 | |
| Parent | Metropolitan Transportation Authority |
|---|---|
| Founded | May 7, 2008[1] |
| Headquarters | 2 Broadway New York, New York |
| Locale | New York metropolitan area |
| Service area | New York City |
| Service type | Local, limited-stop,bus rapid transit, and express bus service |
| Routes | 333 total:
|
| Fleet | 5,840[2] |
| Daily ridership | 2,610,600 (weekdays, Q4 2024)[3] |
| Annual ridership | 812,516,800 (2024)[4] |
| Fuel type | CNG,Diesel,electric,hybrid electric |
| Operator | New York City Transit Authority, MTA Bus Company |
| Executive | Frank Annicaro, Senior Vice President |
| Website | new |
MTA Regional Bus Operations (RBO) is the surface transit division of theMetropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). It was created in 2008 to consolidate all bus operations inNew York City operated by the MTA. As of December 2024[update], MTA Regional Bus Operations runs 238 local routes, 75 express routes, and 20Select Bus Service routes. Its fleet of 5,840 buses is the largest municipal bus fleet in the United States and operates 24/7. In 2024, the system had a ridership of 812,516,800, or about 2,610,600 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2024.
The division comprises two brands:MTA Bus andMTA New York City Bus. While MTA Bus is an amalgamation of former private companies' routes, MTA New York City Bus is composed of public routes that were taken over by the city before 2005, except theSIM23 andSIM24 which were taken over in 2022. The MTA also operatesparatransit services and formerly operatedLong Island Bus. As of 2018[update], MTA Regional Bus Operations' budgetary burden for expenditures was $773 million.
Regional Bus Operations is currently only used in official documentation, and not publicly as a brand. The current public brands are listed below:
The most common scheme today is a straight blue stripe across the sides of the bus against a white base, with no colors on the front or back, and black window trim. From 1977 until late 2007, the livery was a full all-around stripe with a black rear, and until late 2010 (and still present on buses repainted during this time), the scheme was a stripe with a white rear and no rear stripe. Buses operated inSelect Bus Servicebus rapid transit service are wrapped with a light blue-and-white wrap below the windows. In spring 2016, a new livery was introduced based on navy blue, light blue, and yellow, with a mostly blue front and sides, a light blue and yellow wave, and a yellow back. This new livery will gradually replace the blue stripe on a white base livery. The livery is commonly known as the MTA's Andrew Cuomo Scheme or Excelsior Scheme (after the state motto for New York).
Currently, many RBO's operational changes have been at the management level, with the creation of a unified command center and consolidation of management for all bus operations, with the aim of reducing redundancies in the agency. Other changes have included eliminating the MTA Bus call center, folding it into that of MTA New York City Transit, and the unification of the fare policy for all of the MTA's services.
The history of the MTA's bus operations generally follows the history of theNew York City Transit Authority, also known as MTA New York City Transit (NYCT), which was created on June 15, 1953, by the State of New York to take over operations then operated by theNew York City Board of Transportation.[5]: 133 [6]: 302 [7] In 1962 the State established the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MaBSTOA) as a subsidiary of NYCT to take over operations then operated by two private companies, Fifth Avenue Coach Lines, Inc. and Surface Transit, Inc.[5]: 133 [6]: 268 [7] Both NYCT and MaBSTOA operate service pursuant to a lease agreement with the City of New York.[6]: 81 [5]: 133
City involvement with surface transit in the city began in September 1919, when MayorJohn Francis Hylan, through the New York City Department of Plant and Structures (DP&S), organized private entrepreneurs to operate "emergency" buses to replace four abandonedstorage batterystreetcar lines: the Madison Street Line,Spring and Delancey Streets Line,Avenue C Line, andSixth Avenue Ferry Line.[8] Many routes were soon added, replacing lines such as theBrooklyn and North River Line (trolleys)[9] and Queens Bus Lines (buses),[10] and the DP&S also began operatingtrolleys inStaten Island to replace the Staten Island Midland Railway's system.[11][12]
Another city acquisition was the Bridge Operating Company, which ran the Williamsburg Bridge Local trolley, acquired in 1921 by the DP&S.[13] Unlike the other lines,[citation needed] this one remained city-operated, and was replaced by theB39 bus route on December 5, 1948, by then transferred to theNew York City Board of Transportation.[14]
With the city takeover of theBrooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation's surface subsidiary, theBrooklyn and Queens Transit Corporation, on June 2, 1940,[15] the city gained a large network of trolley and bus lines, covering all ofBrooklyn and portions of Queens.[16] On February 23, 1947, the Board of Transportation took over theStaten Island bus network of the Isle Transportation Company.[17] Further acquisitions were made on March 30, 1947, with theNorth Shore Bus Company inQueens,[18] and September 24, 1948, with the East Side Omnibus Corporation and Comprehensive Omnibus Corporation inManhattan.[19] The final Brooklyn trolleys were theChurch Avenue Line andMcDonald Avenue Line, discontinued on October 31, 1956,[20] though the privately operated (by the Queensboro Bridge Railway) Queensboro Bridge Local remained until 1957.[21][22][23]
