New York City transit auctions off last MetroCard machines: ‘wild home decor idea’
Summary
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City is selling its last MetroCard vending machines in an auction as it switches to a new contactless payment system called Omny. The auction runs until August 19 and includes a limited number of the old machines, which are no longer operational.Key Facts
- The MTA started auctioning 60 retired MetroCard vending machines on August 7.
- The larger machines, installed in 1999, accepted cash, credit, and debit cards; the smaller ones took only credit and debit cards.
- All vending machines are sold as non-working and buyers must pick them up within 10 days after payment.
- The last public MetroCard machine is still located at Mulry Square in Greenwich Village, showing a QR code for bidding.
- The MTA is also running a sweepstakes for VIP early access and discounts at a transit memorabilia sale in October.
- MetroCards, which have been used for subway fare since 1999, are being replaced by Omny, a system allowing riders to tap and pay with contactless technology.
- The MTA has not announced when it will stop accepting MetroCards completely.
- MetroCards were once popular for design promotions featuring famous musicians and TV shows.
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