Things are expensive in New York City. In many neighborhoods, even a modest apartment may rent for several thousand dollars per month. The price of food, gas, and many other staples are also well above the national average.

Yet even hardened New Yorkers suffered sticker shock when the Metropolitan Transit Agency announced it will cost $5.5 billion to build elevators for just 70 train stations, or roughly $81 million apiece. These lifts are not gold-plated or furnished with Italian leather interiors. They’re just elevators, and folks who will never ride them are expected to help with the bill.