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New Yorkers are pros at adapting—pizza on the go, walking faster than most people jog—but the city’s transition to OMNY, the MTA’s tap-and-go fare system, has been anything but smooth. A new study reveals that a whopping 74-percent of riders are experiencing issues with the system, which is set to fully replace the MetroCard by year’s end.
The survey, conducted by the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee (PCAC), polled nearly 400 subway, bus and commuter rail riders. Among the most common complaints? More than 40-percent said the OMNY readers didn’t register their tap, 34-percent cited delayed charges and 31-percent believed they were flat-out overcharged.
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And if you thought it was just your phone acting up, you're not alone—glitches peaked in early June following a system update. TikTok and Reddit lit up with frustrated riders comparing horror stories and accusing OMNY of taking them for an unexpected ride.
“There definitely was a concentration of issues right around beginning of June,” said Brian Fritsch of the PCAC. “We just think that there’s work left to do to get it totally ready for the time when the MetroCard is no longer in service at all.”
The MTA, for its part, is pushing back. “Every day more than 4 million riders choose to tap to pay for travel in every borough, bus stop and subway station,” Jessie Lazarus, MTA’s deputy chief of commercial ventures, told the New York Times. She dismissed the PCAC study to CBS News as a “tiny online push poll” and pointed to internal surveys showing 84-percent of subway riders are satisfied with OMNY.
Still, some riders say they’re not feeling the love. Bronx commuter Mario Arias told CBS, “Yesterday, I put $20. Today, no work.” Brooklyn resident Keenan Lambert added, “After three days, it’s not working anymore.”
Beyond failed taps and billing confusion, the real sticking point may be the quality of customer service. Nearly 70-percent of those who filed complaints said their issues weren’t resolved. One rider reported waiting on hold for an hour, only to have the call dropped.
Despite the growing pains, MetroCard sales will officially end this December, with OMNY taking over full fare duties in 2026. And while the MTA promises fixes are on the way—including visual balance checks and restored trip histories—riders still holding onto their swipe cards might not be so eager to let go just yet.
After all, when it comes to change in NYC, you can tap, but you can’t rush.