By the late 1950s, the city operated all local service in Staten Island and Brooklyn, approximately half of the local Queens service, and several Manhattan routes. Several private companies operated buses in Queens, and the Avenue B and East Broadway Transit Company operated a small Manhattan system. The largest system was theFifth Avenue Coach Company andSurface Transit, which operated almost all Manhattan routes and all Bronx routes, plus two into Queens (15 Fifth Avenue – Jackson Heights and TB Triborough Bridge) and one within Queens (16 Elmhurst Crosstown). After astrike in 1962, the city condemned the assets of the bus companies.
To facilitate the anticipated sale of the bus service back to private ownership, a new agency, the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MaBSTOA) was formed as a subsidiary of the New York City Transit Authority to operate the former Fifth Avenue Coach Lines, Inc. and Surface Transit, Inc. routes under lease from the city. The final acquisition was in 1980, when MaBSTOA took over operations of the Avenue B & East Broadway Transit Co. Inc.'s routes, using MaBSTOA equipment with Avenue B red route roll signs (NYCTA acquired the 13 Grumman Flxibles that had been assigned to Avenue B and placed them in NYCTA service).[citation needed]
In late 1981 the MTA merged the New York City Transit Authority's Surface Division (aka NYCTA Civil Service) with the Manhattan & Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (aka MaBSTOA Non Civil Service) into one single entity using the MTA New York City Transit Authority (or MTA – New York City Bus) moniker instead of the former.
Public takeover of the remaining Queens buses, as well as most express routes, was implemented in 2005 and 2006 when the city purchased the assets of seven private bus companies, and entered into an agreement with the newMTA Bus Company for their operation and funding.[24] In 2008, the bus operations of New York City Transit and MTA Bus Company (as well as the now former Long Island Bus division) were merged into a new regional operation, MTA Regional Bus Operations. The New York City Bus and MTA Bus brands continue to be used on all buses, but New York City Transit (NYCT), Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MaBSTOA), and MTA Bus Company continue to be the legal entities operating the services.
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MTA Bus Company was established in late 2004 to operate bus services resulting from the city's takeover of the privately operated bus route operations previously administered and subsidized by theNYCDOT.[25][26]
The routes were taken over on a staggered schedule, beginning with the formerLiberty Lines Express bus routes on January 3, 2005,Queens Surface Corporation bus routes on February 27, 2005,New York Bus Service bus routes on July 1, 2005,Command Bus Company bus routes on December 5, 2005,Green Bus Lines bus routes on January 9, 2006, andJamaica Buses bus routes on January 30, 2006.Triboro Coach Corporation, the final remaining company, ceased operating on February 20, 2006.[25][27][28][29][30]
Currently, the only NYCDOT-subsidized lines not consolidated into MTA Bus are those run byAcademy Bus and formerly byAtlantic Express until their bankruptcy in 2013. Academy Bus previously operated those routes and others until 2001, when Atlantic Express and NYCT took them over.[31] Although the X23, and X24 routes were absorbed by Atlantic Express, the X17J, X21, X22, and X30 routes were absorbed by theNew York City Transit Authority. NYCT discontinued service on the X21 months after the takeover.[32] Recently, NYS AssemblymanLou Tobacco and NYS SenatorAndrew Lanza, along with U.S. CongressmanMichael E. McMahon and NYC CouncilmenVincent Ignizio andJames Oddo have asked the MTA to look into the possible consolidation of the remainder of the NYCDOT routes.[33]
In Brooklyn, a company called Private Transportation operates the B110 route. This is franchised but not subsidized by NYCDOT. Atlantic Express also ran the AE7 express route from theTottenville andTravis neighborhoods of Staten Island in the same manner as the Private Transportation B110 local route. Citing low ridership and increased costs, Atlantic Express canceled the AE7 service on December 31, 2010. Councilmen Ignizio and Oddo as well as CongressmanMichael G. Grimm have called on the MTA to revamp that route also.[34]
During late 2021, due to an external lawsuit with the garage that operated the SIM23 and SIM24, the MTA announced the takeover of the two lines was imminent. On January 3, 2022, the MTA assumed control over the SIM23 and SIM24 routes formerly run by Academy. These routes are operated by New York City Transit out of theCharleston Depot. As a result of the takeover, the MTA modified the schedule and added two new trips in both directions for both routes.
