After Years Of Delay, OMNY Tap And Go Payment System Begins Today On Roosevelt Island Tram Announces MTA Chair Janno Lieber - RIOC President Shelton Haynes Adds That As Of Now, Metro Cards Holders Will No Longer Be Allowed To Skip The Huge Tourist Lines, Angering Many Residents

After several years of delay and a "Bring OMNY To The Roosevelt Island Tram" online petition which collected more than 1400 signatures, the MTA's OMNY tap and go payment system began working today on the Roosevelt Island Tram. 

MTA chairman Janno Lieber walked up the Roosevelt Island Tram Second Avenue Manhattan station staircase 

and used the OMNY to enter through the turnstile today.

He then rode a not very crowded Tram over the East River to Roosevelt Island 

with Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President  Shelton Haynes and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine  

for a press conference announcing OMNY's installation for the Roosevelt Island Tram.

During the press conference, I asked if Roosevelt Island residents would continue to be able to skip the long Tram line of tourists by using their Metro Card.

Mr Lieber said:

I do not know the answer... 

I do know the Roosevelt Island leadership and the electeds are determined to make sure that mass transit here works really well for Roosevelt Islanders. So you're going to continue to look at that issue in consultation with whoever is relevant, whether it's technical folks or legal or lawyers or whatever.

But for us, the bottom line is Omni, it just makes travel faster for everybody. So whoever's waiting on that line, whichever line they're in, or if they're in one line, it's going to be a lot faster with Omni than people buying Metro Cars one by one... 

RIOC President Shelton Haynes added:

Right now we're currently assessing situation and it's very fluid. As it stands we do not anticipate having a line where Metro Card holders can skip. We're still assessing, we're still going to make the best decision possible for Roosevelt Island commuters... 

According to this comment from Roosevelt Islander Instagram post on the Roosevelt Island OMNY installation today:

@rooseveltislandny @mta Who are the specific individuals responsible for adding OMNY to tram at the same time the F train is shutting down for 7 months? If any of the people responsible for this actually lived on the island it would have never gone through at this time. 

Now residents will have to wait behind hundreds of tourists on a tram line that regularly wraps around the block on the Manhattan side. Previously we could at least skip the bulk of the line by having a metrocard preloaded and ready. This, combined with limited train service, makes the daily commute for thousands of residents and island students very complicated and much longer. The once an hour red bus that moves 55 people on weekends barely helps. 

I’m seriously shocked at how short-sighted island leadership can be.

We’ve also been repeatedly told that a resident/tram priority pass is simply impossible despite the fact this is exactly what happened in 1976 when the tram first opened so that residents could get home ahead of the flood of tourists coming to see the new tram. A priority pass isn’t ‘impossible’, you’re just not trying hard enough or simply don’t care enough. 

How are you gonna help resolve the situation? Please come up with an acceptable plan. Residents are angry and the pressure will continue to mount otherwise. 

Other comments include about today's Roosevelt Island Tram OMNY installation on the Roosevelt Islander Instagram page include;

• This is terrible for Roosevelt Island residents that will now have to wait in crowds of tourists to get home instead of skipping lines with Metrocards
• exactly, ugh. The worst timing
• I don’t know how we will get to our homes.
• Hahahahaha leave it to @sheltonjhaynes to finally set up OMNY just in time for there to be no subway and now residents have to wait in line for the tram. What an absolute joke
• and now look out for an announcement about the great @sheltonjhaynes getting Omni for Roosevelt Island to add to his many accomplishments that he’s taking credit for that were all started by someone else.
• I think it will create a more even flow. Good news and I don’t have to switch between my phone and card. 👍
• About time.
• Great!
• Great news, now #rooseveltisland just needs a working subway station
• finally 🙌

Here's the full Roosevelt Island Tram OMNY press conference from this afternoon.

MTA reports on Twitter (X)

Reach new heights with OMNY — now, you can tap and go on the Roosevelt Island Tramway! It's the easier and more flexible way to pay your fare.

Tramway rides are also included in our weekly fare cap! Start tapping any day, and after 12 paid trips, the rest of your rides that week… pic.twitter.com/bDR2gVL5ZJ

— MTA (@MTA) August 24, 2023

and RIOC reports on Instagram. Check out the Instagram comments.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (@rooseveltislandny)

Here's how to use OMNY.

UPDATE 8/25:

After the press conference, I asked the MTA:

What is the revenue allocation of the Tram fare between Rioc and the MTA?

My understanding is that Rioc currently receives approximately $2.00 of every swipe at the Tram. Has that changed with the installation of OMNY?

What is the new revenue allocation of the Tram fare?

A MTA spokeperson answered:

With OMNY, RIOC will get the benefit of the full value of fare revenue for pay go transactions. 

Currently, RIOC receives $2 for Full Fare and $1 for Reduced Fare when a customer utilizes MetroCard.

The MTA press release on Roosevelt Island Tram OMNY installation is here.