metro card machines are not working or it says "Bill not accepted" or only "single rides only" and the mini metro card machines are taken  away.  People will have a hard time finding a working metro card machines now.

9 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

My grandfather just got a new senior Metrocard a week ago in the mail, and the letter is very vague about when an OMNY card will be mailed. They are pushing hard to have people link a card/phone/watch to their senior account. As if my grandfather and his elderly pals want to do that LOL

 

They also dont tell you which booths are still doing transactions to transfer over the old card onto the new one. I had to look it up for him online

I see about your grandfather.  Oh wow they are still giving out Metro cards to seniors still....unreal.  But they tell people to switch to OMNY cards.  Not all people have smart phones and smart watches like elders.  They probably have basic phones like flip phones.  Guess we will wait.  Now we have to wait for another month for the meeting about OMNY ugh.  I wish this can be done with about OMNY and be switched already.

Sigh.....I just went to the MTA website to look at next week board meting and they will NOT talk about OMNY...ugh. I was looking forward to the meeting...oh well...  This is what they have in the CPC book. I'll will wait till next month.

II. Specific Agenda Items
May 2024
President’s Update
OMNY

June 2024
President’s Update
Rolling Stock
Diversity
Quarterly Traffic Light Report

July 2024
President’s Update
Integrated Projects

September 2024
President’s Update
Agency Initiatives
Quarterly Traffic Light Report

October 2024
President’s Update
Stations

November 2024
President’s Update
Railroads

December 2024
President’s Update
Bridges & Tunnels
Quarterly Traffic Light Report

Year of 2025 meetings

January 2025
President’s Update
Infrastructure

February 2025
President’s Update
Agency Initiatives

March 2025
President’s Update
Signals
Quarterly Traffic Light Report

April 2025
President’s Update
System

1 hour ago, AJ023 said:

Flushing Main Street was put on the MTA website as being active on 4/25/2024.  That station has the most Metrocard usage and the media covered the issues with the Metrocard machines.  MTA finally got it done.  There are a ton of machines for OMNY that still haven’t been activated which are in the stations and those will get done.  They need to add the rest of the fare options and come out with a Digital OMNY Card as well.  

I see.  Yes that station has the most Metro card usage and that way a lot of people can "convert" to the OMNY system.  The website https://new.mta.info/article/introducing-omny-vending-machines is a good resource because it tells you what station has OMNY and is active.  For the Flushing Main Street there are still Metro Card machines and they are located at the Dunkin Donuts entrance and Asian Bakery entrance that still has Metro Card machines. I guess they will be installing OMNY machines soon at those entrances soon.  I wonder when the reduce fare physical OMNY cards will be sent to senior that are on that program.

Update there are a total of 4 OMNY machines at Main Street Flushing on my way home from work I saw 4 OMNY machines but I think contractors are working on the them.  That's pretty quick how they set that up.

11 minutes ago, RestrictOnTheHanger said:

There was also one put in at Wall St (2)(3) a while back. Not sure if it's turned on yet.

I see.  The Main Street one is turned on today I saw it when heading or work today 4-24-24.  Yesterday 4-23-24 when I got to Main street and head home I saw the MTA contractors was working on the machine probably to turn it on and see if everything is working.  Looks like the OMNY machines are finally rolling.  BTW it is scheduled to be completed in 2025.  I went to OMNY.info and it says

"OMNY rollout completion

2025

The rollout of OMNY will occur in phases until OMNY is available everywhere for everyone."

Here are the "active" OMNY vending machines that are available: https://new.mta.info/article/introducing-omny-vending-machines

I just saw an 1 OMNY machine was just installed in the Flushing Main Street today April 23, 2024.  Can't wait till next Monday for the MTA meeting and it will talk about OMNY and where they are at.

5 hours ago, RestrictOnTheHanger said:

Not gonna lie I kinda like the black and white... The design is minimalist in a good way

I see. I think it is dull and plain.  I like it colorful.  I feel it's so better and it is lively and yes I know it is only a card.

36 minutes ago, IAlam said:

Yeah, I'll probably hold on to it and give it to someone else.

Yes just like the Metro Card it will become history but it will take a while to be history.  They should make color OMNY cards instead of plain B&W just like Metro Cards.

1 hour ago, IAlam said:

Yay *checks wallet* now I’ll have 3 cards one for $5, another for $1, and the last for free. None of which I even use because I just tap on with my watch.

That's great you have 3 cards.  I have 3 cards but I bought them for $1.  The other 2 cards I had I lost them so.  Total is $10 I paid for it. Ugh!.  Keep it for spare and besides when the MTA has a 2nd generation of OMNY cards which I think they in the future but a very long time that will happen.  You can keep those 3 cards as a memorabilia when the 2nd generation starts whenever we it will be produced.  You can also "sell them" if you have not use it and it is not registered.

