Councilmember Kamillah Hanks (D-North Shore) has introduced a resolution calling for an equal number of OMNY card vending machines in each borough. The resolution, introduced by Hanks on April 18, cites that the MTA should implement at least 30 OMNY vending machines in high-traffic areas for each borough.
In November 2023, the MTA announced the activation of the first OMNY card vending machines in some of the city’s subway stations. Riders must pay a $1 fee to purchase a new OMNY card, or they can refill a card at no fee via the vending machines.
Hanks noted that, on Staten Island, there are currently 10 MetroCard vending machines, which are being phased out, and they are centered around the Tompkinsville and Great Kills train stations, Eltingville Transit Center and St. George Ferry Terminal.
In a press release, the councilwoman compared the $1 fee when purchasing a new card at a brick-and-mortar store to a “hidden” tax, as there is no way to refill an existing card at a store.
“More and more Islanders are accessing mass transit, and while I love the new OMNY digital wallet system, not everyone can learn how to use it,” Hanks said in an official statement. “This resolution calls on the MTA to distribute enough OMNY card machines so that riders in every borough, and including underserved Staten Islanders, can obtain the cards without having to pay the $1 per-card hidden tax on deli-, pharmacy- and bodega-purchased cards like we had to on MetroCards.”
According to a spokesperson, the MTA already plans to install OMNY card vending machines at select stations along the Staten Island Railway, and existing MetroCard machines will remain alongside OMNY vending machines for the foreseeable future.
“The beauty of OMNY is that customers now have the option to pay their fare with the payment method in their pockets, whether that’s their smartphone or credit or debit card. Customers no longer need to need to rely on physical MTA equipment like a vending machine,” MTA spokesperson Lucas Bejarano said. “But for customers who would prefer to use cash, we’re continuing to install OMNY vending machines in stations across the transit system, and we’ve already established an extensive retail network where customers can buy and reload an OMNY card.”
OMNY, the MTA’s new contactless fare payment, has rolled out in phases over the past several years and is available systemwide on all buses and all subway and Staten Island Railway stations. The system allows riders to use contactless cards, smartphones or other smart devices to simply tap to pay their fare, as opposed to dipping or swiping a MetroCard.
Currently, OMNY cards are available for purchase at vending machines at some of the city’s subway stations and at select retail locations across the city, like chain drug stores, check-cashing sites and local delis. OMNY cards do not expire until seven years after their purchase date, as opposed to MetroCards, which expire in 18 months.
The MTA had planned to completely phase out the MetroCard by the end of 2023, but has since reversed that decision.
“We’re not setting a drop-dead date for pulling back on MetroCard,” MTA Chair Janno Lieber said in 2023. “We’re not gonna pull the plug on MetroCard at any date that we’ve set at this time.”
