A new app that allows riders of the Long Island and Metro-North railroads to purchase tickets with their phones will now be available by the end of the summer.
On Tuesday, Gov. Cuomo announced the accelerated rollout of the MTA’s free eTix app, which was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of 2016 but will now be available to all riders before the end of this summer. RELATED:MTA shows off bus technology that could keep pedestrians, drivers safer “This new app puts riders first by eliminating the ticket line and helping New Yorkers and visitors get where they need to go with more freedom and convenience than ever before,” Cuomo stated. The free app, once installed on a smartphone and linked to a credit card, will allow riders to purchase tickets that will be downloaded directly to their phones, the governor added. Before boarding a train, a rider would then activate the ticket on his phone and show the conductor the phone screen when asked to show his ticket. RELATED:Transit advocates to MTA: Make Queens bus service to LaGuardia free Also with the app, LIRR and Metro-North customers can check schedules and service statuses, according to the governor’s office.
The eTix app will first become available for the LIRR Port Washington Branch and the Metro-North Hudson Line on Tuesday, according to the governor’s office. In late July, eTix will begin functioning for the Metro-North Harlem Line before being implemented throughout the entire system during the week of Aug. 22. Next year, the MTA plans to make the eTix app more user-friendly by allowing LIRR and Metro-North customers who transfer to city buses or subways to pay their fares using a single app and transit account, Cuomo added. RELATED:MTA begins process of replacing the MetroCard “We will continue to create a 21st century transit system that embraces innovation to ensure that we are building a stronger, more competitive New York,” Cuomo stated.
Customers who prefer paper tickets will be unaffected by the new app, the governor added.
Technology is frightening to a bureaucracy but the @MTA did it with a new eTix app and its overall modernization. pic.twitter.com/b8BDrCDOrf
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 5, 2016
