By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — The days of "swipe card again at this turnstile" could be numbered as the MTA has unveiled plans for a MetroCard-free tap-and-go payment method for straphangers.
The new program enables commuters on NYC Transit subways and buses to pay their fares using MasterCard PayPass technology where a rider simply taps the card on a sensor as they go through the turnstile or board a bus. The system also works in the NJ Transit and PATH systems.
“By using an open network we'll break down regional barriers and let people travel across the region with a card that's already sitting in their wallets,” said MTA Chairman Jay Walder in a video released to promote the system.
NYC subway rider uses MasterCard PayPass to pay fare as part of six-month contactless payments trial. (MasterCard Worldwide)During a trial period, the new payment system will be available on select train and bus routes, including subway stations on the 4/5/6 line in Manhattan, eight MTA bus routes across the city, and 11 PATH stations (excluding only the Christopher and 9th Street stations).
But some straphangers were concerned the new program could cause confusion.
"I have a MetroCard. I have a SmartLink. I don't know which machine to go to at what point. They need to streamline it. It's crazy," Upper East Side resident Aisha Gayle told WCBS-TV.
Joshua Peirez, chief innovation officer of MasterCard Worldwide, said in the video that the new technology would enable mass transit users to avoid waiting in lines or fumbling "for exact change to purchase fare cards while on the go.”
This isn't the first time the MTA has experimented with swipe-free payment technology. In 2006, the agency partnered with MasterCard and Citigroup to place contactless payment sensors in 30 stations on the Lexington Avenue line. The new program is an extension of the one from four years ago.
For more information, straphangers can visit the MTA's website.
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