The MTA’s new fare payment system — OMNY — is now available at the Roosevelt Island Tramway.

Just tap to pay and board the tram.

What You Need To Know

  • The MTA’s tap-to-pay system is officially available to riders of the Roosevelt Island Tramway

  • The tram becomes the first entity in the city that's not run by the MTA to accept OMNY

  • The rollout of OMNY on the tram comes just in time for subway track work that will affect F train service to Roosevelt Island

“If I use a MetroCard for three trips on a $10 thing, I end up with 25, 75 cents left over,”  explained Maurice, a Roosevelt Island resident. “I got a stack of cards, this is easier.”

OMNY's arrival on the tram marks a milestone for mass transit in the city: the tram is the first entity not run by the MTA to accept the cashless payment system.

"What we've heard from our customers, particularly our OMNY customers, is using OMNY across our system and, frankly, across New York City, is one of the most pleasurable things about using public transportation in the city of New York, so we're excited to roll it out here as well,” said NYC Transit President Richard Davey. 

OMNY arrives just as major subway service changes are set to affect residents of Roosevelt island.

Starting Monday, August 28, the F train will run between Manhattan and Queens via the E line — bypassing Roosevelt Island — until spring 2024.

The MTA will offer a shuttle train that will run every 20 minutes between 63rd Street/Lexington Avenue and 21st Street-Queensbridge and make a stop at Roosevelt Island.

But the shuttle train will not run overnight. So the tram will be the main option for many commuters. 

“I mean the tram is going to have so much more people actually using it, and with all the tourists it’s just going to be super crammed," said commuter Sara Rinne. "It's going to be really hard to get off the island, or onto the island."

“This is the only mode of transport, which means we will have tourists and everyone coming on. So it is going to be very, very inconvenient for residents getting to work and back,” echoed Min Teo.

Next up for OMNY is the JFK AirTrain, which currently only accepts payment of its $8.25 fare with cash loaded directly onto MetroCards.

The MTA is planning to roll that out in a few months.