Since construction of 2nd Avenue subway line restarted few years ago there were a lot of disruption for small businesses along it and everyone was blaming the MTA. So this new metrocard suppose to promote shopping along the 2nd Avenue saying that they all are open for business.

Card has been distributed on stations along 4/5/6 subway line on Lexington Avenue from 51 street station up to North to 96 street station.

This metrocard has been sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank and distributed on the streets of Manhattan near branches of former Wachovia bank acquired by Wells Fargo on the day when all has been finalized and branches were renamed. I assume that there not many cards have been made and card will be fairly rare.

Distributed card has one ride ($2.25) encoded on it. Cards have been given out in matching folder. There is also a matching subway map of Manhattan and location of Wells Fargo branches in this NYC borough.

I would like to thank representatives of Wells Fargo bank for their help to acquire this set.

MTA recently started new advertisement campaign with posters all over the place – in buses, trains, stations, MTA web site and etc. That campaign is about how good MTA really is and how quickly it reacts to problems and etc.

All metrocards reflect one of those posters.

First one: Can our buses go faster? You bet. This is about bus only lanes on many streets of the city with restrictions for other vehicles to use.
Second: MTA.info now has more info.
Third: Our apps are whiz kid certified.
Fourth: Improvements don’t just happen
Fifth: A city is only as good as its transit system (How funny this sentence is. NYC transit system is not as good as any Japanese is.)
Sixth: There’s safety in numbers
Seventh: Isn’t nice to know when your train will come?

MTA started this series as promotion for Holiday season in 2010 and continue still. Original cards had circulation of 1 million.

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In 2010 MTA introduced new design for metrocard purchased at JFK connection subway stations: Sutphin Blvd/Archer Ave and Howard Beach. The run of this metrocard is 10 million. However, since then MTA issued the same card with variations color, font, phone number and etc.

MTA and NYPD wanted New Yorkers to report on any suspicious packages or activities in mass transit. Card has huge circulation, still available at this time and has 2 variations: English and Spanish. English version first was issued in 2004. Spanish version appears in 2005.

There are very little numbers of this metrocard with ‘S’ serial number. Another variation with serial number starting with ‘T’ and ending with ‘S’. New versions English and Spanish appeared in 2011.