New York will let you pay for subway rides with your phone... in 2021

The rumble of a train coming down the tracks to the station fills the underground air, but the turnstile is still 30 feet away. It'll be at least another 15 minutes until the next northbound R comes rolling through. As the rumbles turns to screeching brakes, the yellow MetroCard slashes forward.

"PLEASE SWIPE AGAIN"

The train stops and the doors open.

"PLEASE SWIPE AGAIN"

People shuffle in and out of the closest car.

"PLEASE SWIPE AGAIN"

"PLEASE SWIPE AGAIN"

The doors close and the train rolls out as Hillary Clinton becomes the latest hapless victim of an inefficient and frustrating payment system.

This tragedy would never have happened, though, if the New York City subway accepted contactless payments from phones. That doesn't exist, but it's now officially planned: New Yorkers will see a public transportation payment overhaul that will allow riders to use their smartphones to pay for trips.

However, they'll probably be waiting years for the privilege. The system isn't expected to be in place until 2021.

Early on Thursday, New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority put out a public call for bids from private vendors to install a new contactless payment system for public transportation.

It won't be completed until at least 2021

The MTA is calling the project the New Fare Payment System, and it's not just limited to smartphones. Riders will be able to use contactless bank cards and smart cards in addition to mobile devices for payment. The NFPS will be account-based instead of card-based, allowing commuters and visitors to use public transportation without needing to keep a MetroCard on them at all times.

The contract is set to last for 69 months, which means it won't be completed until at least 2021 but it could start trickling into some buses and stations in the next couple of years.

The estimated cost for this project is listed at "over $10 million," which is probably a huge underestimation considering the MTA estimated that same project at $450 million in January 2015. MTA-NYCT is accepting proposals for the NFPS from now until the end of June.

This move to introduce a new payment system is one of many advancements New York's public transportation advancements is doing. Wi-Fi is coming to subway stations around the city, and the MTA recently announced upgraded public buses with Wi-Fi and charging ports. 

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