OMNY Implementation/Metro-Card Retirement Discussion Thread

[Kamen Rider]

ADD 

Parsons Blvd (Hillside ave Branch)

Sutphin Blvd (Hillside avenue)

Briarwood 

 

Still nothing for Brooklyn Museum.

 

[Eric B]

5 hours ago, Amtrak41 said:

They really snubbed the former BMT Eastern and Southern Divisions in Brooklyn and Queens, though they did the IRT and IND to Euclid. Red haired stepchildren Crosstown, recaptured BMT Culver, Lefferts, and the Rockaway operation also left to last. 

I call the big "0" in the middle the "Cipherzone" (for numerous reasons, such as never being rebuilt to handle 75 foot cars, and thus not being able to get any new equipment for 30 years; being so isolated since they tore down the Myrtle el, and before the  was sent up 6th Ave.; poorly connected to Queens by bus, etc. and now, there being no sign of any new far system even being though of in the area), but now these other areas are in the same boat (both of them, on the very edges. The area in the middle is in many ways like an outskirt, as it originally was when Brooklyn was its own city.

[RestrictOnTheHanger]

Press release issued today states "Additional fare options, comparable to current 7 day and 30 day passes, will be available in the first quarter of 2021"

[mikecintel]

Full Press release:

http://www.mta.info/press-release/nyc-transit/omny-contactless-fare-payment-system-track-new-installations

Two-Thirds of Subway System Now Equipped With Contactless Readers

 

 

Subway and Bus Rollout Remains On Time and On Budget, Expected To Be Completed By End of Year

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority today announced significant additional progress on its rollout of OMNY, the new contactless fare payment system that will ultimately replace MetroCard in 2023. There are now 310 subway stations – roughly two-thirds of the system's 472 total – that are equipped with contactless OMNY readers which allow customers to pay their fare using contactless bank cards, smart phones, and wearables. The MTA also announced that OMNY installation has been completed 4 on 5 the and lines and that all but one station has received OMNY on the 2 and 3 lines. Every subway station remains on schedule to be equipped with OMNY by year's end.

The entire project remains on time and on budget thanks to the acceleration of work after installation was suspended for nearly six weeks due to Covid-19. Other than the Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum 2,3 station, which is currently undergoing an ADA accessibility upgrade, every single numbered line in the system is now equipped with OMNY validators.

"We've maintained laser focus on this project since the day we launched the public pilot at the end of last May," said OMNY Program Executive Al Putre. "Not even a global pandemic can stop the OMNY express rollout. I'm eager to continue at maximum speed and complete the final third of this game-changing new fare payment system by the end of the year."

OMNY users have shown enthusiastic growth both before and since the beginning of the pandemic. The portion of riders using OMNY at stations equipped with OMNY readers increased 168% since August 2019, and 50% since May 2020 as more customers experience OMNY at both ends of their journeys. Overall, the system has recorded more than 16 million taps since launch. Customers can see the stations where OMNY has been activated at the OMNY website, https://omny.info.

Additional fare options, comparable to the current 7-day and 30-day passes, will be available in the first quarter of 2021, after the activation of OMNY across the entire NYC Transit system.

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT MTA FARE PAYMENTS AND OMNY:

A list of all subway stations and bus routes where OMNY is currently in use is at this link: https://omny.info/system-rollout

The MetroCard was first tested in the system in 1993, debuting to the larger public in January 1994. All turnstiles were MetroCard-enabled by May 1997 and all buses began accepting it by the end of 1995. Tokens were sold until April 2003 and acceptance was discontinued that May in subway stations and that December on buses.

OMNY readers accept contactless cards from companies such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover, as well as digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Fitbit Pay.

Following the completion of OMNY installation at all subway turnstiles and on buses, the MTA will introduce all remaining fare options, including unlimited ride passes, reduced fares, student fares, and more.

In 2021, the MTA will introduce an OMNY card at retail locations throughout the New York region.

Also in 2021, the MTA will begin to install new vending machines at locations throughout the system.

Only after OMNY is fully available everywhere MetroCard is today, expected in 2023, will the MTA say goodbye to the MetroCard.

Purchasing your fare with cash will remain an option. Additional info about OMNY is available at https://OMNY.info

Edited August 12, 2020 by mikecintel

[Kamen Rider]

Whomever it was complaining about the lack of videos... happy now?

 

 

[mikecintel]

1 hour ago, Kamen Rider said:

Whomever it was complaining about the lack of videos... happy now?

