I rode on the (relatively) new Los Angeles subway system (the Metro)
last night for the second time. Compared to the other subway systems
I've been on, there are some oddities:

* There are no turnstiles; thus tickets are not always checked.
* There are no non-Metro advertisements in the stations or in the trains.
* The price of the ticket is the lowest I've seen for any subway:
$1.25 anywhere, or $3.00 for a day pass.
* Ridership seemed quite low - I rode at rush hour and the trains were
not particularly crowded.

I don't see how the Metro can possibly be making money. Is it? Why the
decisions to keep the price so low? Why no ads?

For payment, your reply must answer at least the first two of these
questions. A good answer to the "why no ads?" portion of the question
will pay a $10 bonus.

Like many metropolitan transit systems, the LA subway may be intended
as a public service, not a money-making endeavor.

According to this page, 2006 fares for the LA MTA are expected to
bring in $264 million. However, expenses are projected to be nearly $3
billion:

http://www.mta.net/press/pressroom/facts.htm#Rail