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NYC students are getting free OMNY cards. Unless they live close to school.
By
Jessica Gould
Published Sep 9, 2024
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Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit
By
Jessica Gould
Published Sep 9, 2024
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Some New York City families who live close to school say they’re unfairly missing out on free rides via new OMNY cards for students.
Under the initiative that launched last week, students who live more than half a mile from school are eligible for free OMNY cards that cover four subway or bus rides per day. The rides are valid all day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. That’s a big upgrade from the previous policy for student MetroCards, which gave students three rides a day from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., only on school days.
But families who live within half a mile of their kid’s school say they’re being unfairly left out of the program that offers big savings for travel, summer programs and internships.
“It’s great that they’re doing this,” Manhattan parent Jill Goldstein said. “They [should] give it to every child in public school.”
The MTA said it has sent 1.5 million of the tap-to-pay cards to schools, which are responsible for distributing them to students.
“OMNY is all about flexible travel, so we wanted to provide students that same benefit before we rolled this program out,” said MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara in a statement last week.
Goldstein said families who live close to school should also be able to save money on fares to extracurriculars, jobs or summer internships. Her daughter rides subways and buses for after school activities and to work on projects with friends.
“I’m having a hard time understanding their restrictions on geography,” Goldstein said. “Why are some public school children having to pay, while others aren’t?”
Darone Ruskay, a parent of twins in Manhattan, said one of his kids who goes to school very close to home didn’t get an OMNY card, while one who has to travel a bit farther did.
He noted students who take school buses, including the sizable group of kids who have bussing for special education, are also excluded from the free OMNY cards.
“All students really needed to be treated the same way,” he said.
He launched a change.org petition to expand OMNY to all students. The petition has more than 800 signatures so far.
“The OMNY pass is much more than just a ticket to and from school; it provides students with access to the city, enabling them to engage with cultural experiences, part-time jobs, internships, and other educational opportunities that exist far beyond the school gates,” the petition says.
Officials said they are taking the petition under consideration.
“We appreciate all feedback from families and will work with our partners at the MTA to review the petition,” said education department spokesperson Jenna Lyle.
Ruskay said expanding eligibility for the OMNY cards would help with another MTA goal: Reducing fare beating.
The MTA’s top brass has identified a spike in fare evasion around 3 p.m. when schools let out – even though many students are allowed to ride subways and buses for free. Officials have said they want to “create buzz” to promote “fare compliance.”
“I think by letting all students have access [to OMNY] it’s a way of training them,” Ruskay said.
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Darone Ruskay's name.
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transportation
Jessica Gould
Jessica is the education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jessica reported on the shutdown and reopening of the nation’s largest school system, highlighting the unprecedented impacts on learning, health and mental health for students, staff and families. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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