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Encyclopedia > MetroCard
Main article: Transportation in New York City
Metrocard Gold 1997-Present, accepted as fare payment on all MTA and Bee-Line subways and buses, on AirTRAIN JFK, and PATH Trains.

The MetroCard is the current payment method for the New York City Subway (rapid transit) system, buses in the New York City Transit (including routes operated by Atlantic Express under contract to the MTA), MTA Bus, and Long Island Bus systems, the PATH subway system, the Roosevelt Island Tram, AirTrain JFK, and Westchester County's Bee-Line Bus System. It is a thin, plastic card on which the customer electronically loads fares. It was introduced to enhance the technology of the transit system and eliminate the burden of carrying and collecting tokens. The MTA discontinued the use of tokens on the subway in May 2003 and on buses on December 31, 2003. The MetroCard is managed by a division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) known as MetroCard Operations and manufactured by the Cubic Corporation.[1] The New York City Subway is one of the busiest in the world. ... This work is copyrighted. ... This work is copyrighted. ... The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority as MTA New York City Transit. ... A rapid transit, underground, subway, tube, elevated, or metro(politan) system is a railway—usually in an urban area—with a high capacity and frequency of service, and grade separation from other traffic. ... A Go North East bus parked in a lay-by in Tyne and Wear, England. ... The New York City Transit Authority (also known as NYCTA, Transit, NYCT for New York City Transit or simply the TA for Transit Authority) is a New York State authority that operates buses and subway trains in New York City. ... The MTA Bus Company (MTA Bus for short), a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, is a public benefit corporation created to operate those bus routes formerly operated by private companies in the New York City area. ... MTA Long Island Bus (properly, the Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority (MSBA)) is the name of the subdivision of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority that provides bus service throughout Nassau County and some stops along the western border of Suffolk County and the eastern border of Queens in New York... Hoboken- and Newark-bound platform at Exchange Place station in Jersey City. ... The Roosevelt Island Tramway is an aerial tramway in New York City that spans the East River and connects Roosevelt Island to Manhattan. ... AirTrain JFK is a 13 km (8. ... Westchester County is a suburban county with about 940,000 residents located in the U.S. state of New York. ... The Bee-Line Bus System is a system of buses serving Westchester County, New York. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Token coins. ... December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the State of New York. ...

Contents

History

An obsolete New York City Subway token.
An obsolete New York City Subway token.
  • January 6, 1994 – MetroCard compatible turnstiles opened at Wall Street on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line (4 5}) and Whitehall Street–South Ferry on the BMT Broadway Line (N R W). Before 1997, the MetroCard design was blue with yellow lettering. These blue cards are now collector's items.
  • May 15, 1997 – The last MetroCard turnstiles were installed, and the entire bus and subway system accepted MetroCards
  • July 4, 1997 – MetroCard Gold offered free subway/bus, bus/subway, and bus/bus transfers
  • January 1, 1998 – Bonus free rides (10% of the purchase amount) were given for purchases of $15 or more
  • July 4, 1998 – 7-Day and 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCards were introduced
  • January 1, 1999 – The 1-Day Fun Pass was introduced
  • January 25, 1999 – The first MetroCard Vending Machines were installed. [2]
  • April 13, 2003 – Tokens were no longer sold. [3]
  • May 4, 2003 – Fares were increased from $1.50 to $2.00; bonus free ride amount was increased to 20% of the purchase amount for purchases of $10 or more; tokens were no longer accepted (except for a six-month transition period on buses where they were accepted for $1.50 credit towards the $2 ride)[4][5]
  • February 27, 2005 – The 1-day unlimited-ride fare increased from $4 to $7, the 7-day unlimited-ride fare increased from $21 to $24, and the 30-Day MetroCard increased from $70 to $76. [6][7][8]

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 359 days (360 in leap years) remaining. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... Turnstiles at Alewife subway station in Cambridge, Massachusetts A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. ... Wall Street, located at Broadway and Wall Street, is a two-track station with two side platforms that are slightly offset from one another, with glossy blue refrigerator tiles over the original white. ... The Lexington Avenue Line (sometimes called the Lex or the IRT East Side Line) is one of the major IRT lines in the New York City Subway. ... The 4 Lexington Avenue Express is a service of the New York City Subway. ... The 5 Lexington Avenue Express is a service of the New York City Subway. ... Whitehall Street–South Ferry is a rapid transit station on the BMT Broadway Line of the New York City Subway. ... The Broadway Line is a rapid transit line of the BMT division of the New York City Subway system. ... The N Broadway Express is a service of the New York City Subway. ... Current and former R services The R Broadway Local is a service of the New York City Subway. ... The W Broadway Local is a service of the New York City Subway. ... A collectors item is an object or item of any kind that has become valuable -- often unexpectedly. ... May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (136th in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the United States holiday, the Fourth of July, see Independence Day (United States). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... For the United States holiday, the Fourth of July, see Independence Day (United States). ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Metrocard Vending Machine MetroCard Vending Machines (MVM) can be used to buy a MetroCard and check remaining fares on MetroCard. ... April 13 is the 103rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (104th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Technology