 

 

Hi

Thanks so much for the update.  I was the person who was complaining because there is no video updates.  I believe that if a business promise something they should stick to it. 

[mikecintel]

Wow Just realized when I asked that question about the video it was 1 month ago July 13, 2020.  Oh my how time files.  Again thanks Kamen Rider.  Hopefully they will continue doing the videos until when its completed.  I do enjoy watching them.

Edited August 13, 2020 by mikecintel

[Mtatransit]

They mention that SBS in Manhattan are also OMNY enabled. I wonder if the eagle team even have devices that checks if the cards were tapped.

[Kamen Rider]

ADD:

Jamaica-Van Wyck

169th Street.

 

the E is two stops away from completion.

[JeremiahC99]

25 minutes ago, Mtatransit said:

They mention that SBS in Manhattan are also OMNY enabled. I wonder if the eagle team even have devices that checks if the cards were tapped.

That’s cool, though I wonder what the software code for these devices is?

Could these devices also be used for any subway fare inspections in the future?

Edited August 14, 2020 by JeremiahC99

[Around the Horn]

17 minutes ago, JeremiahC99 said:

Could these devices also be used for any subway fare inspections in the future?

According to the technical specifications yes

[Kamen Rider]

Don't know if I missed this from yesterday... but,

 

ADD

 

57th-6th.

9 stations short of being completed in the Borough of Manhattan.

Midtown is completely active. 

[bobtehpanda]

On 8/13/2020 at 7:59 PM, JeremiahC99 said:

That’s cool, though I wonder what the software code for these devices is?

Could these devices also be used for any subway fare inspections in the future?

Generally speaking, the subway is really too crowded for anyone to be doing even proof-of-payment checks in the fare zone.

[Mtatransit]

3 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

Generally speaking, the subway is really too crowded for anyone to be doing even proof-of-payment checks in the fare zone.

It is a way to legally evict the homeless however...

 

Fare beaters should be cited if they didn't tap in. I think this needs to happen in NYC. Subways are not that crush loaded outside of rush hours where its impossible to walk through a car. Plus they could easily do it at the station/staircase

Edited August 15, 2020 by Mtatransit

[RestrictOnTheHanger]

10 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

Generally speaking, the subway is really too crowded for anyone to be doing even proof-of-payment checks in the fare zone.

 

7 hours ago, Mtatransit said:

It is a way to legally evict the homeless however...

 

Fare beaters should be cited if they didn't tap in. I think this needs to happen in NYC. Subways are not that crush loaded outside of rush hours where its impossible to walk through a car. Plus they could easily do it at the station/staircase

There are plenty of spaces within paid zones to check whether someone has paid. All other transit systems with POP and inspections have made it work, no reason the MTA is special. 

[bobtehpanda]

1 hour ago, RestrictOnTheHanger said:

There are plenty of spaces within paid zones to check whether someone has paid. All other transit systems with POP and inspections have made it work, no reason the MTA is special. 

Most POP systems that I'm aware of are characterized by the extremely high ridership only at a few core stations during rush hour. This is true of the LIRR, but not the subway.

The busiest public transport systems (Paris, Moscow, Japanese and Chinese rails/metros) are all turnstile based.

It's also worth noting that it's not clear what the advantage of it would be for the subway; the subway doesn't have conductors so they're not saving labor, and the subway doesn't force people to pay at the front of the train so you're not saving boarding times. If anything it might raise labor costs since up until now the MTA has had no need for inspectors on the subway.

[Kamen Rider]

Some of those systems that use turnstiles or some other form of fare gate, have gaps in thier paid area integrity, so they do require enforcement.

Off the top of my head is all the connections you can make on the TfL network that are not possible on the subway. The MTA would never build a connection like the Central Line at Stratford, for example, never mind the track sharing sections.

 

it would be more like PATH at Newark.

[shiznit1987]

Let me be that guy: 

I put the over/under on a subway fare inspector being violently assaulted around 48 hrs after implementation. No MTA employee will willingly engage in this line of work, and after the first string of violent/controversial incidents we will be left with:

1) A transit workers revolt

3) virtually zero farebox recovery.

If the bus drivers are willing to let dozens get on thru the back door what makes you think an MTA employee making 20-30$ an hour is willing to get cut over a 2.75 fare? 

