A very interesting history of the NYC subway. https://www.amazon.com/722-Miles-Building-Subways-Transformed/dp/0801880548 https://www.amazon.com/722-Miles-Buil

A very interesting history of the NYC subway. https://www.amazon.com/722-Miles-Building-Subways-Transformed/dp/0801880548 https://www.amazon.com/722-Miles-Building-Subways-Transforme... It's been years since I read it, but as I recall, the system was built by private entities, who were gradually driven out of business when the city set a cap on the price of a fare (first at a nickel, then at a dime). When they folded one by one, they got subsumed into the MTA, and I guess at some point it was decided that it was ok to raise the price.