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The current system came into being in the mid-2000s following the MTA's assumption, through its subsidiary MTA Bus Company (MTABC), of services previously operated by private carriers under operating authority agreements administered by theNew York City Department of Transportation, the successor to the New York City Bureau of Franchises. MTABC operates service pursuant to an agreement with the City of New York under which all expenses of MTABC, less operating revenues, are reimbursed. This brought almost all bus transportation in New York City under its control.[35]
After the bus mergers were completed in 2006,[36] the MTA then moved to streamline its operations through consolidation of management function. To that effect, RBO was officially created in May 2008, with the president of what was then MTA New York City Transit's Department of Buses, Joseph J. Smith, named to lead the consolidated bus operations.[1] MTA Regional Bus also included theMTA Long Island Bus division until December 2011, when its services were transferred to the private operator Veolia Transport.[37]
In 2008, the bus operations of MTA Bus Company and New York City Transit (as well as the now former Long Island Bus division) were merged into a new regional operation, MTA Regional Bus Operations. The MTA Bus brand continues to be used. This brand, and the New York City Bus brand, was removed from buses delivered from 2016 on, showcasing only the MTA logo, and the blue-stripe livery was replaced with a new blue-and-yellow livery. A few years later, the MTA Bus and New York City Bus brands were put once again, and buses that did not have them got them back. The first order with the new livery, 75 articulated buses for MTA Bus, were delivered in spring and summer 2016.[1]
Until December 31, 2011, MTA Regional Bus Operations also operatedNassau County's bus and paratransit service (Able-Ride), formerly known asLong Island Bus. This service was operated by the MTA under an agreement with Nassau County, who owned its facilities and equipment. In 2011, the MTA asked Nassau County to provide more funding for Long Island Bus than they were at the time. The county refused to provide additional funding, and the MTA voted to end operation of the system at the end of 2011. The county then decided to hireVeolia Transport (nowTransdev), a private transportation company, to operate the system in place of the MTA beginning in 2012. The system was then rebranded "Nassau Inter-County Express" on January 1, 2012.[37]
MTA Regional Bus routes are spread out across New York City. However, some bus routes may also operate to areas beyond city limits. TheQ5 andQ85 routes cross theNassau County border to go to theGreen Acres Mall inValley Stream. TheQ2 andQ110 routes leave Queens as they run along Hempstead Turnpike and onto theCross Island Parkway, andBelmont Racetrack inElmont, where they turn-around and re-enter the city. TheQ46 local andQM6 express buses run along Lakeville Road inLake Success, Nassau County, upon enteringLong Island Jewish Medical Center and North Shore Towers. TheQ113 andQ114 cross into Nassau County between Southeast Queens andFar Rockaway. During peak hours, selectQ111 buses run toCedarhurst in Nassau County.[38]
TheBx16 route runs intoWestchester County for two blocks inMount Vernon. TheBx7,Bx9,Bx10,Bx31 andBx34 buses make their last stops at the Bronx–Westchester border.BxM3 express buses leave the city as they operate to Getty Square inYonkers.[38] TheQ4,Q12,Q30,Q36,Q43 andQ111 buses make their last stops at the Queens-Nassau border. TheS89 is the only route to have a stop outside state borders, terminating at the34th StreetHudson-Bergen Light Rail station inBayonne, New Jersey. Some Staten Island express routes run via New Jersey, but do not stop in the state.[39]
Local bus routes are labeled with a number and a prefix identifying the primary borough of operation (B forBrooklyn,[40]Bx forthe Bronx,[41]M forManhattan,[42]Q forQueens,[38] andS forStaten Island[39]).[a] Express bus routes to Manhattan generally use a two-letter prefix with an "M" at the end (e.g. an express route from Brooklyn is prefixedBM;[40] from the Bronx,BxM;[41] from Queens,QM;[38] and from Staten Island,SIM[39][43][44]). Exceptions to this rule are seven Brooklyn and Queens express routes operated by New York City Transit using anX prefix, which will be retired under both borough’s redesigns. Lettered suffixes can be used to designate branches or variants.[40][41][38][39] The two-letter prefixed express system (BM,BxM andQM) was originated by the former private carriers taken over by MTA Bus.[citation needed]
As of 2018[update], MTA Regional Bus Operations' budgetary burden for expenditures was $773 million, which it supports through the collection of taxes and fees.[45]
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Local andlimited-stop buses provide service within a single borough, or in some cases across two. While local buses make all stops along a route, limited-stop buses only make stops at busy transfer points, points of interest, and heavily used roadways. Limited stop service was first attempted with theM4 bus during rush hours in 1973, then expanded to other routes from there. The usual setup is that limited stop service runs the full route, while local services run only in the limited stop area, and the limited stop buses run local at the tail ends of the route not served by locals, similar to the operation of some subway services and the Staten Island Railway.
