The MTA has made it easy to zero your pay-per-ride card. (Via I Quant NY)
We start tonight, begrudgingly but admirably, with I Quant New York. Last year, this website made a huge deal about the amount of money you could put on a MetroCard for an even amount with the bonus. It was something blown completely out of proportion as the ability to refill a MetroCard essentially ad nauseam prevents monetary loss by anyone paying attention. Cards that expire with money left can be transferred to an active card by any station agent no matter how begrudgingly accepting they are of this aspect of their job.
But the drum was beaten nearly to death, and in a victory for transparency, the MTA has added a new option to the MetroCard Vending Machine that allows you to buy a card that will leave $0.00 left over. Once the MTA started instituting bonuses of varying percentages at odd dollar amounts, the math became too complex to perform on a whim in front of a machine, but the agency — whether to capture dollars via unused fare media or otherwise — hadn’t introduced the concept of an even-amount purchase. Now, you can spend $27.25, get a $3 bonus and have 11 rides (so long as you don’t use the AirTrain). Voila. It’s magic.
In other news, there are a lot of service changes this weekend. In fact, the only weekend lines without some sort of advisory are the L and the G trains — a reality that probably fits Alanis Morisette’s weird definition of irony. But while the number of advisories seems steep, these aren’t terrible. Except for certain changes to the 7, J/M and 1 trains, the changes don’t touch most subway riders. It will be OK. And even though a bunch of North Brooklyn businesses are raising a stink about upcoming L train work, there’s no better time to take trains out of service than on the weekends. That the weekends are becoming more and more popular is an issue in and of itself, but for now, this is the solution. After the jump are this week’s changes.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, South Ferry-bound 1 trains run express from 137 St to 96 St. For service to 125 St, 116 St, 110 St, and 103 St, take the 1 to 96 St and transfer to an uptown 1. For service from these stations, take a 1 to 137 St or 168 St and transfer to a downtown 1.
From 3:45 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 10:00 p.m. Sunday, March 29, South Ferry-bound 1 trains run express from Van Cortlandt Park-242 St to 215 St. For service to 238 St, 231 St, and 225 St, take the Bx9 bus instead. From 238 St, walk or take the Bx9 bus to 242 St and transfer to a South Ferry-bound 1 train.
From 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday, March 28, and from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, March 29, 1 trains run every 16 minutes between 137 St and 242 St. The last stop for some 1 trains headed toward Van Cortlandt Park-242 St is 137 St. To continue your trip, transfer at 137 St to a Van Cortlandt Park-242 St-bound 1.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, 2 trains run local in both directions between 34 St-Penn Station and Chambers St.
From 6:30 a.m. to 12 midnight, Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29, 3 trains run local in both directions between 34 St-Penn Station Chambers St.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 6:00 a.m. Sunday, March 29, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, March 29 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, Woodlawn-bound 4 trains run express from Grand Central-42 St to 125 St.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, Crown Hts-Utica Av bound 4 trains run local from Grand Central-42 St to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, 5 trains are suspended in both directions between Eastchester-Dyre Av and E 180 St. 5 service operates every 20 minutes between E 180 St and Grand Central-42 St days and evenings only. Free shuttle buses operate all weekend between Eastchester-Dyre Av and E 180 St, stopping at Baychester Av, Gun Hill Rd, Pelham Pkwy, and Morris Park. Transfer between trains and shuttle buses at E 180 St. Bowling Green-bound 5 trains run local from Grand Central-42 St to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall due to MOW track maintenance at 14 St-Union Sq.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, Pelham Bay Park-bound 6 trains run express from Grand Central-42 St to 125 St.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 4:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall bound 6 trains run express from Pelham Bay Park to Parkchester.
From 2:15 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 4:30 a.m. Monday, March 30, 7 trains are suspended in both directions between Times Sq-42 St and Hunters Point Av.
- Use E, F, N and Q trains for service between Manhattan and Queens. The 42 Street S Shuttle operates overnight.
- Free shuttle buses operate between Vernon Blvd-Jackson Av and Queensboro Plaza, stopping at Hunters Point Av, Court Sq, and Queens Plaza.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, A trains are suspended in both directions between Ozone Park-Lefferts Blvd and Rockaway Blvd. Free shuttle buses provide alternate service via 80 St. Howard Beach/Far Rockaway-bound A trains skip 88 St.
- For service to 88 St, take the A to 80 St and transfer to free shuttle buses.
- For service from 88 St toward the Rockaways, take a Brooklyn-bound A to 80 St and transfer to a Howard Beach/Far Rockaway-bound A.
- A service operates between Inwood-207 St and Howard Beach/Far Rockaway.