Each MetroCard stored value card is assigned a unique, permanent ten-digit serial number when it is manufactured. The value is stored magnetically on the card itself, while the card's transaction history is held centrally in the Automated Fare Collection (AFC) Database. When a card is purchased and fares are loaded onto it, the MetroCard Vending Machine or station agent stores the amount of the purchase onto the card and updates the database, identifying the card by its serial number. Whenever the card is swiped at a turnstile, the value of the card is read, the new value is written, and the central database is updated with the new transaction. The AFC Database is necessary to maintain transaction records to track a card if needed. It has actually been used to acquit criminal suspects by placing them away from the scene of a crime. The database also stores a list of MetroCards that have been invalidated for various reasons (such as lost or stolen student or unlimited monthly cards), and shares it with turnstiles in order to deny access to a revoked card. A stored-value card represents money on deposit with the issuer, not unlike a debit card. ... A serial number is a unique number that is one of a series assigned for identification which varies from its successor or predecessor by a fixed discrete integer value. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with magnet. ... In computing , a database can be defined as a structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer so that a program can consult it to answer queries. ... A crime scene is a location where an illegal act took place such as molestation, rape or illegal turnip smoking, and comprises the area from which most of the physical evidence is retrieved by [[forensics|forensic scientists] for example the reknowned criminal investigator and skilled forensic scientist, who is unfortunately...

The Blue MetroCard design when it was first introduced in 1994
The Blue MetroCard design when it was first introduced in 1994

The older blue MetroCards were not capable of the many kinds of fare options that the gold ones currently offer. The format of the magnetic stripe used by the blue MetroCard offered very little other than the standard pay-per-swipe fare. Also, gold MetroCards allow groups of people (up to four) to ride together using a single pay-per-swipe MetroCard. The gold MetroCard keeps track of the number of swipes at a location in order to allow those same number of people to transfer at a subsequent location, if applicable. The MetroCard system was designed to ensure backward compatibility, which allowed a smooth transition from the blue format to gold. [9] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1044x684, 121 KB) Summary A Blue MetroCard that was used before the current yellow MetroCard was introduced in 1997. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1044x684, 121 KB) Summary A Blue MetroCard that was used before the current yellow MetroCard was introduced in 1997. ... Marcus Boltonas (Mark Boltan) Marcus Boltonas Brief history The magnetic stripe which is often reffered to as the Bolton is derived from the Marcus Boltonas from the Jurassic period. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...


There are special kinds of MetroCards issued for students, senior citizens, the disabled, and transit employees. These cards offer discounted rides and usually have the picture of the intended patron on the card to minimize fraudulent use. Students receive cards corresponding to their grade level and the distance they live from the school. Orange and white cards are issued to children in Kindergarten to the 6th grade, and white and green colored cards for teenagers from the 7th grade to the 12th grade, the end of high school. These MetroCards allow them to commute to and from school between 5:30 AM and 8:30 PM. Student MetroCards are either full-fare, which can be used up to three times daily for the subway or bus; or half fare, which can only be used for buses. A student that lives up to 1/2 mile from the school receives a half fare. A student that lives 1 mile or more from the school receives a full fare MetroCard. A 4-trip card is also given to students who have a 2+ hour commute. There are also two-trip cards that are valid at all times (except Sundays), for special school trips. Student MetroCards do not have photo identification. [10] Old age consists of ages nearing the average lifespan of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle. ... The term disability, as it is applied to humans, refers to any condition that impedes the completion of daily tasks using traditional methods. ... Photo identification is generally used to define any form of identification that includes a photograph of the holder. ...


MetroCards for the disabled have exclusive rights to the special gates used for wheelchair access in some stations. This eliminates the need for the token booth clerk to have to manually open the gate whenever a disabled person requires entry. A wheelchair is a wheeled mobility device in which the user sits. ...


Both Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road offer a combined monthly pass/MetroCard option. One side of the card displays the railroad monthly pass, and the other side is the MetroCard. The Metro-North Railroad (officially the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, and usually abbreviated as Metro-North) is a suburban commuter rail service between New York City to its northern suburbs in New York and Connecticut. ... An M3 railcar The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR (often referred to as the L-I-double-R) is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York, United States. ...


Several transfers on the subway system are free with a MetroCard (other than a SingleRide card), and are specified in schedules and signs.


Fare information

SingleRide ticket MetroCards

A SingleRide MetroCard
A SingleRide MetroCard

The SingleRide MetroCard (introduced to replace subway tokens) is a thin piece of paper with a magnetic strip on the front, and with the date and time of purchase stamped on the back: Image File history File links Singleride. ... Image File history File links Singleride. ...

