Just saw a bunch of funny videos with people asking NYC bus drivers if the busses are free already and they all having a good laugh at that. Supposedly the MTA has $48.4B or so debt: "The MTA's long-term debt was around $48.4 billion in late 2023, a figure that has grown from $25.8 billion in 2010."
Looking at the financials they are already subsidized to the tune of >50% : https://council.nyc.gov/budget/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2... ... So the city needs to find at least $7.5B a year just to keep growing their debt at the same rate. But that's ok- if every person in the city just pays another $400 or so a year in taxes they'll get that covered. Socialism...
You cited “economies of scale and ability to exert control at the levels of government these policies usually exist at.” New York has those.
The point at which it becomes “not meaningful” is well after the point that most countries in the EU turn into rounding errors.