OMNY Implementation/MetroCard Retirement Discussion Thread Bus Division

[RapidoNewLook]

On a B11 rn and the screen claims the bus has OMNY...not quite yet!

Edited October 2, 2020 by RapidoNewLook

[QM1to6Ave]

4 hours ago, WestFarms36 said:

I've been using it so far on the Bus and Subway. Much more quicker and convenient to use, haven't looked back since I began. For the record 6069 had a malfunctioning OMNY Reader, it was stuck on GO when I attempted to tap.

I'm glad it works most of the time. 

Sure enough, after my initial post this afternoon, I saw someone use it on the M15 tonight with their contactless credit card. Looked pretty sleek and neat. I haven't seen an Eagle team in weeks, so I haven't seen this supposed card reader they have to verify OMNY payments 

[NewFlyer 230]

5988 and 5991 out of CS has OMNY bases. 

[IntExp]

From an OMNY Webinar hosted by Cubic, Bronx buses are going online later this month, followed by Queens (Nov) and then Brooklyn (Dec).

[Around the Horn]

5 minutes ago, IntExp said:

From an OMNY Webinar hosted by Cubic, Bronx buses are going online later this month, followed by Queens (Nov) and then Brooklyn (Dec).

Anything in there about subway installs?

[IntExp]

1 hour ago, Around the Horn said:

Anything in there about subway installs?

Not really, honestly. I just saw the Webinar in it's entirety however, and there are some interesting nuggets for buses:

• Bronx buses are set to go online on October 13th.
• Al Putre (MTA exec spearheading the rollout) admits that for Brooklyn buses to launch in late December, it most likely means December 31st 😂
• "Over 4,000 to 5,000 out of system outlets are set up" with agreements to sell OMNY cards via the 'Gift Card model' when it launches early next year - Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens/Duane Reade and most grocery/bodegas will sell/refill them. The goal is to have a store/location that would sell/refill an OMNY card within a 1/4 mile of every bus stop.
• In Manhattan and SI, there are 4,055 readers installed on "Regular Buses", and 840 readers on SBS buses.
• There is a plan to go completely "cashless" on buses in order to enable All Door Boarding (ADB)/POP. This is tied into the successful rollout of an out-of-system OMNY distribution/sales network (see the third bullet point), and of the in-station vending machine rollout later on in the program.
• Probably obvious, but the big holdup for ADB outside of SBS routes - fare evasion: "It's just gonna be a matter of time until when we can flip the switch...and have MetroCard and Coin retired...now if we can do it another way - there's a lot of talk of how we could rear door boarding quicker - but so far I haven't found any solutions for the fare evasion potential..." Now he does mention that they are looking at other ways to "accelerate" the rollout of ADB, but they're really holding out on POP (and by extension, going cashless) on buses before they truly go forward with ADB.

These last two bullet points/webinar nuggets are relevant to the entire system as a whole:

• MTA sees Citibike as a potential partner entity of OMNY, along with other obvious partners (ferries, PATH, NICE/Bee-Line), and they're working on "regional aspects" of OMNY right now so that they can come up with and seal agreements with other agencies to use and accept OMNY.
  • However, they're waiting until their back-end system is "fully mature" before beginning the physical rollout with those orgs, which they expect to happen in 2022. Their ultimate goal here: "to support Mobility as a Service".
• "Now, whether we continue and use those same type of (unlimited) passes in an OMNY environment or we would transcend to a fare capping environment...those are policy decisions that are yet to be determined..." - Al seems to hint that that if NYCTA switches over to fare capping with OMNY, unlimited ride passes wouldn't necessarily stay along for the ride. I might be over-interpreting that statement (or just flat out reading it wrong), but it does raise some interesting possibilities/questions...

I'll post some of the stuff in this post (mainly the last two bullet points plus some other stuff) in the OMNY Subway thread as well. If you're interested in watching the webinar yourself, you can sign up and watch it here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4487088671056335119

Edited October 2, 2020 by IntExp
Grammer

[Kamen Rider]

7477 out of LGA

bases front and back.

[LegoBrickBreaker101]

288 has a reader set up in the front, nothing in the back tho

[QM1to6Ave]

I saw the Eagle team out on 34th street for the first time in about 8 months...and sure enough, they were all holding these mini-Ipad type devices to read OMNY fares on credit cards, etc. Didn't actually see them use it, though.

Also, the CP bus I was on this afternoon (one of the 33XX buses, sorry, was too tired to catch the full number, had an OMNY reader activated

[WestFarms36]

22 Bases (FRONT DOOR ONLY)

On the other hand, one of the 3800's on the M4...

[Via Garibaldi 8]

6 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

I saw the Eagle team out on 34th street for the first time in about 8 months...and sure enough, they were all holding these mini-Ipad type devices to read OMNY fares on credit cards, etc. Didn't actually see them use it, though.