  • $2.00 for one subway or local bus ride, with one free bus/bus transfer (issued upon request to Bus Operator). No subway/bus or bus/subway transfers are provided on this card.
  • SingleRide cards expire two hours from time of purchase
  • SingleRide cards can only be purchased at MetroCard Vending Machines.

Although the Pay-per-ride MetroCard is accepted on PATH, the regular SingleRide MetroCard is not. However, a similar card is available from MVMs in PATH stations for $1.50, valid for 2 hours and only on PATH. Hoboken- and Newark-bound platform at Exchange Place station in Jersey City. ...


Pay-per-ride MetroCards

http://www.mta.info/metrocard/mcgtreng.htm

  • $4.00 to $80.00 in any increment
  • Cards equal to or greater than $10.00 receive a 20% bonus (ex. $10.00 buys 6 rides and $20.00 buys 12 rides)
  • $2.00 deducted for each subway, Staten Island Railway, or local bus usage, excluding valid transfers; $5 deducted for each express bus usage
  • $1.50 deducted per each usage on PATH (no transfer privileges).
  • $5.00 deducted per each usage on AirTrain JFK
  • One free subway->local bus, bus->subway, or bus->local bus transfer within two hours of initial entry
  • One free transfer between a bus or subway and the Staten Island Railway within two hours of initial entry
  • May be used to pay for and transfer up to four people at once
  • Cards can be refilled by as little as 1 cent and as much as $80 and can hold $100
  • Card may be refilled until one month before expiration date but used until expiration date
  • Card balance may be transferred to other card up to a year after expiration.

Accepted at: Hoboken- and Newark-bound platform at Exchange Place station in Jersey City. ... Airtrain at JFK. Note aluminum strip between rails. ...

Long Island Bus is the name of the subdivision of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority that provides bus service throughout Nassau County and some stops along the western border of Suffolk County and the eastern border of Queens in New York City. ... Staten Island Railway (SIR, formerly SIRT) is a rapid transit line operating in the Borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA. Like the BMT lines to Coney Island, it began as a normal railway but was later converted to R44 subway cars . ... Hoboken- and Newark-bound platform at Exchange Place station in Jersey City. ... Airtrain at JFK. Note aluminum strip between rails. ... Tolls collected at the Holland Tunnel and other crossings help fund the Port Authority. ... The Roosevelt Island Tramway is an aerial tramway in New York City. ... Westchester County is a suburban county with about 940,000 residents located in the U.S. state of New York. ... Typical Bee-line transit bus The Bee-Line Bus System is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. ...

EasyPay XPress MetroCard

http://www.easypaymetrocard.com/

  • White card with purple lettering
  • Pay-per-ride card that is attached to a credit card (compare with E-ZPass)
  • When balance drops past $25, a $50 balance is added
  • Primarily designed with express bus users in mind, however is open to all
  • When used on bus, reader displays "PASS". When used on the subway, turnstile simply says "GO"
  • Free transfers between Buses and subways/buses and other buses still available
  • Can not be put into a MetroCard vending machine, doing such might cause damage

This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

JFK Airport Airtrain Discount Metrocard

  • Up to 10 trips on the Airtrain JFK within 6 months, $25.00. This card can only be purchased at specially marked MetroCard Vending Machines at the Howard Beach–JFK (A) or Sutphin Boulevard–JFK (E J Z) stations and at MetroCard vendors in JFK Airport. There are no transfer privileges granted on this card.

Howard Beach–JFK is a station on the IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway. ... The A Eighth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. ... Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK is a station on the New York City Subways Archer Avenue Line. ... The E Eighth Avenue Local is a service of the New York City Subway. ... The J Nassau Street Express and Z Nassau Street Express are two services of the New York City Subway. ... The J Nassau Street Express and Z Nassau Street Express are two services of the New York City Subway. ...

Unlimited ride MetroCards

  • 1-Day Fun Pass, $7.00 for unlimited subway and local bus rides until 3 A.M. the day following first usage
  • 7-Day Unlimited Ride Card, $24.00 for unlimited subway and local bus rides until midnight seven days following first usage
  • 30-Day Unlimited Ride Card, $76.00 for unlimited subway and local bus rides until midnight thirty days following first usage
  • 30-Day Unlimited Ride Cards that are purchased using a credit, debit or ATM card from a MetroCard vending machine can be reported lost/stolen to receive a pro-rated credit for the card [1]
  • 7-Day Express Bus Plus Card, $41.00 for unlimited express bus, local bus, and subway rides until midnight seven days following first usage
  • The Unlimited Ride Card cannot be used at the same subway station or bus route for eighteen minutes after it is first used
  • The Unlimited Ride Card cannot be reused after it expires, and there is no credit for unused rides
  • 30-Day AirTrain JFK Unlimited Ride Card, $40.00 for unlimited trips on the AirTrain (operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey) until midnight, 30 days from first usage. This card can only be purchased at specially marked MetroCard Vending Machines at the Howard Beach–JFK (A) or Sutphin Boulevard–JFK (E J Z) stations and at MetroCard vendors in JFK Airport. There are no transfer privileges granted on this card

