Meet the Woman Balancing the Budget of New York City’s Transit System

Each morning, on her commute into lower Manhattan, Jai Patel can tally up the costs of New York City’s vast transit system.

The guard standing near the subway station’s gates? That’s as much as $21.20-an-hour to deter turnstile jumpers who cheat the system out of millions in fares. The conductor? About $72,126 a year, plus benefits. And the subway car? It’s one of hundreds that soon need to be replaced at a cost of $4 million each.