This Web Page contains the text and illustrations of The New York City Transit Authority's handout, available at token booths at MetroCard stations, of the same title. Though unauthorized, Esoteric Resources has attempted to present the text as written, only adding to it in order to be clear when listing specific MetroCard stations in Manhattan.
Cyberspace Lawyers: let us be the first to point out to you that, in the United States, most publications of governmental and semi-governmental agencies and authorities are NOT copyrighted. That includes the document below.
Now, to end these meaningless comments .....
It's a thin, plastic card that will completely change the way you pay fares on New York City's subway and buses. No more searching for tokens in pockets or purses. MetroCard is convenient to carry and easy to use.
And eventually, MetroCard will become a combined ticket for seamless travel between the commuter railroads and the subway and buses.
By April 1994 you'll be able to buy a card at any one of the 69 subway stations that accept MetroCard. During the year, you'll also be able to buy a $15 MetroCard from a growing number of merchants all over the city and from most Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road suburban commuter rail stations. Eventually, all subway stations will sell MetroCard.
That's up to you. You can buy a card for whatever amount you want - from a minimum of $5 up to a maximum of $80, in multiples of $5. Just go to the token booth and ask for a $5 Metrocard (4 trips), or a $10 MetroCard (8 trips), or a $15 MetroCard (12 trips), and so on.
The value of your MetroCard isn't printed on the card. Instead, it's displayed on the turnstile each time you go through. So if you want to find out how much money you have on your card before going through the turnstile, use the MetroCard Reader located near the token booth in stations that accept MetroCard. Swipe your card through the reader just like you would at a turnstile. A small display will tell you how much money you have left on your card and the card's expiration date.
Every MetroCard has an expiration date, which is at least one year from the date of purchase.
Once you've used all the money on your card, hang on to it. For as long as a year, you'll be able to "refill" (add value to) your card at token booths in MetroCard stations. You can refill any MetroCard with up to $80, as long as the total amount on your card doesn't exceed $100. Refilling gives you added convenience, and reusable cards are better for the environment.
You have up to one year after the expiration date to transfer the remaining balance to a new MetroCard, and you can do this at any MetroCard station. If you want a refund for the remaining balance on your expired MetroCard during that year, you must appear in person at the MetroCard Customer Service Center, 10 Columbus Circle in Manhattan.
Just like tokens, a MetroCard won't be replaced if lost or stolen. So remember to treat your MetroCard as if it were cash.
If you want to spend less than $5 (which will buy you 4 trips), just ask for tokens. All the new turnstiles are designed to accept both tokens and MetroCard.
To enter the subway, swipe your MetroCard quickly and smoothly through the electronic reader on the turnstile. A small display shows the fare you paid and the amount of money left on your card. The turnstile beeps, and, as soon as you rotate the turnstile "arm" to walk through, all information on the display disappears.
Yes. If you want to pay for one or more other riders, just swipe the card again for each person. Or pass your Metrocard back and let your guest(s) swipe the card.
MetroCard is now being introduced in many of the busiest subway stations in midtown and downtown Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, and on the Staten Island Railway at St. George Terminal. The first 69 stations to accept MetroCard are listed later in this brochure.
By April 1994 these 69 stations will accept MetroCard. Look for announcements over the next few months in newspapers and at subway stations.
The first 69 stations have the upgraded electrical and communications systems needed to operate MetroCard's computers. They're spread around the city so customers in all five boroughs can try MetroCard from the very beginning. And they're concentrated in Manhattan where most people work.
In 1995 New York City Transit buses will start to accept MetroCard, and all will accept MetroCard by 1996.
By the end of 1997 all subway stations will accept MetroCard.
Senior citizen and disabled customers who use MetroCard continue to receive reduced-fare privileges. For now, the process is almost the same with MetroCard as with tokens. At the token booth, you'll show proper identification and swipe your MetroCard through the Reader to show the clerk that you have at least $1.25 on your card. Then, you'll get a return trip ticket from the clerk and swipe your MetroCard at the turnstile, where a full fare will be deducted.
By midyear 1994 we'll offer a special, reduced-fare MetroCard which will make using the subway much more convenient for senior citizen and disabled customers, starting with these 69 stations.
Call (212) 878 - 7294 to be placed on our mailing list for an application to receive your personalized reduced-fare MetroCard. Once you receive the card, you won't have to go to the booth every time you want to get into the subway at a MetroCard station. You'll just swipe your card at any turnstile and it will deduct the correct, reduced fare as you walk through.
We're working on a MetroCard designed especially for students to replace current New York City Transit student passes. It should be available by 1995.