Accepted at: Airtrain at JFK. Note aluminum strip between rails. ... Tolls collected at the Holland Tunnel and other crossings help fund the Port Authority. ... Howard Beach–JFK is a station on the IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway. ... The A Eighth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. ... Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK is a station on the New York City Subways Archer Avenue Line. ... The E Eighth Avenue Local is a service of the New York City Subway. ... The J Nassau Street Express and Z Nassau Street Express are two services of the New York City Subway. ... The J Nassau Street Express and Z Nassau Street Express are two services of the New York City Subway. ...

  • MTA New York City Transit subways and local buses
  • MTA Long Island Bus
  • MTA Bus
  • MTA Staten Island Railway
  • Only 7-Day Express Bus Plus accepted on express buses, Bee-Line BxM4C and Atlantic Express buses X23/X24 in contract service
  • Westchester County Bee-Line Bus
  • The AirTrain JFK Unlimited card is accepted only at AirTrain terminals at Howard Beach–JFK (A) or Sutphin Boulevard–JFK (E J Z)

Airtrain at JFK. Note aluminum strip between rails. ... Howard Beach–JFK is a station on the IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway. ... The A Eighth Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. ... Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK is a station on the New York City Subways Archer Avenue Line. ... The E Eighth Avenue Local is a service of the New York City Subway. ... The J Nassau Street Express and Z Nassau Street Express are two services of the New York City Subway. ... The J Nassau Street Express and Z Nassau Street Express are two services of the New York City Subway. ...

Student MetroCards

  • Given to all New York City school students who commute, as well as all New York City high schools, both public and private.
  • Two types of cards, one orange and one green. Orange is for Kindergarten through 6th Grade, green for 7th through 12th Grade students. All half-fare cards are also green for Kindergarten–12th Grade students.
  • 1/2 Fare (Card pays $1.00, student pays $1.00 in change) or Full Fare (Card pays Full Fare), depending on the distance (radius) from the students' household to the school they are attending, usually with the students who live closer getting half-fare cards. There are 3 or 4 rides given to the student every Monday to Friday from 5:30 A.M. to 8:30 P.M. each day, except for holidays and vacations, where use of a student card is illegal and can result in a fine and/or court summons. There are also special cards for those who attend school when it is not a normal school day.
  • Some private schools that have activities on Sundays or late at night have cards valid until 10:30 pm and on sundays.
  • Students that attend special night school who live far from their homes are given a special student card that is valid Mon-Thurs from 1pm to 1am.

Accepted at: Image File history File links StudentMetroCardPassMTA.JPG‎ MTA MetroCard Student Pass This image is presumed to be Fair Use as there are no free versions available to replace it and it is used solely to illustrate the card in the MetroCard article. ... A summons is a legal document issued by a court addressed to a defendant in a legal proceeding. ...

  • MTA New York City Transit subways and local buses (1/2 Fare cards are only accepted on buses)
  • MTA Long Island Bus
  • MTA Bus
  • MTA Staten Island Railway (Full Fare cards are only accepted at the Saint George Ferry Terminal Station)

Disabled/Senior Citizen Metrocards

  • Given to senior citizens and the disabled as a combination photo ID and MetroCard.
  • Allows 1/2 or 100% reduced fare within the MTA system
  • Cards are marked as "Photo ID Pass"
  • Accepted at wheelchair doors at selected stations (cardholder swipes for access)

Accepted at:

Long Island Bus is the name of the subdivision of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority that provides bus service throughout Nassau County and some stops along the western border of Suffolk County and the eastern border of Queens in New York City. ... Staten Island Railway (SIR, formerly SIRT) is a rapid transit line operating in the Borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA. Like the BMT lines to Coney Island, it began as a normal railway but was later converted to R44 subway cars . ... Airtrain at JFK. Note aluminum strip between rails. ... Tolls collected at the Holland Tunnel and other crossings help fund the Port Authority. ... The Roosevelt Island Tramway is an aerial tramway in New York City. ... The Bee-Line Bus System is a system of buses serving Westchester County, New York. ...

MetroCard Bus Transfer

The MetroCard Bus Transfer is issued when a person pays a certain required fare with exact change aboard on any bus accepted MetroCard. This bus transfer slip can be requested when you ask a bus operator for one way bus connection trip. Certain bus transfer fares may applied with Westchester Bee Line bus system and MTA Long Island Bus. MTA New York City Transit bus is free to transfer from one bus to another bus that is accepted with MetroCard. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Bee-Line Bus System is a system of buses serving Westchester County, New York. ... MTA Long Island Bus (properly, the Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority (MSBA)) is the name of the subdivision of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority that provides bus service throughout Nassau County and some stops along the western border of Suffolk County and the eastern border of Queens in New York... A articulated bus on the M23 crosstown route. ...


