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PCAC Releases Results of 2025 OMNY User Experience Survey

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Issues Recommendations for Improvement and Fare Incentives Based on Responses and Hopes for the Future as MetroCard is Phased Out by End of Year

New York– Hundreds of respondents shared their tapping habits and made their thoughts and feelings about the MTA’s transition to OMNY known to the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA clear through their responses to the 2025 OMNY User Experience Survey. Open from June 2nd to July 7th, 2025; a total of 392 responses were recorded from OMNY users across the MTA region. Survey results reflect a snapshot of the opinions of 392 riders and were not a scientific representation of the MTA’s riders. The survey was distributed via email, social media channels, community boards, and via partners in advocacy, among other channels.

Respondents shared information on where and how they tap, as well as if they regularly hit the weekly fare cap. They gave details of any recent issues they encountered with the system and, in many cases, their experiences and frustrations seeking to resolve those issues through the MTA and Cubic’s customer service channels. The survey also captured modes of transit respondents would like to see integrated with OMNY, and what fare incentives would be most useful to them.

The OMNY rollout has been a joint venture of the MTA and its contractor, Cubic, since 2019, and full transition from the MetroCard to OMNY is planned for the end of 2025. It has since become apparent that the MTA’s 4% biennial fare increase will likely also occur then, to reduce confusion among riders. 

Top Survey Findings:

  1. Respondents who use OMNY were generally positive about the transition, giving it a rating of 3.43 out of 5(with 54% giving it a rating of four or five), while citing the convenience of being able to pay through a variety of methods. This included many senior fare or reduced fare riders who recently adopted OMNY.
  2. Many respondents expressed that they miss seeing the immediacy of their transactions, including their remaining balance or expiration date, along with the peace of mind of knowing a free transfer has been honored, or if they hit the 7-day fare cap when tapping, which they are accustomed to from their MetroCard experience.
  3. Nearly 75% of riders recently encountered an issue with OMNY, including 42% who encountered issues with OMNY readers not accepting their tap, 34% with late charges, and 30% who claimed to have encountered what they perceived to be “extra charges.” 26% of respondents did not experience any issues.
  4. Of those who submitted customer service complaints or tickets, a clear majority had not had their issues solved. Riders lamented the lack of information available and an unhelpful chat function on the OMNY website, as well as long wait times when attempting to speak to a customer service representative.
  5. The vast majority of riders want to see new features and integrations with OMNY, including free transfers to the LIRR and Metro-North, integrations with other transportation providers like NYC Ferry and Citi Bike and more fare options with fare capping, or a 30-day unlimited.

“Our survey shows that riders are optimistic OMNY can unite the region’s transit systems and make them a more convenient and seamless way to ride,” said Lisa Daglian, Executive Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA(PCAC). “The MTA has intimated that it’s planning to retire the MetroCard and make fare changes concurrently at the end of the year – a smart move that will help riders rally for the best fares and reduce any remaining confusion or issues. Smart fare incentives—for both low-income riders and the MTA’s heaviest users—should accompany any fare increase and transition to OMNY to ensure the MTA’s neediest and most loyal customers are able to continue to ride. We’re confident that in time, OMNY will live up to its full potential and the right fare incentives will be created – particularly given Governor Hochul’s unwavering focus on affordability.”

OMNY Recommendations:

Given the feedback from riders were ceived, PCAC recommends the following actions to improve OMNY and the rider experience before the MetroCard is retired and new fares are unveiled:

  • Update the OMNY interface so riders can immediately see their remaining balance, expiration date, free transfers, and whether they’ve met or are close to meeting the 7-day 12-ride fare cap. Riders need to see this information directly on the screen to better trust the system.    
  • Implement fare incentives focused on low-income riders and the heaviest users of the system at the same time as the fare increase, to help make the system more equitable and affordable, including:  
    • a weekly CityTicket with free transfers to subways and buses
    • 30-day unlimited or fare cap  
    • a more robust Fair Fares program expanded to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and expanded to the LIRR and Metro-North in the city
  • Invest in the OMNY website and customer service, so riders can clearly see their ride history and trips as they did in the past. Clean up the misinformation given by the OMNY Chatbot and ensure wait times for speaking with a representative are reasonable.  
  • Launch a major public information campaign to:
    • build trust and clear up common misconceptions about OMNY, including personal data and security;
    • ensure that everyone knows OMNY can still be used without a bank account;
    • explain the concept of fare capping; and
    • tell riders why the MTA is switching to OMNY—it’s not a conspiracy to track riders, it’s an opportunity to improve the way they pay for transit.
  • Include OMNY website features in the MTA app to streamline the user experience in the future.  
  • Work internally and with external partners to better integrate OMNY with the LIRR and Metro-North, as well as NYC Ferry, PATH, Citi Bike, and other regional services to offer fare incentives and better connections.
  • Incorporate MTA branding on the OMNY cards and machines. OMNY doesn’t currently look or feel like an MTA product but should be an iconic NYC symbol like the subway token and MetroCard before it.  

PCAC first undertook this study in response to a flurry of rider complaints and experienced many of the same issues. To their credit, the MTA has taken Cubic to task to expeditiously address the most oft-cited concerns. PCAC hopes to use the survey to inform fare policy as the MTA considers fare changes in the coming months.

About PCAC: 

Created by the New York State Legislature in 1981, the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC) represents transit and commuter rail riders in the 12-county MTA region. PCAC regularly researches issues, recommends viable solutions, and advocates on behalf of the region’s subway, bus and Staten Island Railway riders, and Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad commuters through its three rider councils – the Long Island Rail Road Commuter Council (LIRRCC), the Metro-North Railroad Commuter Council (MNRCC), and the New York City Transit Riders Council (NYCTRC). These councils and their non-voting MTA Board members were created to serve as a voice for users of the MTA system in the development and implementation of policy, and to hold the MTA Board and management accountable to riders. 

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