The MTA has hit many milestones throughout the school year, and has more to accomplish moving forward! Here are some of the most important NYC transit milestones that have occurred recently: 

• The student OMNY card was released for the start of the 2024–2025 school year, replacing the student MetroCard. While the student MetroCard was limited to only three rides per weekday, from 5:30 AM to 8:30 PM, the student OMNY card can be used at any time, four times a day during every day of the year. It can even be used throughout the summer. Additionally, one OMNY card is usable for a full year upon issue in September, while the MetroCards were only usable for one-semester periods. 

  

• The first R211S train entered passenger service on the Staten Island Railway (SIR) on October 8, 2024. This marked the first time that Staten Island received new trains since the 1970s, when the R44 trains entered service. The R211S is replacing the R44 on the SIR, and seven of the 15 new trains are in passenger service at this time. All 15 trains should be in service by this fall.   
• One of the most interesting weekend service changes occurred for two weekends in November. The replacement of switches at 59 St–Columbus Circle on the A, B, C, and D lines required C service to be suspended, while the A and D lines ran split service (the B doesn’t run on weekends). One section

  

  of the A line was rerouted via the F line from West 4 St to Lexington Av–63 St, and then via the Q line to 96 St–2 Av. While A trains were terminating at 96 St–2 Av, Q service was truncated to Times Square. Although this reroute attracted many transit enthusiasts for documentation purposes, passengers were left confused, seeing a blue line running in full yellow-line territory.

• After being postponed in June, congestion pricing was implemented on January 5, charging drivers $2.25 during off-peak hours and $9 during peak hours to enter Manhattan south of 60th St. Within a month of implementation, congestion pricing raised over $48.7 million in funding for the MTA. 
• Throughout late 2024, a mysterious track defect in the 63rd St Tunnel caused the wheels of the R160 trains running on the E, F, G, and R lines to easily go flat and wear out, requiring many to be removed from service for maintenance. The shortage led to the G line switching from newer R160 trains to older R46/R68/R68A trains, and several R179 trains from the A line were sent to the F line. Additionally, many rush hour trains that would normally run on the R line were canceled, leading to significantly longer wait times. Rush hour E trains that run over the F line to and from Jamaica–179 St in Queens were also suspended. As of now, R service has mostly been restored, but the rush hour E service to and from Jamaica–179 St remains suspended until the end of 2025, along with rush hour <F> express service in Brooklyn, which has been newly suspended.

  

  The G will continue to use older R46 trains until further notice.

• In early March, two five-car open gangway R211T trains debuted on the G line, having transferred over from the C, where they had been running since they entered passenger service in February 2024. In late May, the other two five-car R211Ts also transferred over from the C to the G.
• From January 17 to May 19, 2025, there was no A train service between Howard Beach and the Rockaways due to major upgrades to the bridges carrying trains across Broad Channel, following major damage during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The Rockaway Shuttle was made fare free, running between Rockaway Park and Far Rockaway, and free shuttle buses ran on two routes. The Q97 provided nonstop service between Howard Beach and Far Rockaway, and the Q109 provided local service between Howard Beach and Beach 67 St, stopping at Broad Channel and Beach 90th St in between. Many QM15 express buses charging the usual

  

  $7 fare were also extended from Howard Beach to Arverne in the Rockaways. 

• After being closed since May 2024, the Flushing-bound platforms at 82 St-Jackson Heights and 111 St on the 7 line reopened in late January. This made them the first two stations to be fully completed as part of the line’s major renovation project. On May 6, the Flushing-bound platform at 103 St-Corona Plaza closed for renovations and is expected to reopen in the first quarter of 2026.
• As the summer approaches, it’s important to note that while all subway cars have air conditioning, it doesn’t always work. The 1 line is especially notorious for having broken ACs in its R62A trains every summer. If you encounter a hot car in the summer, you can report the car number and train line to the MTA by texting them on WhatsApp, using a help intercom on station platforms, or tagging @NYCTSubway on X. Once the MTA receives the report, the train car will be taken out of service for repairs. 
• The bus network in Queens will be undergoing drastic changes through two phases on June 29 and August 31 as part of the Queens Bus Network Redesign. Other than the Q44, Q53, and Q70 Select Bus Service routes, all routes in the borough will be changed or eliminated. Several new routes will be introduced as well. One of my previous articles, which describes the redesign in depth, can be found on The Echo’s website, and you can also check out the MTA’s page on the redesign.