Monday morning could be a breeze for some SmarTrip users.

Metro opened its SmarTrip-only faregates in five stations this morning, creating express lanes that do not accept the paper cards.

Faregates at the New Carrollton, Vienna, Bethesda, Pentagon City and a part of the Anacostia stations — all high-traffic locations rich in SmarTrip users — are part of the pilot project.

About half of the station’s faregates will be converted to the new express lanes. They will be prominently marked with a sign hanging above the special faregates and new graphics wrapped around the gates.

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“It is just an easier way to get [customers] through the gate. It’s like an E-ZPass lane,” said Dan Tangherlini, Metro’s interim general manager, in earlier comments.

Metro officials think the new lanes will allow 32 customers through the gate per minute, compared to the 22 passengers able to get through a regular faregate now.

If the low-cost plan proves successful, express lanes at more stations could follow, Metro officials said.

cgoodman@dcexaminer.com