If we're honest, America's two largest cities—New York and Los Angeles—have more in common than not. But even someone who's never been within a thousand miles of either knows one lives by the car, while the other lives by the subway. And there's a massive change coming in the new year to the latter. We're talking about the MetroCard, a flimsy bit of plastic whose use has been a part of the New York groove since 1994. And by the time this year is up, it'll be headed for the scrapheap like so many R46 subway cars.

The MetroCard replaced the NYC subway token which—among other things—was awkward, expensive to produce, and for a time was undercut by Connecticut Turnpike tokens. They worked in the subway, but could be purchased in rolls of 40 for 17.5¢ each versus the 75¢ (later 90¢) the MTA charged. Remarkably, this only ended when a fleet of MTA armored trucks descended on Hartford to redeem their stash. (I want my $350,000! -Ed.) Interstate showdowns notwithstanding, the subway token became an icon of the system and the city itself, so much so that the New York Transit Museum has an entire line of token-themed collectibles.

That said, as iconic as the token is, over the past 30-plus years the MetroCard rose to that same level for a new generation of New Yorkers. Essentially the city version of a driver's license, it became ubiquitous and even spawned one-off collaborations. No subway token ever featured David Bowie, work by Barbara Kruger, the 1994 Rangers, "soundsuits" by Nick Cave, or LL Cool J. (And, yes, there was a Supreme collab, too. -Ed.) Tellingly, the Transit Museum offers just as many—if not more—MetroCard collectibles as they do token goods.

Still, in a city that's all about speed and has embraced tap-to-pay accordingly, it was only a matter of time before the MetroCard met the same fate as physical credit cards. The new system is called OMNY and a rational person would agree that it's faster and easier. But for the romantic, the MetroCard is as much a physical symbol of the city (the machines themselves have been immortalized at MoMA) and a function of it. Knowing the speed and angle of the perfect MetroCard swipe is a mark of a local; not knowing either is the mark of a tourist—or at least a candidate for president. (And sometimes it doesn't matter who you are. -Ed.)

Whenever OMNY fully takes over the city transit system is up for debate, but it'll be a sea change in how New Yorkers get around. Yet as much sense as tap-and-go makes, some of us will swipe on to the bitter end, clinging to a vestige of the city we first knew like the hopeless romantics we are.

MetroCards Will Be Officially Phased Out By 2024, Replaced By OMNY [via Secret NYC]