MTA Sets Up Mobile Help Centers as MetroCard Phaseout Nears

By Y.M. Lowy

New Yorkers who still rely on a MetroCard will need to switch to Tap and Ride soon, and the MTA is sending mobile help centers across the city this month to make the transition easier.

The MetroCard will no longer be sold after December 31. Riders who depend on buses or use public transportation only once in a while still need to switch, since Tap and Ride will become the main way to pay for trips. Many riders still have money left on their MetroCards, and this is the time to move those balances over.

To help with the change, the MTA is sending out mobile sales vehicles with staff who can answer questions and guide riders through the new system. Visitors can transfer their MetroCard balance, buy or refill an OMNY card, and apply for Reduced Fare. The vehicles will stay in service through 2026, but they will stop selling MetroCards at the end of this year.

In Brooklyn, the mobile units will be out tomorrow, Tuesday December 2, at the following locations:

• Sheepshead Bay at 3520 Nostrand Avenue from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Starrett City at Pennsylvania Avenue and Twin Pines Drive from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• Coney Island on Neptune Avenue from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Kings Plaza Shopping Mall at Avenue U and Flatbush Avenue from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Flatlands at 5827 Flatlands Avenue from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The mobile units will also return on Friday December 12 and Friday December 26 with stops in Bensonhurst and Bay Ridge, as well as another day of service in Starrett City and Flatlands on Tuesday December 16. Riders can call 511 to confirm times before visiting, since schedules can change.