I don't believe POP is workable within the context of the NYC Transit System

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Around the Horn]

33 minutes ago, shiznit1987 said:

Let me be that guy: 

I put the over/under on a subway fare inspector being violently assaulted around 48 hrs after implementation. No MTA employee will willingly engage in this line of work, and after the first string of violent/controversial incidents we will be left with:

1) A transit workers revolt

3) virtually zero farebox recovery.

If the bus drivers are willing to let dozens get on thru the back door what makes you think an MTA employee making 20-30$ an hour is willing to get cut over a 2.75 fare? 

I don't believe POP is workable within the context of the NYC Transit System

Uh we literally have the eagle team for POP checks on SBS right now...

23 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

Generally speaking, the subway is really too crowded for anyone to be doing even proof-of-payment checks in the fare zone.

The only place they considered the use case for POP checks on the "subway" (stretching the definition a bit) is the Staten Island Railway. The technical specification document I read might be out of date, but in it it says they're considering free standing validators at stations (with Tompkinsville and St. George keeping turnstiles) for tapping in to the system with random POP checks by "roaming special inspectors with inspection devices".

[Mtatransit]

14 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

Most POP systems that I'm aware of are characterized by the extremely high ridership only at a few core stations during rush hour. This is true of the LIRR, but not the subway.

The busiest public transport systems (Paris, Moscow, Japanese and Chinese rails/metros) are all turnstile based.

It's also worth noting that it's not clear what the advantage of it would be for the subway; the subway doesn't have conductors so they're not saving labor, and the subway doesn't force people to pay at the front of the train so you're not saving boarding times. If anything it might raise labor costs since up until now the MTA has had no need for inspectors on the subway.

Dispatching a few eagle teams on the subways every once a while to check for proper fare inspection will significantly reduce fare beating. I was thinking of a system with turnstiles AND POP similar to Vancouver, BC

4 hours ago, shiznit1987 said:

Let me be that guy: 

I put the over/under on a subway fare inspector being violently assaulted around 48 hrs after implementation. No MTA employee will willingly engage in this line of work, and after the first string of violent/controversial incidents we will be left with:

1) A transit workers revolt

3) virtually zero farebox recovery.

If the bus drivers are willing to let dozens get on thru the back door what makes you think an MTA employee making 20-30$ an hour is willing to get cut over a 2.75 fare? 

I don't believe POP is workable within the context of the NYC Transit System

 

In that case Select Bus Service would not work either, but it has... 

Eagle teams are already inspecting tickets on SBS routes. We would just expand it to cover the subway. Inspections don't even need to be often, just enough to discourage fare beating. Turnstiles will continue to be maintained

Edited August 16, 2020 by Mtatransit

[Kamen Rider]

ADD 

Jamaica Center 

Bowery

Broad Street.

 

the J and Z got both ends online in one swoop. The E has only Union Turnpike left.

[P3F]

On 8/16/2020 at 12:47 AM, Around the Horn said:

The only place they considered the use case for POP checks on the "subway" (stretching the definition a bit) is the Staten Island Railway. The technical specification document I read might be out of date, but in it it says they're considering free standing validators at stations (with Tompkinsville and St. George keeping turnstiles) for tapping in to the system with random POP checks by "roaming special inspectors with inspection devices".

This would be significantly less expensive than installing fare control at all SIR stations.

[Amtrak41]

Newark City Subway when using PCC cars into the NJT era ran in the black with P.A.Y.E. like a bus.

With less frequent LRV's and POP, farebox recovery became 30%, and it was not from addition of the the lesser used Broad Street branch. 

It makes sense on SIR where there is no fare collection at all, except for the 2 northern most stations. But to add roving fare inspectors, hopefully with sidearms, on the subway merely to catch the minority of passengers who jump turnstiles, would never be cost-effective.  

 

[RedLine]

Delancey-Essex has bases.

[BillAv]

10 hours ago, Amtrak41 said:

catch the minority of passengers who jump turnstiles

I see a minimum of three fare evaders a day.  Even more if I'm paying attention.  At worst, I'll see one person jump the turnstile and let ten friends / family members through the gate.

 

On 8/12/2020 at 4:52 PM, mikecintel said:

Additional fare options, comparable to the current 7-day and 30-day passes, will be available in the first quarter of 2021, after the activation of OMNY across the entire NYC Transit system

Is this the thing where you get "capped" after using your credit card / phone / watch a certain amount of times in a certain period?  I really don't want to have to keep track of forty to fifty additional credit card purchases a month.