MTA boss Janno Lieber didn\u2019t seem to remember how much a monthly MetroCard costs Tuesday as he claimed commuters are \u201cloving the benefit\u201d of the potentially more expensive tap-to-ride system.<\/p>\n
The decades-old MetroCard system will officially vanish by year\u2019s end, to be fully replaced by the pay-as-you-go OMNY system.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to have $100 bucks in your pocket to pay for a monthly,\u201d the transit agency\u2019s CEO said on WNYC\u2019s The Brian Lehrer Show \u2014 even though a month unlimited actually costs $132.<\/p>\n
The new OMNY system could end up costing riders around $200 more per year than buying monthly unlimited MetroCards. William Farrington<\/p>\n
OMNY is flexible but caps weekly charges at $34 \u2014 which could total $1,768 for a year \u2014 or nearly $200 more than a current unlimited pass costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are loving those benefits,\u201d Lieber bragged about the new program, which was riddled with software bugs<\/a> at launch.<\/p>\n Two MTA spokespersons did not respond to an inquiry from The Post about Lieber\u2019s confusion over fare pricing at his own agency.<\/p>\n Addressing apprehension about the switch, Lieber insisted the process will be easy for straphangers.<\/p>\n The blue and yellow MetroCards will be phased out by the end of 2025, with straphangers able to trade in remaining cards for OMNY credit during the first half of next year. Christopher Sadowski<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a smooth transition,\u201d he said, noting that 90% of riders already use OMNY, including Fair Fares customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n The agency will stop selling new MetroCards by the end of 2025, with straphangers able to trade in remaining cards for OMNY credit during the first half of next year.<\/p>\n Lieber defended the shift as an \u201cequity step forward,\u201d arguing that riders \u201cdon\u2019t have to pre-purchase\u201d unlimited rides.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf you hit 12 rides in the seven days, you automatically get free for the balance of the seven days,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n MTA boss Janno Lieber didn\u2019t know the cost of a monthly unlimited MetroCard. Matthew McDermott<\/p>\n Lieber compared the OMNY switchover to the city ditching subway tokens in the early 1990s in favor of the MetroCard \u2014 saying doing away with the tokens at the time was a \u201cbetter deal\u201d for New Yorkers.<\/p>\n Lieber suggested that some riders\u2019 opposition to the OMNY system is because \u201cNew Yorkers are nostalgic,\u201d reminiscing about how he used to carry a special \u201cBiggie Smalls\u201d MetroCard.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to celebrate that nostalgia,\u201d Lieber said, offering up \u201cMetroCard-themed\u201d sendoff parties hosted by the MTA, and MetroCard branded food from New York City staples such as Zabar\u2019s and Carvel.\u00a0<\/p>\n A listener who texted into the show wasn\u2019t buying it.\u00a0<\/p>\n The MTA boss \u2014 pictured here at a hearing about MTA price hikes in August \u2014 has shown a pattern of being flippant about riders\u2019 cost concerns. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post<\/p>\n \u201cFeels like I get charged way more than I would if I could buy a monthly flat out,\u201d read the text from the unnamed listener.<\/p>\n Lieber restated how the weekly unlimited pricing works and claimed OMNY would be a \u201cmuch simpler system.\u201d<\/p>\n The transit boss was similarly flippant about riders\u2019 cost concerns at a hearing over MTA price increases in August.<\/p>\n Then, Lieber was seen openly mocking riders<\/a> who were testifying about how difficult the 10 -cent price hike would be on their budget. <\/p>\n When that price increase<\/a> takes effect in January, the pay-as-you-go weekly cap will increase, costing riders $35 per week, or $1,820 per year if they meet the cap each week.<\/p>\n Eric from Brooklyn called in to the radio show Tuesday to ask Lieber, \u201cwhere is the money going?\u201d <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Lieber, who has been in charge since 2021 and makes more than $400,000 per year<\/a>, said 60-70% of the MTA\u2019s money goes toward wages \u2014 and that Eric can sort through \u201cbillions and billions of lines of data\u201d if he wanted to know more about MTA\u2019s spending.\u00a0<\/p>\n