Please Tap Again At This Turnstile

New “smart card” technology will be introduced in July on the Lexington Avenue line:

Swiping a MetroCard is one step closer to going out of turnstile.

Beginning in mid-July, straphangers on the Lexington Avenue line will be able to whisk through a turnstile by tapping it with a “smart card” — or even by tapping their wallet or purse with the card inside.

The pilot program, which is being jointly paid for by MasterCard and Citibank, will help the MTA decide whether to upgrade the entire system to a “contactless payment” technology.

The six-month trial will be confined to Lexington Avenue stations between 138th Street in the Bronx and Borough Hall in Brooklyn, as well as 23rd Street in Long Island City.

. . .

Straphangers said they are all for anything that speeds up their commute, but will believe it when they see it.

“Sometimes I have to swipe [a MetroCard] 16 times,” said George Rodriguez, 39, who got into the Lincoln Center station yesterday — after three attempts.

“I even missed a train this way once. But how can we be sure it won’t just say ‘Please tap again?'”