The largest share of MTA revenue — $7.222 billion — comes from dedicated taxes and subsidies the Authority receives from the cities and states that we serve. Another $6.870 billion comes from fares and tolls.

That’s an excellent question, but the answer is more complex than a simple “profit” number. The New York City subway is operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public-benefit corporation. Its primary goal is to provide a public service, not to generate a profit.

Here’s a breakdown of the subway’s finances, focusing on revenue versus costs:

1. Operating Revenue (The “Money It Makes”)

In 2023 (pre-pandemic numbers are higher), the subway’s operating revenue came from: Farebox Revenue: This is the money from fares (OMNY, MetroCard). This typically covers only 30-40% of the system’s operating costs. In the 2023 adopted budget, fare and toll revenue for the entire MTA (including buses, bridges, tunnels) was projected at ~$6.7 billion. Other Operating Revenue: This includes advertising, retail leases in stations, and real estate income from properties like Hudson Yards. This is a much smaller stream.

For the subway alone, annual fare revenue is roughly in the range of $3.5 - $4.5 billion in recent years (post-pandemic recovery).

2. The Crucial Point: It Operates at a Massive Loss

The cost to run the subway is far higher than the revenue it takes in. Operating Costs include salaries, pensions, energy, maintenance, cleaning, etc. These costs run over $8 billion annually for the subway. This means the farebox recovery ratio (the % of costs covered by fares) is one of the lowest among major