An OMNY Update report in Yahoo News says, “New Yorkers can keep on swiping MetroCards until at least 2024.” That’s good news, but it still leaves the Tram out of the loop and Roosevelt Islanders in the dark.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
The Daily thanks George Reither for thoughtfully pointing us to this information.
An OMNY Update, Delayed and Over Budget
Multiple issues cropped up in recent weeks, according to a Yahoo News article, itself a republish from the New York Daily News. A contract signed in 2017 giving Cubic Transportation Systems rights for rolling out OMNY through all of the MTA is not just running late, it’s already 40% over budget. That’s not all so bad for MTA contracts and is certainly better than the East Side Access Project that’s been a Roosevelt Island eyesore for years.
With OMNY running late, Roosevelt Island Tram riders catch a break because MetroCards, set to expire this year, will still get you on until some time in 2024. That’s big because RIOC failed at getting any alternative fare collection system in place. They had no plans for an OMNY installation until mid-2023, leaving a multi-month gap. The announced delay saves them and Tram riders from a pending purgatory.
Although City Council Member Julie Menin and other elected officials prodded the sluggish, secretive state agency, RIOC has not shared any information with local residents. But a fiery, triangular exchange between them, Menin and the MTA exposed, at best, no better than a penchant for blaming and evading.
Today, because RIOC failed to act on time, commuters using OMNY readers cannot transfer freely to or from the Tram. Too often, that means unnecessary double fares. And it also means, unlike everyone else in the system, Tram users cannot take advantage of discounts offered systemwide.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily News
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- NYC Health + Hospitals Data Breach Lawsuit: What Roosevelt Island Readers Should KnowA proposed class action says millions of NYC Health + Hospitals patients, staff and family members may have had deeply sensitive information exposed. Here is what Roosevelt Island readers should know.
- Queens Community News and Events: How Local Stories Echo on Roosevelt IslandQueens community news and events shape daily life on Roosevelt Island and beyond. From park reopening and fundraisers to public safety and local transit, catch up on the stories echoing across both neighborhoods.
- How Roosevelt Island Connects with Queens This Week: Community, Safety, and Neighborhood CelebrationsHow Roosevelt Island connects with Queens is clear in this week’s stories of community, public safety, celebrations, and neighborhood life in both boroughs.
- Connecting Roosevelt Island Community Life with Local Transit, Safety, and Business InitiativesConnecting Roosevelt Island community life with local transit, safety, and business initiatives, this week’s Beat explores how citywide stories shape our days and routines.
A Different Kind of Bet
For years, Roosevelt Island did not behave like a system constrained by limits. Internally, the budget was often treated less as a boundary and more as a reservoir to be used.
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