"Take me to your subway." (MTA)

It now looks almost certain that the Metrocard is going up to $2.50 next week, with monthlies costing $112, up from $104, at least that is what MTA chief Joe Lhota is recommending in a letter he sent to the board yesterday [PDF]. But at least we will be getting a little something for that extra coin—free audiobooks.

The MTA announced today that it is continuing its front-of-Metrocard ad campaign, which kicked off in October with Metrocards bearing Gap ads on them. Those doubled as 15 percent-off coupons heralding the arrival of the budget clothier's new Herald Square flagship. Now, Audible will be taking up some prime MTA real estate with Metrocard ads, including a code for a free audiobook.

“We’re very pleased by the continuing high level of interest that advertisers are showing toward the MetroCard as a medium for promotions,” Paul Fleuranges, the MTA’s Director of Corporate and Internal Communications, said in a release. “This confirms that our decision to re-launch the MetroCard advertising program this year was the right move.”

Of course it is easy to get a free audiobook from Audible already, either from your favorite podcast to ads in magazines, but it does feel nice that your Metrocard might actually have some added value beyond getting you to work on time if you're lucky. Granted, you could probably just punch in the proffered URL, audible.com/NYSubway, and get a free audiobook without actually having to buy one of these Metrocards. It does not appear to require any special proof of purchase at this time.

The MTA also announced a new back-of Metrocard ad for mobile phone service Simple Mobile. Now that we can use our phones in more and more train stations, being able to pay $40 a month for unlimited calling could come in handy.

Be bright, like... the Subway? (MTA)

Swipe and save. (MTA)

The MTA is not exactly known for its fashion sense. There are the workaday uniforms and the baggy tailored suits of the boardroom. The LIRR and MetroNorth conductors wear hats to make Anna Wintour swoon, but that's about it.

But now the agency will be enjoying a little fashion cache (but really, only a little) plus some extra cash thanks to The Gap. The middlebrow San Francisco clothier is the first firm to purchase the MTA's new ads on the front of Metrocards, the agency announced today. The cards are now on sale in vending machines throughout the subway system, and the ad cards are expected to account for about 10 percent of all Metrocards in the coming months.

“Opening up the front of MetroCards to advertising gives the MTA a new source of revenue,” MTA Chairman and CEO Joe Lhota said in a statement. “We will monitor public acceptance of ads going forward to ensure that it doesn’t interfere with use of the transit system. There is no reason why the MTA shouldn’t put every resource it can toward helping its fragile finances.”

It seems New Yorkers might actually be rushing out to buy a new ad-enhanced Metrocard even if they don't need one, and not just because they want to do their part for those fragile finances. In addition to providing passage to the subway and the coy message "BE BRIGHT NYC," the new cards also double as a 20 percent coupon at any Gap stores. The campaign is meant to drive (make that transit) New Yorkers to the refurbished Gap flagship in Herald Square.

Better living through Metrocards. (MTA)

What may be even more exciting are the HealthPlus Metrocards, where the ads are only on the backside of the card but they promise "Free or low-cost health insurance." But that deal is probably as reliable as a C-Train.

The MTA has been running ads and other material (9/11 commemorations, sustainability spots) on the back of the Metrocards for a few years now, but this is the first time the front of the cars have change in 15 years. That is when the MTA integrated the cards on both subways and buses and started offering free transfers. The color scheme was inverted, as well, from navy background with yellow lettering from when the cards were first introduced in 1993 to the yellow background with navy lettering that we know so well today.

That may be a fading memory, though, as it sounds like Metrocard ads are here to stay.

“Since we first announced that we would accept branded MetroCards, our phones have been ringing non-stop with inquires,” said Paul Fleuranges, the MTA’s Senior Director of Corporate and Internal Communications. “In the coming months, MTA customers will see other branded cards in the system. Like The Gap, advertisers are looking to showcase their logo and provide customers with a call to action."

So much for those smart cards.