"First, New Yorkers saw the elimination of subway token, which lasted for half a century. Now, its successor the swipeable MetroCard, which lasted barely more than three decades has seen its demise. At midnight on 1 January, the flexible credit card-sized pass used by millions of New Yorkers to get through subway turnstiles is being terminated from sale just as a new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, takes office."
"The unlimited ride, 30-day option made travelers feel like kings or queens of the city, swiping around at will, seemingly free to travel the length and breadth of the metro system, surfacing on a whim. There were drawbacks the MetroCard's notoriously sensitive magnetic strip could fail to read, abruptly halting the progress of the rider into the turnstile gate, forcing them to reverse to try again."
The MetroCard is being retired on January 1 and replaced by OMNY, a contactless payment system allowing taps with credit cards, phones, or smart devices. The MetroCard provided unlimited 30-day options that gave riders flexible, seemingly unrestricted travel across the network. The card also had technical drawbacks: a sensitive magnetic strip often failed to read, causing delays and repeated swipes or vending machine trips. The MetroCard launched in 1994 with public campaigns teaching proper swiping after tokens were phased out. The card was considered revolutionary at its introduction and served as a vehicle for promotions and commemorative editions.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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