- Free shuttle buses operate between 80 St and Ozone Park-Lefferts Blvd, stopping at 88 St, Rockaway Blvd, 104 St, and 111 St. Transfer between shuttle buses and A trains at 80 St.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, March 29, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, March 29 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, Inwood-207 St bound A trains run express from Canal St to 59 St-Columbus Circle.
From 6:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29, 168 St-bound C trains run express from Canal St to 59 St-Columbus.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, D trains run local in both directions between W 4 St-Wash Sq and 34 St-Herald Sq.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, March 29, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, March 29 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, Norwood-205 St bound D trains run local from 36 St to Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, Jamaica Center-Parsons Archer bound E trains run express from Canal St to 34 St-Penn St. Uptown E trains skip Spring St, 23 St and 50 St.
From 11:00 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, WTC-bound E trains run local Forest Hills-71 Av to Jackson Hts-Roosevelt Av.
From 10:45 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, Jamaica-179 St bound F trains skip 75 Av, Van Wyck Blvd, and Sutphin Blvd.
From 5:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 30, J trains are suspended in both directions between Hewes St and Chambers St. 46F trains and free shuttle buses provide alternate service.
- J service operates between Jamaica Center-Parsons Archer and Hewes St. Free shuttle buses provide alternate service between Hewes St and Essex St, stopping at Marcy Av. Transfer between trains and free shuttle buses at Hewes St and/or Essex St.
- For direct service between Brooklyn and Manhattan, consider using the A, C or L via transfer at Broadway Junction.
From 5:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29, M trains are suspended in both directions between Myrtle Av and Essex St. J L trains and free shuttle buses provide alternate service.
- M service operates between Metropolitan Av and Myrtle Av. Use the J for service between Myrtle Av and Hewes St. Free shuttle buses provide alternate service between Hewes St and Essex St, stopping at Marcy Av. Transfer between J and M trains at Myrtle Av. Transfer between J trains and free shuttle buses at Hewes St.
- For direct service to/from Manhattan, use the L via transfer at Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, March 29, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, March 29 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, Manhattan-bound N trains run express from 36 St to Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr.
From 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday, March 28 and from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, March 29, Q service is extended to Astoria-Ditmars Blvd.
From 5:45 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29, Manhattan-bound Q trains run express from Kings Hwy to Prospect Park.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, March 29, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, March 29 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, March 30, R trains are suspended in both directions between 59 St and 36 St in Brooklyn.
From 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29, Manhattan-bound R trains run express from 36 St to Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr.
42 St Shuttle
From 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Saturday to Monday, March 28 to March 30, the 42 St S Shuttle operates overnight.
10 comments
It’s about time! And I Quant NY did not blow this issue out of proportion. Riders want to zero out their MetroCards all the time, not just when they happen to hit the zero randomly. The MetroCalc app always came in handy but alas it hasn’t been updated. Hooray for the new MetroCard machines.
who are these “riders” I have partial cards from systems around the U.S. In DC, you can’t buy on a credit card a value under 20 and only in $20s. So it seems pretty typical to leave a few cents on your card. Most of us a lot more important things to worry about than weather the MTA gets a few bucks extra month. In fact I consider that my duty, like paying a little more in taxes.
Not true. I know someone who recently charged $3 in DC.
Why do you want your card to zero out?
I doubt Ben was blaming IQuantNY for the press, although I’m sure IQuantNY was more than happy for the publicity. I think he’s saying the trick got a disproportionate amount of publicity for something anyone could figure out with 2 minutes of Excel work.
The graphic still does not tell you that it zeroes out with a $27.25 purchase. So it’s only a step towards transparency.
It’s also possible to replace expired cards with unexpired cards at a machine. Since I don’t live in the city, my cards eventually expire with money on them, and whenever I visit and try refilling them, the TVM spits out a new card with the same balance. The station agents are only needed for combining two cards into one.
It’s especially useful for visitors – in other words, the people most likely to have a card expire on them with a substantial balance – as they are often less willing to talk to a human, for example if they have limited conversational English skills. One of the things I’ve found New York does the best of every city I’ve ridden subways in is that it makes it possible to buy every normal fare media at a (multilingual) machine, without ever having to interact with a person. In Paris, machines sell tickets and bundles of tickets but you have to see a human to get a weekly or monthly pass; in Stockholm, I don’t know of any way I can refill my SL Access card at a machine; in Boston everything can be done at a machine but I needed to talk to a person to get a CharlieCard; in Shanghai, machines sell single tickets only and you need to talk to a human to get the Shanghai Public Transportation Card; in Vancouver, the machines sell single tickets, and you can only get bundles and passes at convenience stores.
This.
I never understood the hoolaboo of that IQNY article. It was cute and interesting in the way data stories can be, but the buzz that followed it speaks more to people’s rage against the machine…any machine…than the value add that came along with the story.
I don’t feel the need to zero out cards, but I like to have increments of 25ยข.
I would’ve preferred a 10% bonus because the math is easier,