How much does MTA make a day?

This daily revenue is from the following sources: * US$19.8 million from dedicated taxes, local taxes and state taxes. * US$17.5 million from passenger ticket sales for public transport use. * US$ 5.5 million from bridge and tunnel tolls.



In 2026, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) operates on a massive scale, moving approximately 6.5 million people daily across subways, buses, and commuter rails. Financially, the MTA's daily revenue from fares and tolls is a multi-million dollar figure, though it represents only a portion of its total operating budget. For the 2026 fiscal year, the MTA has reaffirmed a balanced operating budget, supported by over $2 billion in cumulative operating savings. Daily "earnings" are supplemented by dedicated taxes, government subsidies, and congestion pricing tolls. While exact daily farebox revenue fluctuates, the organization manages an annual operating budget in the billions to cover the high costs of round-the-clock maintenance, labor, and security for the Western Hemisphere's largest transit network.

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About the report on MTA Fare and Toll Evasion Losses to the MTA's operating budget are staggering, with nearly $700 million in revenue not collected in 2022 alone. This includes $315 million lost in bus fares, $285 million in subway fares, $46 million in bridge and tunnel tolls, and $44 million in railroad fares.

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The report also found that the MTA lost $690 million to fare evasion in 2022. Joana Flores, an MTA spokesperson, said the AI system doesn't flag fare evaders to New York police, but she declined to comment on whether that policy could change.

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For the last 40 years, the MTA has taken out loans to help pay for new tracks, stations, trains and buses — and maintain the ones it already owns. Money from fares, tolls and taxes pays back the lenders, plus interest. That business model worked until the pandemic sent ridership plummeting.

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Overall, the MTA's $19.2 billion Adopted Budget for Calendar Year 2023 is divided between Labor costs of $11.5 billion, Non-Labor costs of $4.6 billion, debt service payments of $3.1 billion, and Below- the-line Adjustments of $100 million.

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The current crisis: MTA is projecting a $2.6B annual funding gap in the near future. After debt restructuring and operating efficiencies are implemented, they still expect the gap to be $1.2B. The table below illustrates the 2019 actual and 2023 expected revenue.

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2022 Total ridership was 52.5 million customers, increasing +50.0% above 2021's 35.0 million ridership.

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The New York MTA is a state-run agency with a unionized workforce and an incredible culture of waste. A bombshell 2017 New York Times report found MTA construction costs were 5 times the international average, due to over-payment and duplication from labor unions and private contractors.

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