There are full-route limited-stop buses that run alongside the local variant, making limited stops along the entire route; limited-only buses with no local variants under the same route number; and limited-zone buses, with a semi-limited section (with smaller distances between stops than on regular limited routes) near the route's tail ends, and a non-stop section in the middle.
Limited-Stop buses flash "LIMITED" on the destination sign. Occasionally, a paper orange and purple "Limited" sign will also be placed at the bottom of the windshield by the bus operator in case of false assumptions. Dark navy blue "LOCAL" and red "Express" signs also exist.[46]
The following MTA Regional Bus routes run limited stop service (for non-Staten Island routes, where there is a route numbering system,bold indicates no corresponding local service on the limited-stop route, anditalic indicates no corresponding daytime local service on the limited-stop route):
| Borough | Routes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| The Bronx | Bx1,Bx15,Bx36 | [41] |
| Brooklyn | B6,B35,B38,B41,B49,B103 | [40] |
| Manhattan | M1,M2,M4,M5,M98,M101 | [42] |
| Queens | Q4,Q5,Q6,Q10,Q17,Q25,Q27,Q36,Q43,Q46,Q50,[a 1]Q58,Q65,Q83,Q85,Q100,Q113,[a 2]Q114[a 2] | [38] |
| Staten Island[a 3] | S81,S84,S86,S89,S90,S91,S92,S93,S94,S96,S98 | [39] |
| ||
Select Bus Service (SBS), the brand name for MTAbus rapid transit service, is a variant of Limited-Stop bus service that requires fare payment to be madebefore boarding the bus, at fare payment machines in shelters at designated "stations" (such a shelter is shown to the right). Receipts given for payment of fare are "proof-of-payment" that must be shown to the MTA's fare inspectors upon request. In the event of the fare machine failing to issue a receipt, the bus operator must be notified of the problem. The implementation of this new service is paired with new lane markings and traffic signs that reserve a lane for buses only during the daytime.[47]
The first Select Bus Service corridor, on theBx12 along207th Street,Fordham Road, andPelham Parkway, was placed into service on June 29, 2008.[48] The next line, theM15, saw Select Service begin on October 10, 2010 after the delivery of new low-floor buses.[49][50] TheM34/M34A line was started on November 13, 2011. Initially, a 34th Street busway was planned that would require eliminating34th Street as a through street, but it was dropped in favor of the standard SBS model.[51]
TheB44 Rogers/Bedford/Nostrand Avenues bus route, the fifth Select Bus Service corridor in the city, was implemented on November 17, 2013 after the arrival of new fare machines. TheS79Hylan Boulevard/Richmond Avenue route, initially slated to be converted to SBS in 2013, was moved up to September 2, 2012; the local equivalents of the S79 route are the S78 and S59 buses.[52]
A sixth corridor, the second for the Bronx, began service on theBx41Webster Avenue route on June 30, 2013; this route was the first "Phase II" SBS route to begin service (the existing corridors plus the B44 comprise Phase I). Another Select Bus Service route on Webster Avenue, which will be extended to run betweenLaGuardia Airport andFordham Plaza alongside the local Bx41 route, is proposed for later implementation.[53][54][55]
A seventh corridor, and the third for Manhattan, theM60125th Street–Triborough Bridge–Astoria Boulevard bus route to LaGuardia Airport, was converted to SBS on May 25, 2014; local service was replaced by other routes running alongside the route of the M60 (theM100,M101,Bx15, andQ19).[56] An eighth Select Bus Service route was planned in the 2014–2017 Financial Plan.[57] The eighth Select Bus Service corridor (ninth route overall), and the fourth in Manhattan, was for theM86 running on86th Street, which was originally scheduled to start running on June 28, 2015, but pushed back to July 13, 2015; it did not include a major change in stops.[58]