2 hours ago, FLX9304 said:

The only way that the MTA is gonna change for the better isn’t done by the MTA themselves. History traces way back to where merges are a thing now. You saw how private bus companies were being taken over when they’re bankrupt, they sell their assets to the city themselves. The BOT took over every bus company from 1940-1950, then were succeeded by the  in 1953 until 1968 when the  took over. Only one bus company is off the MTA: Long Island Bus, now Nassau Inter County Express. In 2011, the MTA forced LIB to pay its fare share or have a draconian cuts to its routes. Nagano said “Hell No” and the agreement ended. On 1/1/2012, LIB became NICE. 
so there could be a new company if someone can get  things: 

1. start up

2. signatures 

Yes what you said is correct with now a days everything is "mergers" just like the banks Capital one want to "merge" with Discover card.  I remember those times like the Queens Surface corp and LIB.

Regarding about EasyPayXpress Customer they are lucky because they will not have to pay for an OMNY card and they will get it for FREE.  I can't wait for the April meeting regarding about OMNY.  I "think" that would be the last meeting about OMNY because in the CPC book for the future meeting dates they didn't mention anything about OMNY anymore.

26 minutes ago, Metro CSW said:

Most of us in the real world don't care how long it takes as long as they're making progress in some form. They can do it for the rest of the decade for all we know...... 

So true. Yes that is right.

45 minutes ago, Metro CSW said:

169th Street have received a vending machine near the 168th Street exit.

OK great so that means it is "slowly" rolling out.  Let's see if it is completed by the end of 2024 which I doubt.  I think 2025 is more likely to finished deploying OMNY machines.

I just exchanged my Metro Card that expires today and the new Metro Card says it will expire on Aug 31, 2025. I have one more card to exchange and that will be Dec 31, 2024.  Let's see if there will be any new expiration date then.  Will post about that then when I do exchange the other Metro Card in December.

7 minutes ago, BrooklynBus said:

Any question or suggestion made to the MTA gets an immediate automatic reply with a number thanking you, and you never hear from them again. The status is marked open or closed, but they never give you a reason. To me that is zero customer service. I remember years ago personally writing to Byford, and Howard Roberts and Joseph Smith when they were in charge of Buses and always received a reply usually quickly. Now if you write to any individual, they just ignore you. 

100% agreed with you.  It is Zero customer service.  Basically the suggestion or question made to the MTA it is like talking to robot.  Yup they simply "don't care" and they only care about jacking the price do false advertising until when something major happen and the NTSB or some other agency investigate the MTA and then they get their act together.  Yes we need another Byford is what we need and that is truly customer service. I miss Byford.  The MTA is going down hill.  I wonder when another company will "acquire" the MTA.Hmmmm.

16 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

Forget about it.... You & those that have your mindset are few & far between..... For as large an agency it is, the MTA, in this aspect, still represents a microcosm of the quality of customer service in this country, as a whole.... Some will tell you that quality customer service is completely dead... I won't go that far, but being perfectly honest, as the poor get poorer, the "quality" of the customer that's expecting exceptional customer service definitely does not help matters.....

I have said in the past on here (and still believe it to this day) that there is an adversarial relationship between the MTA & the riding public...

Yes you are right very few people think like me what I said about customer service.  I work Info Tech in the help desk and that is what they train us so that is why i am saying that.  Yes that I agree with you the poor gets poorer.  Well what you said is true expecting exceptional customer in this day and age it is gone. I agree that there is arguments between the MTA and the riding public. I understand what you mean about this day but Richard Davy should not say we are improving customer service when there is no customer service. Too me that is like "false advertising".

15 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

Not that it takes away from the point, but #4 has to be referencing #5...

 

Quite frankly, the educational level of the 2 poor souls they threw to the wolves is rather irrelevant to me (all things considered)... This debacle represents a new low the MTA has hit... Anyone would have to be a fool at this point to believe the MTA is still in it to provide optimal public transit for the NYC region... But of course, the kool-aid drinkers will still slurp-slurp & go AHhhHHhhh at this f***in' bullshit....

Yes #4 is referencing to #5.  I have no faith in the MTA anymore after this.  This pretty sad.  I agree with you about what you are saying about koo-aid drinkers. When I call CS for MTA all they say is I don't know and that is it and they hang you up.  I am so sick of that nonsense.  I work in Info Tech and I can't do that to my customers at all.  If I don't know I ask my supervisor or my colleagues for help and then when I find out the answer and I call the customers back.  Then they (customers) write an email to supervisor saying I am doing a great job and that I finding the answering calling them back.  MTA should do that too but I don't see that happening at all.  Zero chance at all.

On 3/28/2024 at 7:43 PM, BrooklynBus said:

 

Proof that the MTA isn't interested in public participation regarding the bus redesigns. They just want it to appear they are.