Also, the CP bus I was on this afternoon (one of the 33XX buses, sorry, was too tired to catch the full number, had an OMNY reader activated

I have NEVER saw the Eagle Team on 34th Street.... I don't use the M34 bus often, but I have never been checked when I have used it in all of the years that it has been running.

[Q39 to Ridgewood]

3628 has the omny holders in place but not the scanning device yet 

[Around the Horn]

2449 readers

OMNY comes to Ulmer Park

[QM1to6Ave]

18 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I have NEVER saw the Eagle Team on 34th Street.... I don't use the M34 bus often, but I have never been checked when I have used it in all of the years that it has been running.

34th and 3rd Westbound, I used to see them every so often around morning rush hour. Once in a while they'd switch to the eastbound side. Sure enough, they were in the exact same spot as I used to see them.

Across all the SBS lines I take regularly, I get checked so rarely, that if I wasn't usually using a free transfer, I'd probably  end up saving a few bucks by never buying a ticket and just paying the fine on the rare occasion that they catch me...which totally defeats the purpose, but that's the MTA for you. 

[Lawrence St]

14 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

34th and 3rd Westbound, I used to see them every so often around morning rush hour. Once in a while they'd switch to the eastbound side. Sure enough, they were in the exact same spot as I used to see them.

Across all the SBS lines I take regularly, I get checked so rarely, that if I wasn't usually using a free transfer, I'd probably  end up saving a few bucks by never buying a ticket and just paying the fine on the rare occasion that they catch me...which totally defeats the purpose, but that's the MTA for you. 

In all my years of riding SBS buses I have only been on a bus once that was checked by an eagle team, which was the M60 SBS at 77th St. 

And maybe its just me, but I think the MTA doesn't do a good job of promoting the "pay before you board" process on the airport routes. 

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, Lawrence St said:

In all my years of riding SBS buses I have only been on a bus once that was checked by an eagle team, which was the M60 SBS at 77th St. 

And maybe its just me, but I think the MTA doesn't do a good job of promoting the "pay before you board" process on the airport routes. 

The M60SBS does not go to 77th Street. You may want to check the M60 bus map for correct accuracy of the fore mentioned stop. Last I checked the M60SBS doesn’t go past Broadway-106th into Downtown.  

[danielhg121]

1 hour ago, Future ENY OP said:

The M60SBS does not go to 77th Street. You may want to check the M60 bus map for correct accuracy of the fore mentioned stop. Last I checked the M60SBS doesn’t go past Broadway-106th into Downtown.  

He's referring to Astoria Blvd North or South (Grand Central Pkwy service road) and 77th Street in Queens.

Edited October 7, 2020 by danielhg121

[Future ENY OP]

41 minutes ago, danielhg121 said:

He's referring to Astoria Blvd North or South (Grand Central Pkwy service road) and 77th Street in Queens.

Ahh copy that. Thanks for the heads up. 

[Lawrence St]

2 hours ago, Future ENY OP said:

The M60SBS does not go to 77th Street. You may want to check the M60 bus map for correct accuracy of the fore mentioned stop. Last I checked the M60SBS doesn’t go past Broadway-106th into Downtown.  

I'm talking about Astoria Blvd/77th St...

[NewFlyer 230]

Speaking of SBS the last time I saw eagle team was sometime last year on the M15 at 96th street when I was fanning the route.

The problem I have with them is that they don’t frequent SBS routes enough and it seems like they just make a one time appearance on a route and that’s it. 

Edited October 8, 2020 by NewFlyer 230

[RapidoNewLook]

On 10/6/2020 at 7:59 PM, Around the Horn said:

2449 readers

OMNY comes to Ulmer Park

Is this the first OMNY equipped bus in Brooklyn?

[Future ENY OP]

2 hours ago, RapidoNewLook said:

Is this the first OMNY equipped bus in Brooklyn?

Yes. 
 

As far as bases is concerned:  

GA has bus 18 with bases. 
FB has: 5499, 5500, 5501 with bases. 

[NewFlyer 230]

6021 has OMNY readers. 

[Kamen Rider]

The OMNY website now says Bronx bus routes are online.

[Mpn4179]

All buses in the Bronx Division have OMNY Readers installed, and ready to go online starting today (October 13).

Please be advised that some of WF 40 footers (mostly the C40LF) have only one OMNY Reader installed at the front and none at the rear door. IMO the reason for that is to meet the deadline for the Bronx. I’m sure they’ll install the second reader later on. Don’t be surprised if they follow suit with Brooklyn and Queens’ 40 footers. If they install two OMNY Readers, great; if they install only one, not a big deal at this time. They will install the second one when they’re good and ready. As long as they meet their deadline, then it’s fine.

* For those who don’t know what IMO means it’s “In My Opinion “. I put that in this post due to the fact that their is no factual reasons for the single OMNY Readers in some of the 40 footers in WF at this time. This is just based on observation.