The ninth corridor, and the second for Brooklyn, is theB46 onUtica Avenue. When implemented, the local and Select Bus Service route of the B46 changed northern terminals to improve reliability. Originally planned for implementation in fall 2015, it was instituted on July 3, 2016.[59] The tenth corridor, and the first for Queens, is theQ44 limited bus route running on East 177th Street (theCross Bronx Expressway service road) andMain Street, which began on November 29, 2015. Selected stops in the Bronx were combined into much busier stops for faster service, and some stops in Queens have been replaced by theQ20A/B local routes. As both the Q20 branches do not enter the Bronx and the Q44 ran local late nights only, the Q44 gained 24/7 SBS service between theBronx Zoo andJamaica. The Q20A replaced the Q44 local in Queens late nights.[60]
In September 2016, the eleventh corridor (twelfth route overall) and the second for Queens, theQ70, was rebranded as the "LaGuardia Link" and became a SBS route. As opposed to other SBS routes, the Q70 is wrapped in a light blue scheme with clouds and airplanes in order to encourage more people to use public transportation when using the airport. This marked MTA Bus's first SBS route, as well as the second for Queens and the eleventh overall.[61][62] TheM23, the twelfth corridor (thirteenth route) and the fifth in Manhattan, became a Select Bus Service route on November 6, 2016 with dedicatedbus lanes and countdown clocks at some stops, replacing M23 local service at the cost of $1.7 million.[62]
TheM79 became an SBS route in May 2017,[63] with the installation of bus lanes along its route.[64] The Bx6, after the completion of bus lanes and widened sidewalks, became an SBS route in September 2017. It supplements the local service by stopping at high ridership stops. This is the third route for the Bronx.[65] Select Bus Service alongWoodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards was implemented on theQ52 andQ53 routes in November 2017.[66][67]
Select Bus Service along Kings Highway was implemented on the B82, which replaced the former Limited-Stop route, on October 1, 2018.[68] The city subsequently announced that following the implementation of the B82 SBS, it would halt the implementation of Select Bus Service in the outer boroughs until 2021 as a result of budget cuts, and an upcoming redesign of the city's bus network.[69]
A temporaryM14 Select Bus Service route was proposed for implementation in early 2019, in preparation for the14th Street Tunnel shutdown. This route would have run between Tenth Avenue and Stuyvesant Cove Ferry, with local service on the M14A and M14D. Five additional temporary routes would have been implemented for the shutdown in April 2019.[70] However, on January 3, 2019, the shutdown plan was altered by GovernorAndrew Cuomo and the proposed SBS routes were put on hold.[71][72][73][74] In February 2019, the MTA announced plans to implement SBS on the M14A and M14D,[75] and has since been implemented on July 1, 2019.[76][77]
All current SBS corridors are enforced by cameras restricting non-buses in these lanes on weekdays where the bus lane is curbside, with the bus lanes marked by red paint. Where the bus lane is an offset lane (that is, one lane away from the curb), non-bus traffic is restricted at all times except for emergencies.[54]
Buses used in this service are identifiable with "stations" equipped with ticket machines, and most of them also have a "+selectbusservice" wrap identifying them as such buses. Locations of stops (and in some cases, the local bus stops) were shifted or eliminated where possible to prevent mixing of local bus customers. SBS is offered in conjunction with theNYC DOT andNYS DOT.[78][79]
Express bus service is generally geared towards peak hour commuters from theouter boroughs and neighboring suburbs that lack rail or subway services to and fromMidtown Manhattan orLower Manhattan. Some routes also provide significant off-peak service from early morning to late evening, every day. Routes with daily off-peak service include theBxM1/2, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11, QM2, QM4, QM5/6, SIM3c, SIM4c, SIM33c, X27 and X28; the SIM1c runs 24 hours a day. 45-footMCI andPrevost over-the-road coaches are used for express service.[80]