Transit Employee Metrocards

  • Given to MTA Employees as a combination photo ID and Metrocard pass.
  • All cards give free rides within the MTA System, with the exception of Express Buses.
  • Cards are color-coded to match gender of Employee (red is male, blue is female)
  • Letter on the card indicates an employee's status and expiration date
  • Cards have the standard 18-minute delay between consecutive swipes at a particular MTA facility.
  • Cards are integrated into MTA's time management system at various locations in the city.

Accepted at:

Long Island Bus is the name of the subdivision of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority that provides bus service throughout Nassau County and some stops along the western border of Suffolk County and the eastern border of Queens in New York City. ... Staten Island Railway (SIR, formerly SIRT) is a rapid transit line operating in the Borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA. Like the BMT lines to Coney Island, it began as a normal railway but was later converted to R44 subway cars . ... An M3 railcar The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR (often referred to as the L-I-double-R) is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York, United States. ... The Roosevelt Island Tramway is an aerial tramway in New York City. ...

Purchase options

Subway station booths

Booths are located in most subway stations and are staffed by station agents. Every type of MetroCard (minimum purchase $4) can be purchased at a booth with the exception of the 1-Day Fun Pass, the SingleRide ticket, and MetroCards specific to other transit systems (PATH, JFK Airtrain). All transactions must be in cash; $50 bills are only accepted with a purchase of $30 or more, and $100 bills only with a $70 or greater purchase. Credit/Debit cards are not accepted at booths. Exterior open entrance to a metro station (Tribunal station in Madrid) A metro station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as metro and subway. It is often underground or elevated. ...


MetroCard vending machines

Metrocard Vending Machine.

MetroCard Vending Machines (MVMs) are machines located in all subway stations (as well as Hempstead Transit Center in Nassau County). They were first introduced in January 1999 and are now found in two models. Standard MVMs are large vending machines that accept cash, credit cards, and ATM or debit cards to purchase a MetroCard for use on a subway or bus. They return up to $6 in coin change for every cash transaction. There are also much smaller versions of these machines that only accept credit and ATM/debit cards. Both machines allow a customer to purchase every type of MetroCard through a touch screen hierarchical menu. After payment, the MetroCard is dispensed, along with an optional paper transaction receipt. The MVM can also add fares to previously issued MetroCards. As an extra security measure, starting in 2005 and added to all machines by mid-2006, all credit card transactions must have the cardholder's zip code entered via the keypad as validation. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (786x1406, 395 KB) Summary This is a photo of a Metrocard Vending Machine, found in each subway station in the New York City Subway system. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (786x1406, 395 KB) Summary This is a photo of a Metrocard Vending Machine, found in each subway station in the New York City Subway system. ... Credit cards A credit card is a system of payment named after the small plastic card issued to users of the system. ... Outdoor ATMs may be free-standing, like this kiosk, or built into the side of banks or other buildings An automatic teller machine, automated teller machine (ATM) or cash machine is an electronic device that allows a banks customers to make cash withdrawals and check their account balances without... A debit card is a plastic card which provides an alternative payment method to cash when making purchases. ... It has been suggested that Touch panel be merged into this article or section. ...


The machines are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 through use of braille and a headset jack. Audible commands for each menu item are provided once a headset is connected and the proper sequence is keyed through the keypad. All non-visual commands are then entered via the keypad instead of the touch screen. MetroCard Vending Machines run on Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP4. The look and feel of the software as well as the exterior bezels were designed by Masamichi Udagawa. Masamichi was an employee of the design firm IDEO. He soon left IDEO and started his own company called Antenna Design, an industrial design company based in Manhattan. The rest of the machine's construction and design were performed by Cubic Transportation Systems. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is the short title of United States Public Law 101-336, 104 Stat. ... Braille code where the word (, French for first) can be read. ... // Fig. ... It has been suggested that Touch panel be merged into this article or section. ... Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... Windows 2000 (also referred to as Win2K) is a preemptible, interruptible, graphical and business-oriented operating system that was designed to work with either uniprocessor or symmetric multi-processor 32-bit Intel x86 computers. ... IDEO is a design consultancy based in Palo Alto, California, with other offices in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, London, Munich and Shanghai. ... IDEO is a design consultancy based in Palo Alto, California, with other offices in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, London, Munich and Shanghai. ...


MetroCard bus and van

One MetroCard Van and two MetroCard Buses routinely travel to specific locations in New York City, stopping for a day (or half a day) at the announced locations. MetroCards can be purchased or refilled directly from these vehicles. Schedules are available on the MTA website. MetroCard vans also operates in Westchester County. Nickname: Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1625 Government  - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area  - City  468. ...


