NYC Subway Riders Bid Farewell to MetroCard After a 32-Year Run

The MetroCard — a blue-and-yellow pass that for more than three decades let riders into New York’s vast subway network with a swipe — will be retired on Wednesday, replaced by the already popular tap-and-go payment system.

Subway tokens preceded the MetroCard.

Source: AP Photo

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority introduced the MetroCard in 1994, bringing what was then modern, magnetic-strip technology to turnstiles that had previously allowed passengers to enter by dropping coin-like tokens that dated back to the 1950s. Prior to that, the subway accepted coins, beginning with a nickel when the system first opened at the turn of the 20th century.

“After 32 years, it’s time ...