Service originally began on November 3, 1965, on route R8X (later X8, nowSIM5) traveling from the South Shore of Staten Island, up Hylan Blvd and Father Capodanno Blvd., into Downtown Brooklyn. In the 1980s, the R8X was renumbered and rerouted from Brooklyn to its current terminal in Lower Manhattan.[81][7]
In addition to a 100% accessible bus fleet, New York City Transit also provides paratransit services under theAmericans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 under theAccess-A-Ride brand, for customers who cannot use regular bus or subway service. It services all five boroughs of New York City at all times.[82] The Access-A-Ride paratransit services are provided by various independent contractors, mostly using vehicles owned by the MTA, with some exceptions.[83] Although all buses are wheelchair-accessible, these vehicles provide anaccessible transport option for MTA riders. The program was created in 1991 after the passage of theAmericans with Disabilities Act of 1990.[84]
Within a service area,bus stops are normally located every two to three city blocks apart; specific guidelines dictate that stops should be placed every 750 feet (230 m).[85][86] Buses marked Limited-Stop, Select Bus Service, and Express have fewer stops. Stops are located curbside, usually at street intersections, identified by blue signage and shelters. Buses stop either on concrete pads, or designatedbus lanes (maroon-red if painted). Some bus stops, particularly alongSelect Bus Service routes, are designed asbus bulbs.[85][87][88][89]
All bus stops are in effect at all times unless otherwise indicated by signage.
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Bus stops in New York City are identified by two types of signs:
Queens buses that run along the border withNassau County (Q36,Q46,QM6) or within Nassau County (Q111,Q113,Q114) will sometimes share former MTA Long Island Bus-style signage withNassau Inter-County Express bus service, though many stops on the Q111, Q113, and Q114 routes in Nassau County are either unsigned, or simply signed as "No Stopping Bus Stop". These signs are also made of metal.
The newer signs, used on all New York City Bus-branded routes, were in place by the mid-2000s, while old-style bus stop signs still exist on many MTA Bus-branded routes, showing only the route and not the destination. All bus stop signs within the city borders are maintained by New York City Department of Transportation.[92][93][94] The newer signs are made of recyclableABS plastic that last up to ten years and are easier to maintain than the old metal signs, which last about three years on average. The green plastic pole stands from 12 feet (3.7 m) to 20 feet (6.1 m) high, versus the old 6-to-9-foot-high (1.8 to 2.7 m) metal signs. Both old and new-style stops carry aGuide-A-Ride box that is attached to the center of the pole, providing route maps, schedules and other information.[90][95][85][94] Guide-A-Ride boxes were installed on all NYCT routes by the 1980s.[96] Implementation on MTA Bus Company routes took place in the 2000s for express buses, and in 2012–2014 for local bus routes.[97][98][99]
The first metal signs in the city to feature a pictograph of a bus were installed by the Transit Authority in the 1960s.[100] Metal signs in their current design, which are mainly used on MTA Bus-operated routes and at temporary construction-regulation bus stops, were first used in 1976, as part of a pilot program onFifth andSixth Avenues inMidtown Manhattan funded by theUrban Mass Transit Administration,[91] and fully implemented in the 1980s.[101]
In its current iteration, the upper portion of the sign is red, reading "NO STANDING" with an arrow identifying the no standing zone. Below on a blue background is a white circle, with a blue pictograph of a bus and wheelchair from theInternational Symbol of Access.[91] Routes are identified with color-coded labels (see below), but without destinations.[46][91][90] Some signs for express-bus service are colored lime-green and read "EXPRESS" at the top.[102] Due to MTA Bus Time coming out, most old-style stops received a timetable box indicating the bus route's map, expected time arrivals, and a code to use on the website or app.