Neighborhood MetroCard merchants

MetroCard can be purchased at any participating vendor. This includes hundreds of stores across New York City and Westchester County that sell sealed, pre-paid MetroCards for face value. A comprehensive listing can be found on the MTA website.[11]


Purchase by mail

Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road riders who purchase a monthly rail pass through the mail (a useful option for people who commute daily on a continuous basis) receive a pass that is a MetroCard on the reverse side. The purchaser can opt to load the MetroCard side with any value supported by the system.


Holiday Rates

In 2005, the MTA offered half-fare discounts to riders on weekends during the last week of 2005 and New Year's Day, 2006, allowing subway and bus rides for $1 instead of the regular $2 fare with a Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard. The discounts did not apply to the SingleRide ticket and commensurate discounts were offered for monthly unlimited MetroCards.


Future of the MetroCard

In 2006 the MTA and Port Authority announced plans to replace the Metrocard with smart cards. In February the Port Authority unveiled a $73 million smart card system in the newly built World Trade Center PATH station. A smartcard or smart card is a tiny secure cryptoprocessor embedded within a credit card-sized or smaller (like the GSM SIM) card. ... Late-night and weekend service: The World Trade Center PATH station, originally opened on July 19, 1909 as the Hudson Terminal. ... Look up path in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...


The Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) SmartLink card contains an antenna attached to a computer chip, which can be read by turnstiles without requiring passengers to swipe cards. This card will eventually replace the magnetic-strip QuickCard accepted at PATH turnstiles. Hoboken- and Newark-bound platform at Exchange Place station in Jersey City. ... SmartLink is a Radio Frequency Identification Chip enabled credit card sized smartcard to be used on the PATH transit system in New Jersey and New York City. ...


As of March 31, 2006; Metrocard Vending Machines have replaced PATH QuickCard machines at PATH stations March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...


The New York City subway and bus network will eventually use this same technology. A consortium of New York metropolitan transit agencies, including the Port Authority and New Jersey Transit, will test different versions and introduce a single standard. In the future all New York City area transit systems will use the same "contactless" payment system. The New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) is a statewide public transportation system serving the state of New Jersey, and Orange and Rockland counties in New York. ...


On July 1, 2006, MTA launched a six-month pilot program to test the new "contactless" smart card fare collection system, initially ending on December 31, 2006 but extended until May 31, 2007.[12] This program will be tested at all stations on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and at four stations in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. The testing system utilizes Citibank Mastercard's Paypass keytags. Anyone with such a tag can apply to participate. This smart card system is aimed to ease congestion near the fare control area by reducing time spent at paying for fare. It is a new system that MTA and other transportation authorities in the region will eventually implement.[13][14] July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Smart card used for health insurance in France. ... December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... The Lexington Avenue Line (sometimes called the Lex or the IRT East Side Line) is one of the major IRT lines in the New York City Subway. ... Citibank is a major international bank, founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York. ... MasterCard Worldwide (NYSE: MA) is a membership organization owned by the 25,000+ financial institutions that issue its card. ... PayPass is an NFC contactless payment technology developed by MasterCard to Provide better record keeping than cash, Provide a quick, easy payment method, Increase the feeling of security, as cardholders remain in control of the card during transactions. ...


Beginning April 1, 2007, Metrocards will used as fare media on the Westchester County Bee Line bus system. Westchester County DOT has entered into an agreement with the MTA in pooling revenues from the Metrocard fare system. Pay-per-ride and Unlimited Ride Metrocards will be accepted on all Bee-Line local buses and the BxM4C express bus, with a fare and transfer structure identical to NYC Transit bus/subway system. This includes transfers between Bee Line buses and NYC Transit bus/subway lines in the Bronx and Manhattan. April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... Westchester County is a suburban county with about 940,000 residents located in the U.S. state of New York. ... The Bee-Line Bus System is a system of buses serving Westchester County, New York. ...


Fraud and scams

The MetroCard system is susceptible to various types of frauds, perpetrated by clever con artists. Usually these frauds involve the con artist preventing or dissuading the commuter from using his own MetroCard, and then charging the commuter for entry to the system (entry is gained by a method that costs the con artist nothing). A confidence trick, confidence game, or con for short, (also known as a scam) is an attempt to intentionally mislead a person or persons (known as the mark) usually with the goal of financial or other gain. ...


