>this would be an easy win It'd be far from easy. The cost and magnitude of a project like this would be enormous for the entire subway system, and the MTA is

>this would be an easy win It'd be far from easy. The cost and magnitude of a project like this would be enormous for the entire subway system, and the MTA is not without bureaucracy. As others have pointed out, the subway has far more pressing modernization issues that rank higher than this. I lived in London for several years before moving to NY this year and the failure rate of swiping my MetroCard is about the same as touch issues with my Oyster card / contactless debit card in London. While it would be a great advancement technologically, there really isn't a pressing need to replace the swipe card anytime soon. There are definitely many advantages to contactless cards, but I'd rather the MTA focus their efforts on something with much more of a benefit. E.g., real-time train information, something that also requires a huge infrastructure change, but one that would have a greater benefit to travelers.