If you ride around New York City and across the Hudson, the biggest fare confusion in 2026 is not the subway itself. It is the boundary lines: what counts toward the OMNY weekly fare cap, what still requires PATH’s separate payment system, and where the Roosevelt Island Tram fits in.
The short answer is:
- OMNY’s 7-day fare cap applies to MTA subways and buses, and it also includes the Roosevelt Island Tram.
- PATH is separate. It does not use OMNY; it uses TAPP, PATH’s own contactless payment system.
- A PATH ride does not count toward your OMNY cap, and an OMNY-capped week does not make PATH free.
- As of August 27, 2026, PATH still accepts MetroCard and SmartLink only until September 1, 2026; after that date, riders must use TAPP or another PATH-accepted payment option instead of MetroCard/SmartLink.OMNY fare cap OMNY fares PATH official site PATH fare changes PDF
Below is a practical reference guide to how these three fare systems work together.
The big picture: these are two fare systems, not one
For riders, the easiest way to think about this is:
- OMNY/MTA system: New York City Transit subways, local buses, Select Bus Service, Staten Island Railway, and some partner services listed by OMNY, including the Roosevelt Island Tram.OMNY fare cap How OMNY Works
- PATH system: The Port Authority’s rail service between Manhattan and New Jersey, which uses TAPP rather than OMNY.PATH official site
That means there is no single unlimited pass that covers all three in the way many riders hope. Even though OMNY and TAPP are both contactless tap-to-pay systems, they are run by different agencies and do not share a weekly cap or transfer pool.OMNY fare cap PATH official site
How the OMNY weekly fare cap works in 2026
OMNY’s standard 7-day fare cap is the 2026 replacement for the old mental model of a 7-Day Unlimited MetroCard, but with one important difference: you do not buy the week upfront. Instead, you tap and pay as you go, and free rides kick in automatically after you hit the cap.OMNY fares
The standard cap amount
OMNY says the standard fare cap is $35 within a 7-day period. Once you have paid 12 rides within that 7-day window, additional eligible rides during the same period are free. For registered Reduced-Fare OMNY customers, the cap is $17.50.OMNY fare cap OMNY fares
The seven-day period does not run Monday through Sunday by default. It starts with your first tap and continues for the next seven days. Then it resets and begins again with your next tap.OMNY fares
What counts toward the cap
According to OMNY, the $35 cap applies to trips taken within a 7-day period on:
- MTA subways
- local and Select buses
- Staten Island Railway
- Hudson Rail Link
- Roosevelt Island Tram
- NICE buses
- Westchester Bee-LineOMNY fare cap
That list matters because many riders assume the tram is a tourist-style exception. It is not: the tram is part of the standard cap’s eligible services.OMNY fare cap
What does not count
OMNY’s official fare-cap guidance says express buses, group trips, and transfers do not count toward the cap.OMNY fares
Two practical implications follow:
- If you tap repeatedly to pay for yourself and friends, only your first tap counts toward your own cap. Additional taps are charged, but they do not help you reach free rides faster.OMNY fare cap
- If you switch payment methods midweek — for example, physical card one day and Apple Pay version of that same card the next — OMNY treats those as different payment methods for cap purposes.OMNY fare cap
The most common mistake: changing how you tap
OMNY is explicit that each payment method has its own cap tracker. A physical bank card and the digital version of that card in your phone do not combine automatically.OMNY fare cap
So if your goal is to reach the cap, use the same exact method every time:
- same phone and same wallet card, or
- same contactless bank card, or
- same OMNY card.OMNY fares OMNY fare cap
Does the tram count as one of the 12 paid rides?
Yes. Because the Roosevelt Island Tram is listed as part of the standard fare-cap network, a tram ride paid with the same OMNY payment method can count toward reaching the 12 paid rides / $35 cap, just like eligible subway and local bus rides do.OMNY fare cap
How to pay for PATH in 2026
PATH is a separate railroad operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and in 2026 it is finishing a major fare-payment transition away from legacy media.