One instance would be for the con artist to deliberately jam a MetroCard vending machine in a station (e.g. with chewing gum), and then wait for somebody to try buying a new card just as a train is approaching. As the innocent customer discovers that the machine is broken, the con artist offers to swipe the mark through the turnstile on their own card in return for $2 (the same as the regular fare). If the mark accepts, the con artist swipes their altered or stolen card, and lets the mark go through the turnstile. The mark comes out even (they lost $2 but got a ride out of it) or slightly behind (if he was counting on getting a discount), the con artist makes $2, and the MTA is stiffed a fare (plus the cost of fixing the damaged vending machine). This scam is often run by a team of 2 or more people, with one person working the turnstile and the others acting as lookouts. The victim of a confidence game or magic trick is often called the mark, or the vic. ...


There are reports of people making $200-$300/day running this scam. A report from New York State Senator Martin J. Golden [15] claims this scam is costing the MTA $260,000/year, and some con artists are making up to $800/day executing it. Martin J. Golden represents District 22 in the New York State Senate, which comprises Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Gerritsen Beach, Borough Park, among other Brooklyn neighborhoods. ...


All aspects of this scam have been recently prohibited by MTA policy and a New York State law: now it is a crime to deface a MetroCard; it is a crime to sell a swipe (although not a card), and it is a crime to enter the system without properly paying a fare.


Some con artists will approach a tourist having trouble with the swiping of the card, and pretend to be helpful, but will use a sleight-of-hand trick to switch the tourist's MetroCard with one having little or no value.


The introduction of MetroCards did eliminate one class of criminals. When the NYC subway still used tokens, token suckers would steal tokens by jamming turnstile coin slots, waiting for unsuspecting passengers to deposit tokens (only to discover that the turnstile did not work), then returning to suck out the token. The retirement of tokens in 2003 put the token suckers out of business. Token sucking is a crime involving the theft of subway tokens. ...


External links

  • http://www.panynj.gov/ Port Authority of NY and NJ Homepage
  • http://www.antennadesign.com/ Antenna Design
  • http://www.sephail.net/articles/metrocard/ MetroCard mag strip layout
  • http://www.panix.com/~steveo/cgi/metrocard_bonus_calc.html MetroCard Bonus Calculator
  • http://nysubway.com/metrocards/index.html MetroCard Article with various turnstile and machine photos