1} Rockaway residents have consistently opposed the Q35 rerouting on five separate occasions, including two before the Queens bus redesign, and have been ignored. The proposed change offers no benefits for Rockaway and is detrimental.

https://www.rockawaytimes.com/keep-the-q35-as-is/  

2) Councilperson Paladino held a zoom meeting with the MTA on the Queens Resign on March 25 which the MTA would not publicize on its website.

3. They placed posters outside to be exposed to the elements.

https://www.rockawaytimes.com/kill-the-q35-another-mta-stealth-attack/

From Facebook:

4. "So word has it the MTA is telling people to go to pop-up events and doing their best to hide/not host to get what they want on the plan instead of actual input. There was an instance where there was supposed to be hosting at Flushing but not only was there no tables, it is ONLY 2 college kids in regular clothing doing the Queens bus redesign. If you wish to attend these events, be aware they may do their best to hide in the general public so nobody can spot them and say they did outreach.

Share this to everyone who wants to put feedback onto the redesign and let the MTA know we will not stand for this foolishness and outright avoiding the general public!!!"

From NY Transit Forums:

5. "mikecintel said:

Did anyone go to the Main Street Flushing Queens bus redesign feedback event? After work I get off at my station Flushing Main street. I am frustrated because I didn't find any tables at all nor people inside the 7 line between Dune Reade exit stairs. So I said maybe it is near Macy entrance. Then I went to the Macy entrance and went downstairs and I did not find any tables. I ask the token both rep and she replied the famous MTA line " I don't know". She said there are poster on the wall and I said yes but I don't see any tables. Then the rep didn't understand what I was saying. She then told me to call 5-1-1. Is she serious?? Call 511 to ask where the event is held and where it is located??? GIVE ME BREAK! I so angry and frustrated. Then I went back up and decided to cross the street and I saw 2 people has signs and under their arms. After I got downstairs I ask the 2 college kids do you know where the Queens bus redesign table is? To my surprise they said to me "There are no tables and it is ONLY us 2 people doing the Queens bus redesign". WHAT?? Is that MTA serious that they ONLY have 2 people an they are college kids and there are no adults or a table that says Queens Bus Redesign feed back? Anyway I gave me feedback on the Q61 and the Q15 route where I mostly take that route. I ask the 2 college kids and they didn't even wear a shirt saying MTA. OMG this is a joke. They just have a clipboard and a plain pin saying "Ask me a question?" They didn't even wear a MTA vest. The MTA expect a Queens Bus Redesign Feedback?? How the heck will people know when there are no tables inside the subway station and no poster inside the station? The 2 college kids said "Yes we been going up and downstairs" since 4PM to get feedback. How can the MTA run their "business" like this and all they want is to raise the price of the subway and bus fare. What Feedback is this? It is nonsense where people don't know where it is and there are no tables to be found. No wonder I didn't see people giving feedback because there is no table to be seen. Anyway my feedback is the Q61 I can't have 30 minutes wait in the wee early morning and it has to be 10 minutes. Peak AM is 10 minutes. Mid-day is 15 minutes. Peak PM is 10 minutes and Evening 10 minutes and late evening is 20 minutes. For the Q15 I wanted the same as the Q61 bus. For Saturday and Service it is even 10 minutes. I expected MTA to be unorganized but I didn't expect this would happen for a Queens Bus Redesign feed back UGH! I asked if Richard Davy was there (President of MTA) and those college kids said "No he is not scheduled to be here". I said I have to speak to him about the feedback and other things like customer service. Sorry about the rant but I am just telling my experience after I went to what the MTA calls "Queens Bus Redesign Feedback". I hope if any of you do go to the Queens Bus Redesign Feedback you don't experience anything what I experience today."

6. When the MTA went to the Sheepshead Bay Station last year to "publicize" the Brooklyn bus network redesign, the two employes with buttons hid near the employee bathrooms away from all the foot traffic until I insisted that they relocate to in front of the subway station where they would be more noticeable.

We need to have meaningful public participation. Elected Officials, ARE YOU LISTENING?

I am surprised that someone copy and paste my quote putting FB but at least that shows people are stopping by this forum to look so that is good.

4 hours ago, mikecintel said:

Thank you for your reply I appreciate it.  I joined on the FB group but I don't if you are in that group.  They didn't mention in FB that it was in Flushing queens the even but I know this because i went to the MTA website and that's how I know.  I just went to FB group and someone post my comment. Thank you so much for whoever posted my comment.  I will definitely write to the MTA.  Well I wrote to the MTA and then there is an error and it says" Unable to submit feedback. Please contact MTA customer service for assistance." Are they serious?  I think I am done speak to the MTA.  They useless CRAP!  Again sorry for frustration and apologies again.

Never mind it is back.