City Council Speaker Christine Quinn yesterday promised that if elected mayor, she’d push for what transit officials have been talking about for several years — installing a no-swipe fare system.
“Soon, the days of seeing that dreaded message, ‘Please swipe again,’ and not knowing if you’re really getting charged again or not will come to an end,” Quinn said, adding that her goal is to get the system running by 2016.
MTA officials have said the MetroCard system cannot be maintained beyond 2019 because it will need costly technological upgrades.
The agency is now working to improve Internet connections below ground in order to get stations ready to put a new system in place at some point, an MTA spokesman said.
Transit officials have yet to put a cost on a no-swipe system because they’re not exactly sure what technology they’ll be using.
Quinn is hoping that commuters will be able to wave cards linked to their bank accounts over sensors at subway turnstiles.
Her comments included a not-so-subtle poke at former MTA chief and current GOP mayoral front-runner Joe Lhota, who left the transit authority after less than a year to run for mayor.
“A combination of faulty planning, turnover in leadership and misguided prioritizing have stymied this effort,” Quinn said.
Lhota yesterday said he favors a new system getting rid of MetroCards but added it would not be easy, given the funding problems at the agency.
“The next mayor needs to make sure the MTA, which has no capital program as of 2015, has the funding to implement this and other projects that will expand the system and provide better service to New York City’s residents and visitors,” Lhota said.
Quinn wants mayoral control of the state agency — something Lhota and other candidates, such as Anthony Weiner, also want.
Also yesterday, Sen. Charles Schumer called on the Federal Transportation Safety Board to conduct an independent investigation of the frequency and economic impact of heat-related delays on city transit.