End of an era as New York City transit retires three-decade-old MetroCard

People gather to commemorate and mourn the MetroCard at Washington Square Park in Manhattan on 30 December 2025. Photograph: Yuki Iwamura/AP

First, New Yorkers saw the elimination of subway token, which lasted for half a century. Now, its successor – the swipeable MetroCard, which lasted three decades – has seen its demise.

At midnight on 1 January, the flexible credit card-sized pass used by millions of New Yorkers to get through subway turnstiles is being terminated from sale just as a new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, takes office.