N.Y.C. Students Are Sick of Using Flimsy Paper Cards to Ride the Subway

Nearly two years after student OMNY cards were introduced in New York City, high school riders say the program’s tap-and-go cards are too flimsy. Maya Jordan, 18, went through six cards, with one disintegrating in a washing machine and others failing after rain or bending. Replacement requests often took days, forcing her to pay the full $3 fare while waiting. A report released Wednesday by City Councilman Harvey Epstein’s office, based on a survey of nearly 700 students, found widespread frustration and pointed to the paper material rather than plastic like the former MetroCard. Epstein and transit advocates plan to rally at City Hall.