PATH does not use OMNY
The official PATH site says PATH uses TAPP — Total Access PATH Payment — as its contactless fare payment system. With TAPP, riders can pay directly at the turnstile using a contactless credit card, debit card, or smart device.PATH official site
That sounds similar to OMNY because both are open-loop contactless systems, but they are not interchangeable. A successful tap on a PATH turnstile is processed by PATH’s system, not by OMNY.PATH official site
MetroCard and SmartLink are ending at PATH
The key 2026 date is September 1, 2026. PATH’s official website states that starting on September 1, 2026, all SmartLink Cards and MetroCards will no longer be accepted at PATH. The same notice tells customers to use their remaining balances before September 1.PATH official site
Because today is August 27, 2026, that change is still a few days away as of this article’s publication date. If you are reading this later, check PATH’s current fare page in case the transition is already complete or PATH has added more rider guidance.PATH official site
PATH fare in 2026
A Port Authority fare-change document shows that PATH’s single-ride fare became $3.25 effective May 3, 2026, up from $3.00, with additional planned increases in later years. The same document says reduced fare for seniors and riders with qualifying disabilities remains at 50% of the single-ride fare.PATH fare changes PDF
So for most riders in 2026, the baseline PATH question is straightforward: expect a $3.25 single ride unless you qualify for a reduced fare or PATH announces a different product structure for your rider category.PATH fare changes PDF
Practical PATH payment advice for the 2026 switchover
If you still have a PATH-oriented MetroCard or SmartLink balance in late August 2026, use it before September 1, 2026. After that date, PATH says those cards will no longer be accepted.PATH official site
For everyday riders, the simplest replacement is usually to tap with:
- a contactless credit card,
- a contactless debit card, or
- a smartphone or wearable configured for contactless payment through TAPP.PATH official site
Is the Roosevelt Island Tram included in the subway or OMNY fare?
Yes — in the sense that the tram uses the standard MTA fare structure and accepts OMNY. No — in the sense that it is not a free bonus ride just because you are near the subway. You still have to pay a fare to enter the tram, and if you ride back, you pay again unless you are within the normal transfer rules or have already reached your OMNY cap.RIOC tram page OMNY fare cap
What the tram accepts
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation says the tram accepts standard MTA fares, including OMNY tap-to-pay and unlimited passes.RIOC tram page
RIOC also says the fare structure is the same as the MTA and notes that passengers must exit at each stop and pay again to return to the other side.RIOC older tram fare page
Does the tram count toward OMNY’s weekly cap?
Yes. OMNY specifically lists the Roosevelt Island Tram among the services covered by the standard $35 seven-day cap.OMNY fare cap
So if you commute by subway most of the week and add a tram ride or two using the same OMNY payment method, those rides can help you reach the cap.OMNY fare cap
Is the tram included with a subway unlimited pass or fare logic?
RIOC says the tram accepts unlimited passes and standard MTA fares, which is why many New Yorkers treat it like another fare-controlled part of the MTA network rather than a separate attraction ticket.RIOC tram page
For OMNY users specifically, the modern equivalent is the fare cap rather than buying a new 7-day unlimited MetroCard upfront. In practice, that means the tram is functionally part of the same capped ride universe as the subway and local bus for OMNY cap purposes.OMNY fares OMNY fare cap
How these fares work together on real trips
Here are the combinations riders ask about most often.
Subway + Roosevelt Island Tram
If you tap the subway and later tap into the Roosevelt Island Tram using the same OMNY payment method, both are within the OMNY ecosystem, and the tram is one of the services that can count toward the weekly cap.OMNY fare cap
Subway + PATH
These are separate fares. Your subway ride is handled by OMNY; your PATH ride is handled by TAPP. A PATH tap does not advance your OMNY cap, and hitting your OMNY cap does not make PATH free.OMNY fare cap PATH official site
PATH + Roosevelt Island Tram
These are also separate fares. PATH is Port Authority/TAPP; the tram is standard MTA fare/OMNY-compatible. Riding PATH does not create a transfer to the tram under the OMNY cap system.PATH official site OMNY fare cap
Subway + PATH + Roosevelt Island Tram in one week
You can absolutely use all three in one week, but think of it as:
- OMNY bucket: subway, local bus, and tram rides count together toward the cap if eligible and paid the same way.
- PATH bucket: every PATH ride is charged under PATH/TAPP rules separately.OMNY fare cap PATH official site
Quick answers to the questions people usually mean
“If I hit the OMNY weekly cap, is PATH free too?”
No. PATH is separate and uses TAPP, not OMNY.PATH official site
“Is the Roosevelt Island Tram included in OMNY?”
Yes. The tram accepts OMNY, uses the standard MTA fare structure, and is listed as part of OMNY’s standard fare-cap network.RIOC tram page OMNY fare cap
“Does the tram count toward the 12 rides?”
Yes, as an eligible OMNY-capped service.OMNY fare cap
“Can I still use MetroCard on PATH in 2026?”
Yes through August 31, 2026; no starting September 1, 2026, according to PATH’s official notice.PATH official site
“If I use Apple Pay one day and my physical card the next, does OMNY combine them?”
No. OMNY says each payment method tracks its own cap separately.OMNY fare cap
Bottom line
In 2026, the cleanest rule is this: OMNY covers the subway, local buses, and the Roosevelt Island Tram for fare-cap purposes, but PATH is a separate system with separate payment. The Roosevelt Island Tram is not outside the MTA fare world; it is inside it. PATH, however, sits outside that cap and is moving fully away from MetroCard and SmartLink on September 1, 2026 in favor of TAPP.OMNY fare cap PATH official site
If you want to avoid surprise charges, use the same OMNY payment method all week for subway and tram trips, and treat every PATH ride as its own separate fare.OMNY fares PATH official site