MTA’s overbudget OMNY running late

The MTA’s OMNY tap-and-go fare system is millions of dollars over budget and 15 months behind schedule, transit officials conceded Monday.

The project cost has spiked from $591 million last June to $772 million, the MTA said. As a result, vending machines and single-ride OMNY tickets will not begin installation until September — eight months behind schedule, MTA new fare payment systems director Amy Linden told board members.

She attributed the soaring cost and schedule woes to software “contractor issues,” “COVID safety protocols” for installing vending machines and added demands to the contract, including commuter railroad integration and new fare structures.

“The original OMNY delivery schedule has been a challenge,” Linden said. “It was overly aggressive from the very beginning with no space to address unforeseen needs or circumstances, creating a high degree of risk to the delivery schedule.”

Under the new schedule, OMNY’s rollout will wrap up on buses and subways in the first quarter of 2024, and on Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North six months later.

Linden said the MTA’s initial plan for OMNY on railroads was “rushed and not fully developed” until recently, which altered the cost and timeline. Officials also added a new assignment to the contract in November to ensure that riders who accumulate 13 or more trips between midnight Monday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday are not charged more than $33.

Meanwhile, additional changes “may add cost to the project,” the MTA’s independent engineering consultant Joseph Devito warned the board.

“We are concerned that contract and software issues could impact customer experience if they persist,” Devito said.