[bogomipz]

They didn't New York City bought the IRT, BMT and the IND - the original competing subway lines. The thought was that that the city shouldn't be beholden to privately owned transit systems. The sick irony is that now New York City is beholden to a monopoly(MTA) and as with most monopolies they are a dysfunctional, bloated bureaucracy, who have little incentive for improving service or innovating.