On rare occasions your card may not work (and it won't deduct a fare) at a turnstile. If that should happen, try it again and check the turnstile display to see what it says. If the card still doesn't work, try another turnstile.
If the second turnstile doesn't let you enter, see what the MetroCard Reader near the turnstiles says when you swipe the card there. If the information displayed on the Reader doesn't explain the problem, ask the clerk at the MetroCard window in the token booth for assistance.
If the clerk determines that your card is damaged but can verify its balance on the computer in the booth, he or she will immediately issue you a new MetroCard with the same dollar amount.
If the clerk can't determine the card's balance, ask for a MetroCard Customer Service Card Mailer. Fill out the form and mail it with your card. We'll inspect the card, review your information, and, if we can verify the remaining balance, we'll mail you a new MetroCard encoded with that amount.
You can also take your card to the MetroCard Customer Service Center at 10 Columbus Circle in Manhattan, weekdays, 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Or call (212) 638 - 7622 {that's (212) METROCARD} in New York City or 1-800-METROCARD from outside New York City for further assistance.
Your MetroCard is extremely durable. Nevertheless, you should protect its magnetic stripe from scratches. And don't fold your card, because a bent or broken card may not slide well through the reader. So try to protect your MetroCard. Keeping your card in a card case, for example, can help prevent accidental damage to the magnetic stripe.
When you buy a MetroCard, check the value on the Reader at the token booth before you step away.
When you refill a MetroCard, check the value on the Reader at the token booth before you hand your card to the clerk and, again, before you step away.
When you buy an individually-wrapped $15 MetroCard, always inspect its packaging upon receipt to make sure it's properly sealed. Do not accept the card if the wrapping has been tampered with.
When you buy a MetroCard outside a subway station, buy it only where an "Authorized Sales Agent" sign is displayed
Accept help in using your card only from authorized personnel. Look for a badge or ask to see identification.
South Ferry
Whitehall Street - South Ferry
Bowling Green
Wall Street (at Broadway)(Lexington Avenue line)
Wall Street (at William Street)(Seventh Avenue line)
Fulton Street (Nassau Street loop)
Fulton Street (Seventh Avenue line)
Fulton Street (Lexington Avenue line)
Broadway-Nassau Street
Chambers Street (at West Broadway/Hudson Street)(Seventh Avenue line)
World Trade Center / Chambers Street / Park Place complex
Brooklyn Bridge - City Hall / Chambers Street complex
34th Street - Penn Station (8th Avenue)
34th Street - Penn Station (7th Avenue)
34th Street - 6th Avenue complex
42nd Street - 8th Avenue / Port Authority / Times Square complex
42nd Street - 6th Avenue / 5th Avenue complex
42nd Street - Grand Central Station
47-50th Streets / Rockefeller Center
5th Avenue - 53rd Street
Lexington-3rd Avenues (53rd Street) / 51st Street (Lexington Avenue) complex
59th Street (Lexington Avenue) complex
125th Street (at Broadway)
168th Street (at Broadway)
Dyckman Street
207th Street
215th Street
Staten Island Railroad booth at St. George Ferry Terminal (lower level)
New York City Transit booth (sales only; no turnstiles) at St. George Ferry Terminal (upper level)
Nevins Street
Atlantic Avenue - Pacific Street complex
Bergen Street
Grand Army Plaza
Eastern Parkway - Brooklyn Museum
Nostrand Avenue
Utica Avenue
Sutter Avenue - Rutland Road
Saratoga Avenue
Rockaway Avenue
Junius Street
Pennsylvania Avenue
Van Siclen Avenue
New Lots Avenue
Cypress Hills
75th Street - Elderts Lane
85th Street - Forest Parkway
Woodhaven Boulevard
104th-102nd Streets
111th Street
121st Street
Sutphin Boulevard - Archer Avenue
Jamaica Center (Parsons/Archer)
Roosevelt Avenue - Jackson Heights
Main Street, Flushing
179th Street, Jamaica
3rd Avenue - 149th Street
225th Street (Broadway)
231st Street
Woodlawn
For a copy of the detailed Conditions Of Use, see the clerk in any MetroCard station.
For MetroCard information please call:
In New York City: (212) 638 - 7622
Outside New York City: 1-800-METROCARD
January through April, 1994, 24 hours a day.
Beginning in May, 1994, 6 A.M. - 9 P.M. daily.
No further content of this Web Page is from the New York City Transit Authority.
Click anywhere on these words to return to the Underground Guide to the New York City Subways Lobby Page
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This page design is Copyright © 1995 by Esoteric Resources Incorporated, New York, New York, USA.