Students to get OMNY cards in 2024-2025 with expanded usage

Mayor Adams and MTA CEO Lieber announce transportation and affordability-related plans | Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

NEW YORK — In the school year 2024-2025, eligible students will receive student OMNY cards to use public transportation to and from school and after-school activities. The new Student OMNY cards will be valid 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and offer up to four free daily rides.

According to city officials and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), these changes will significantly expand student travel flexibility. Previously, students were limited to three free rides each day from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Cards could only be used on days when the student’s school was open for class.

Mayor Eric Adams said, “OMNY cards are gamechangers for families across New York City, particularly for working-class families that need just a little more help to afford our city—families where older siblings pick their younger brothers and sisters up from school or where kids have after-school and summer jobs to help make ends meet.”

The mayor added that this initiative makes it “easier and more affordable to get around New York City” for young people and low-income New Yorkers from all modes of transportation.

Student OMNY cards will be valid on the MTA’s subway lines, local, limited, and Select buses, Staten Island Railway, Roosevelt Island Tram, and Hudson Rail link. They will also include free transfers from one mode to another. Students will keep the same card for the entire year through the summer. The expanded benefits provide the foundation for New York City students to learn how to utilize the public transit system and build a tapping culture.

David C. Banks, chancellor of New York City Public Schools, was grateful to have their partners at the MTA and across the city for expanding access to public transit. “… More students will have opportunities to explore our city and experience all New York City has to offer,” said Banks.

Each school across the five boroughs will distribute the cards to students at the start of the school year. The MTA and New York City Public Schools will collaborate to evaluate and promote card usage across school districts.

The mayor’s office partnered with the city council to invest an additional $20.7 million in “Fair Fares NYC” in the Fiscal Year 2025 Adopted Budget, expanding eligibility for half-price fares to people making 145 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. The Budget includes $11 million to provide free MetroCards to Summer Youth Employment Program participants and CitiBike memberships.

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