New York subway ends its MetroCard era and switches fully to tap-and-go fares

Published December 28, 2025 12:10pm ET



NEW YORK (AP) — When the MetroCard replaced the New York City subway token in 1994, the swipeable plastic card infused much-needed modernity into one of the world’s oldest and largest transit systems.

Now, more than three decades later, the gold-hued fare card and its notoriously finicky magnetic strip are following the token into retirement.

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