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Is the Roosevelt Island Tram Included With an OMNY Subway Fare?

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Roosevelt Island tram, NYC
Image: Photo by Pinterest

If you are wondering whether the Roosevelt Island Tram is part of the same fare system as the subway, the short answer is yes. The tram accepts the standard MTA fare, including OMNY tap-to-pay, and it honors the same free transfer rules that apply between the subway and local bus when you use the same card or device within two hours. The key exception is that the tram is not free in both directions: if you ride over and then immediately ride back, you must pay again. RIOC’s tram page, RIOC’s tram FAQ, and the MTA’s subway and bus fare page all support that basic rule.

The direct answer: is the tram included with an OMNY subway fare?

Yes, if you are transferring. If you pay for the subway with OMNY and then board the Roosevelt Island Tram within the MTA transfer window, the tram is treated like part of the same fare system. The MTA says riders get one free transfer within two hours of paying the fare when going subway to bus, bus to subway, or bus to bus, and RIOC specifically says the tram accepts standard MTA fares, including OMNY, and that transfers from the bus or subway are accepted. Because the tram uses the MTA fare structure, that means a qualifying subway-to-tram trip works like a normal transfer so long as you use the same OMNY payment method. MTA subway and bus fares, RIOC tram, RIOC tram FAQ

No, if you mean “can I keep riding back and forth for one fare?” RIOC says you must pay each way, and its FAQ states plainly: “Yes, you must pay each way (two MetroCard fares).” So a round trip is not included in one fare unless your second ride independently qualifies under transfer rules, which a simple return trip generally does not. RIOC tram FAQ

Current Roosevelt Island Tram fare

The Roosevelt Island Tram uses the same fare as the subway and local bus. As of 2026, the MTA lists the standard subway and local bus fare at $3.00 for most riders, and RIOC says the tram accepts standard MTA fares. MTA fares and tolls, MTA subway and bus fares, RIOC tram

Children follow the same general rule used on the subway and bus: up to three children under 44 inches tall may ride free with a fare-paying adult. RIOC states that rule for the tram directly. RIOC tram

What payment methods the tram accepts

RIOC says the tram accepts:

For OMNY, the MTA says you can tap with a:

One practical point matters a lot: to get a free transfer, the MTA says you should use the same card or device when transferring so you are not charged twice. If you tap into the subway with one phone wallet card and then tap the tram with a different card, the system may treat them as separate fares. MTA subway and bus fares

How OMNY transfers work with the tram

The transfer rule is simple in practice:

  1. Enter the subway using OMNY.
  2. Exit at Lexington Av/59 St or Lexington Av/63 St in Manhattan, depending on your route.
  3. Walk to the Manhattan tram station at Second Avenue between East 59th Street and East 60th Street.
  4. Tap the same OMNY card or device at the tram turnstile.

If you are within the allowed transfer window and using the same payment method, the tram ride should be treated as your transfer rather than a new full-fare ride. RIOC confirms the Manhattan tramway location and says transfers from bus or subway are accepted; the MTA explains the same-card, one-free-transfer, two-hour rule. RIOC tram FAQ, MTA subway and bus fares

Important limitation: the tram is not an out-of-system subway transfer point

The MTA officially lists only certain out-of-system subway-to-subway walking transfers, such as Lexington Av/59 St ↔ Lexington Av/63 St. The tram is not listed by the MTA as a subway station transfer point; instead, it is a separate fare gate that uses the same MTA fare system. In other words, your tram transfer works because the tram accepts the MTA fare structure, not because the tram station is itself a subway station. That distinction matters if you are planning more complex chained trips. MTA subway and bus fares

Reduced fares on the tram

Reduced fares are available for eligible riders, and the tram is included.

The MTA says reduced fares are half the regular fare for seniors and riders with qualifying disabilities. The MTA fare pages show the base subway and local bus fare is $3.00, so half fare is $1.50 under the 2026 fare structure. MTA fares and tolls, MTA subway and bus fares

For the tram specifically, MTA Reduced-Fare materials and OMNY materials state that reduced-fare eligibility applies on the Roosevelt Island Tram. The MTA’s Reduced-Fare OMNY terms list the tram among the eligible systems, and MTA/OMNY materials say reduced-fare customers continue to receive the same half-price fares on the tram as they do elsewhere in the system. MTA Reduced-Fare Program OMNY terms, MTA reduced-fare notice, OMNY detailed information

For OMNY fare capping, OMNY says the $35 weekly fare cap applies to trips on MTA subways, local and select buses, the Staten Island Railway, the Hudson Rail Link, the Roosevelt Island Tram, NICE buses, and Bee-Line, and that Reduced Fare OMNY customers have a $17.50 cap in a seven-day period. OMNY fare cap

Tram hours, frequency, and service considerations

RIOC lists the tram’s regular operating hours as:

RIOC also says service typically runs:

Operating conditions can matter. Because the tram is an aerial system, RIOC sometimes posts advisories for weather, maintenance, or temporary outages. Riders who need a backup should know that the F subway, Q102 bus, and NYC Ferry Astoria route also serve Roosevelt Island in different ways. RIOC advisories, NYC Ferry Astoria route

Accessibility on the tram and nearby connections

RIOC says tram cabins provide accessible service for riders with mobility devices, as well as for strollers and bicycles. RIOC tram

For subway connections, MTA accessibility guides identify the Roosevelt Island F station as having street-level elevators. That makes the F train the most straightforward fully rail-based accessible connection to the island for many riders. MTA accessibility guide

Two cautions:

Subway to tram: step-by-step directions in Manhattan

For most riders coming from the subway, these are the simplest transfer options.

Option 1: From the N, R, W, 4, 5, or 6 to the tram

  1. Take the subway to Lexington Av/59 St.
  2. Follow signs to street level.
  3. Walk east toward Second Avenue.
  4. Go to the tram station on Second Avenue between East 59th Street and East 60th Street.
  5. Tap the same OMNY card or device you used in the subway.
  6. Board the next tram to Roosevelt Island. RIOC tram FAQ, MTA subway and bus fares

Option 2: From the F or Q to the tram in Manhattan

  1. Take the subway to Lexington Av/63 St.
  2. If needed, use the MTA’s free out-of-system transfer by walking to Lexington Av/59 St.
  3. Continue east to Second Avenue and the tram station.
  4. Tap with the same OMNY payment method. MTA subway and bus fares, RIOC tram FAQ

Coming from Roosevelt Island instead

If you are already on Roosevelt Island and want Manhattan, enter at Tramway Plaza on the island, tap OMNY, and ride to the Manhattan station. If you then continue to the subway, use the same card or device for any qualifying transfer. RIOC tram, MTA subway and bus fares

Tram vs. subway vs. ferry vs. bus: what is different?

Roosevelt Island Tram

Best for:

Tradeoffs:

F subway

Best for:

Tradeoffs:

NYC Ferry

Best for:

Tradeoffs:

The ferry’s Astoria route serves Roosevelt Island. NYC Ferry Astoria route

Q102 bus

Best for:

Tradeoffs:

Practical tips so you are not charged twice

Bottom line

Yes, the Roosevelt Island Tram is included in the MTA fare system and can be included with an OMNY subway fare as a free transfer, provided you use the same OMNY payment method within two hours. The tram currently costs the standard MTA fare of $3.00 for most riders, accepts OMNY, honors reduced fares, and is accessible. But it is not a free round trip: if you simply ride over and come back, you should expect to pay again.

Sources

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