Reference

  1. ^ *http://www.cubic.com/cts/ Cubic Corporation
  2. ^ http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10810FD395D0C758EDDA80894D1494D81 New York Times article: "Metrocard Machines' Subway Debut", January 26th, 1999]
  3. ^ Gotham Gazette article: "NYC Subway Token, 1953-2003", April 28th, 2003
  4. ^ Daily Freeman article: "Commuters could face 33% fare hike", January 19th, 2003
  5. ^ New York Times article: "THE TRANSIT INCREASES: OVERVIEW; TRANSIT AUTHORITY SEEKS AN INCREASE IN FARES AND TOLLS", March 6th, 2003
  6. ^ Columbia Spectator article:"MTA Hikes Some MetroCard Fares"
  7. ^ New York Times' article: "Facing the Pain Of Rising Fares, And Riding On" February 28th, 2005
  8. ^ MTA MetroCard fare hike page, February 27th, 2005
  9. ^ http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10A17FA3E5A0C728EDDAB0894DF494D81
  10. ^ http://www.geocities.com/metrocard94/FAQ.html#question2
  11. ^ *http://www.mta.info Metropolitan Transportation Authority Homepage
  12. ^ The NYC Subway Trial - FAQs (MasterCard)
  13. ^ Subway 'Smart Cards' Program Begins
  14. ^ Smart Cards for the Subways
  15. ^ http://senatorgolden.com/press_archive_story.asp?id=9707
v • d • e
Electronic fare collection systems
Americas GTA Farecard (Toronto, Canada) • Multivia (Santiago, Chile) • Red Bus (Mendoza, Argentina) • Pagobus (Leon, Mexico)
United States: Breeze Card (Atlanta) • CharlieCard (Boston) • Chicago Card (Chicago) • Go-To card (Minneapolis-St. Paul) • MetroCard (New York City) • SmartLink (PANYNJ, PATH) • SmarTrip (Washington, D.C.) • Translink (San Francisco Bay Area) • TransPass & TrailPass (SEPTA)
Europe Andante (Porto) • Elektra (Budapest) • Luas Smartcard (Dublin) • Navigo (Paris) • OV-Chipkaart (Netherlands)
United Kingdom: EasyRider (Nottingham) • Oyster (London)
Asia EasyCard (Taipei) • EZ-Link (Singapore) • G-Pass (Manila) • Touch 'n Go (Malaysia)
China: Octopus (Hong Kong) • SPTC (Shanghai) • Shenzhen TransCard (Shenzhen) • Yang Cheng Tong (Guangzhou radius) • Yikatong (Beijing)
Japan: Hareca (Okayama) • ICa (Kanazawa) • IC e-card (Matsuyama) • ICOCA (Osaka, JR) • IruCa (Takamatsu) • LuLuCa (Shizuoka) • Nagasaki Smart Card (Nagasaki) • NicePass (Hamamatsu) • PASMO (Tokyo) • passca (Toyama) • PiTaPa (Osaka) • RapiCa (Kagoshima) • Suica (Tokyo, JR) • TOICA (Nagoya)
South Korea: Hanaro Card (Busan) • K-CASH (Chuncheon, Gimhae) • KTX Family Card • Mybi • T-Money (Seoul,Yeongnam) • Upass (Seoul,Wonju)
Australia myki (Melbourne) • SmartRider (Perth) • Tcard (Sydney) • TransLink (Brisbane)
v • d • e
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
Bus New York City Transit Bus / Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority • Long Island Bus • MTA Bus Company
Heavy rail New York City Subway • Staten Island Railway
Commuter rail Long Island Rail Road • Metro-North Railroad
Roads Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (d/b/a MTA Bridges and Tunnels)
Police MTA Police
Fleet New York City Subway • Bus models used in New York City Transit and MTA Bus
Other New York City subway and bus fare • MetroCard • New York City Transit Authority • History of the New York City Subway
v • d • e
New York City Subway
Services 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • A • B • C • D • E • F • G • J • L • M • N • Q • R • V • W • Z
Shuttles (S) 42nd Street • Franklin Avenue • Rockaway Park
Unused/defunct 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • BB • CC • DD • EE (8 Avenue) • EE (Broadway) • GG • H • HH (Court Street) • HH (Rockaway Park) • JJ • K (Broadway) • K (8 Avenue) • KK • LL • MJ • NX • P • QB • QJ • QT • RJ • RR • T • TT • U • X • Y • JFK Express
BMT: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16
Shuttles (S/SS): 63rd Street • Bowling Green • Culver • Grand Street • Other
Capital Construction 7 Subway Extension • Fulton Street Transit Center • Second Avenue Subway
Divisions A Division (IRT) • B Division (BMT • IND)
Lists Inter-division connections • Lines • Services • Stations • Terminals • Transfers • Yards
Miscellaneous Chaining • History • Fares • MetroCard • Nomenclature • Rolling stock • Proposed expansion (1929-1940)
Other NYC transit Rail: AirTrain JFK • Amtrak • LIRR • Metro-North • New Jersey Transit • PATH • Staten Island Railway
Other: New Jersey Transit (Bus) • MTA Bus • MTA New York City Bus • Roosevelt Island Tramway
v • d • e
Greater New York surface transit (buses and streetcars)
Bus operators New York : NYCTA/MaBSTOA • MTA Bus • LI Bus • Suffolk Transit • HART (Huntington) • Bee-Line System • Transport of Rockland • PART • Poughkeepsie Transit • Dutchess LOOP
New Jersey : NJ Transit • A&C • Academy • Bergen Ave. IBOA • Broadway Bus • Lakeland • Red & Tan • Rockland Coaches
Connecticut: CT Transit Stamford, New Haven, and Waterbury • Norwalk Transit • GBTA • HART (Danbury)
Routes New York : Bronx • Brooklyn • Manhattan • Queens • Staten Island • Local/express multi-borough • Nassau • Putnam • Suffolk • Westchester
New Jersey : Bergen/Passaic • Essex/Hudson/Union • Middlesex/Monmouth • Morris County • Northern New Jersey to New York City
Connecticut : Danbury • New Haven • Norwalk • Stamford
MTA garages NYCTA • MTA Bus • MTA Long Island Bus
Former streetcar operators Manhattan-Bronx-Brooklyn : 2nd Ave • 3rd Ave • 8th & 9th Aves • B&QT (BMT) • NY Railways
Other : LIE • M&Q • NY&H • NY&LI • NY&NS • NY&QC • Ocean Electric • Public Service • Richmond • SI Midland • Steinway
Former NY streetcar lines Bronx • Brooklyn • Manhattan • Queens • Staten Island • Long Island • Westchester
Other NYCTA/MTA Bus fleet • New Jersey Transit fleet • MetroCard • Other NYC transit

  Results from FactBites:
 
Metrocard - New York Subway Metrocard (842 words)
Discounted single use, or pay-per-ride MetroCards, can often be bought on ebay.com, where they are suited to the auction format and have long expiration dates.
MetroCards are not for sale on NYC buses and credits cannot be added to the MetroCard on a bus.
The MetroCard system has some internal security controls that block the metrocard being swiped more than once in an 18-minute window in the same subway station, but this control is removed by using it at a different station or on the bus, where no such controls exist.
MTA - Where to Buy MetroCard (317 words)
Choose from a 1-Day Fun Pass, a 7-Day, 30-Day, 7-Day Express Bus Plus, 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard accepted on JFK AirTrain only, or a JFK-AirTrain 10-Trip MetroCard.
Good for unlimited subway and local bus rides from first use until 3 a.m.
Sold at MetroCard Vending Machines and at neighborhood stores.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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