During a recent interview, Ms. Zhao shared her concerns about her child’s experience with the new student OMNY payment card at Stuyvesant High School. Unlike the traditional MetroCards, the OMNY card offers students free rides up to four times a day, aimed at enhancing flexibility in commuting. However, less than two months into the academic year, parents have already reported issues with the cards malfunctioning unexpectedly.
Her child, a senior at Stuyvesant, was able to use the OMNY card without a hitch on October 7, but encountered an issue later that day when attempting to return home. Despite no visible damage to the card, the card reader repeatedly indicated “Card Not Accepted,” preventing her child from utilizing the benefits of the OMNY system and complicating their daily commute.
According to the process outlined by the city’s Department of Education (DOE), all requests for replacement cards due to theft, damage, or loss should go through the school. However, when her child informed the school about the malfunctioning card, the initial response indicated there were no spare cards available, and it might take several months to order new ones. Ms. Zhao expressed her frustration with both the seemingly excessive wait time and the card’s unexplained failure, noting that the student OMNY cards are essentially “thin pieces of paper” that are susceptible to damage without any protective coating.
In more recent developments, Ms. Zhao reported that her child received a new card on the 23rd, but it took over two weeks, which was still a significant inconvenience. She also mentioned that her child’s case was not isolated, as approximately nine other students at Stuyvesant faced similar issues, with only two of them having received replacements thus far.
DOE spokesperson Jenna Lyle responded via email, stating that the department is collaborating with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to investigate the problem. She emphasized that students can contact their schools for replacement cards if they experience any issues. However, she did not provide an explanation for the long waiting times associated with the replacement process. Reports indicate that Stuyvesant High has requested additional OMNY cards from the relevant authorities, and as of this writing, the school had not yet responded to further inquiries from the press.
According to MTA’s official guidance, if an OMNY card malfunctions during use, students should seek assistance from station staff. If the card remains unusable, they must apply for a new one through their school. Officials from the city have also mentioned plans to launch an OMNY app in the 2025-2026 academic year, aiming to allow students to use their mobile devices for transit access, which could address the issue of card durability.
