Charting the Subway: High earners prefer OMNY

In my last installment of Charting the Subway, I mapped OMNY usage for each subway station and found that MetroCards dominate the outer boroughs. The geographic correlation to OMNY usage was clear but there had to be more to the story. For this next chart, I wanted to see if there was also an economic one. I focused on the 10 stations where OMNY is used the most and 10 stations where MetroCard is used the most. The most striking finding? The average median income at the top OMNY stations is almost 3x as much as the top MetroCard stations!

Are you surprised? This stark contrast might be unexpected for some, but it highlights the ongoing digital divide that affects various aspects of daily life, including public transportation. It’s worth considering whether this divide impacts the overall efficiency and accessibility of the transit system. As MetroCards are expected to be phased out in 2025, addressing these disparities could be crucial to ensuring equitable access to public transportation services for all residents.

While this data reveals insightful patterns, it also sparks more questions. Is income the most important factor in OMNY usage or does age also play a role? That’s a question for a future chart.