When people outside New York think of the city, they probably picture the massive skyscrapers and streets choked with traffic. When people inside the city are asked to describe some of the things that make New York, New York there is a good bet that at least a couple of them will come up with the old recognizable MetroCards. 

These cards are what allows people who are going about their morning commutes to hop on the massive subway system and head off to work. While these MetroCards have taken on a couple of different looks over the years, it appears that the newest design, complete with advertisements and discounts are getting tongues wagging the most.



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The new MetroCard was so different looking from what people are used to seeing that some people wondered if these were the official MetroCards or some sort of advertisement made to look like those well known and well used cards. The front of the card is deep blue and has a slogan that reads “Be Bright NYC.” The back of the card is a bright yellow and has an advertisement for a discount at one of the biggest retailers in the country.

This is not the first time that the MetroCard has had some advertisements on it, but the Gap ad on the back of the card is the first time that advertising has been so big. All of this is a way for the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority to try and get a little more revenue from the use of this card. The Gap is the first company to try and take advantage of this new larger ad space but it doesn’t appear they will be the only company taking part. 

“Opening up the front of MetroCards to advertising gives the M.T.A. a new source of revenue,” Joseph J. Lhota, the authority’s chairman, said in a news release. “We will monitor public acceptance of ads going forward to ensure that it doesn’t interfere with use of the transit system.”