The modern color-coded lollipop-shaped bus stop signs, which are used at all bus stops on New York City Bus-operated routes as well as at bus stops shared with MTA Bus routes and other companies, were first installed in November 1996 inJamaica, Queens.[90] They were designed by W.S. Sign Design Corporation.[95] The signs were created following two federal grants given to the MTA and DOT in 1994 totaling $1.5 million,[94] in response to complaints from bus riders that the previous metal signs lacked basic information about bus routes and schedules, and that some signs were often missing entirely. They were based on signs used inLondon andParis that had existed since at least the 1950s.[90][103]
The initial program called for the installation of 3,000 signs, of which 2,600 would be in Manhattan, and the remainder in the other boroughs. Initially, prototype signs were installed at selected locations, and then 400 signs started to be installed in December 1996, before being completed in April 1997, with the remaining signs installed by the end of 1997. The signs in Manhattan were installed using the $1 million USDOT grant, while the $500,000 from the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grant was used for signs in the outer boroughs. The signs were placed at high-ridership bus stops that could not have bus shelters and locations where their durability could be properly tested. If the test was successful, it was expected that a full citywide installation would take six years.[104]
The signs are in violation of the New York StateVehicle and Traffic Law, Section 1680. The law requires all "traffic control devices" to comply with the U.S.Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) as modified by the NYS Supplement, and mandates that parking signs must be rectangular rather than circular.
The new bus stop sign features a large circle on top and rectangular color-coded bus route information on the bottom. The bus stop circle also has a pictograph of a bus and ADA wheelchair, in white on a blue background. Hanging off the pole below are rectangular bus route signs, color-coded by type of service. Each has a route number and final destination, usually the neighborhood in which it terminates, though a street or landmark is listed for some routes. Westbound Bx12 local signs, for example, read "Sedgwick Avenue" instead of the neighborhoodUniversity Heights.[46][90][94]
At the bottom of this area is a white rectangle with black text announcing the name of the stop, usually the names of the streets at the intersection. On bus stops that operate at all times of day, an arrow and red text on the bottom of the upper circle indicates the no-standing zone for cars. On stops that only operate part-time, the top route number box will read "NO STANDING", with the top destination box listing the days and/or times of day this is in effect.[46][90][94] Some bus routes that run underneathelevated subway lines (such as theBx9 underneath theBroadway elevated in the Bronx) use metal bus stop signs with a printed image depicting a modern bus sign, affixed to the pillars of the El.
Some bus stops, produced byData Display andSTV Incorporated,[105][106] feature electronic countdown clocks. In addition to the route and destination, an LED readout in between displays how many stops away or minutes away the next bus is using the MTA's "Bus Time" system. The first two signs of this kind, inStapleton andNew Dorp on Staten Island, were installed in 2013. The Stapleton stop is solar-powered. A third stop was installed nearCity Hall in Manhattan in 2015. An additional 18 stops in Staten Island and Brooklyn were approved for installation in late 2014, 10 for Queens in 2015, and 100 in Staten Island in 2016, as part of the NYCDOT's plan to install around 350 across the city.[107][108][109][105][110][111][112] In 2018, as part of itsBus Action Plan, the MTA announced that more signs would receive electronic countdown clocks.[68]
Several stops alongSelect Bus Service routes, such as the B44, B46, M34/M34A, M60, M79, M86, and Q44 employ different countdown clocks that are separate from bus stop signage. These clocks are part of wayfindinginformation kiosks installed in conjunction with the city's WalkNYC project beginning in 2013.[113][114][115] As of 2016, a total of 32 bus stops had one of the two countdown clocks installed.[110] The current countdown clocks are successors to a pilot program on the M15 in 2007, and another on the M34 and M16 buses between 2009 and 2012.[116][117][118]
The signage for routes at bus stops may be given different colors depending on the types of services available at each stop.[46][90]
| Sign color | Type of service |
|---|---|
| Blue |
|
| Purple |
|
| Green |
|
| Turquoise |
|
| Turquoise & blue | |
| Black |
|
| Yellow |
|
| White |
|
The current bus shelters found at many bus stops were designed by Spain-based advertising companyCemusa, as part of a citywide "street furniture" project that also included newsstands, bike shelters, and public toilets.[119] Cemusa was awarded a 20-year contract for 3,300 bus shelters in May 2006, after the project had been receiving design bids going back to the 1990s. As opposed to the city paying Cemusa to install the shelters, the company paid for exclusive rights to advertise on the shelters; in return, the company would share a portion of the ad revenue generated.[120][121][122][123] They replaced the simple old-style shelters, consisting of black-painted metal with glass.[124][125] The first 24 shelters were installed by December 2006 in Queens.[126]
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Designed by British architectNicholas Grimshaw and his firmGrimshaw Architects, the shelters are constructed of stainless steel, with glass on three sides including the roof and rear. The fourth side consists of an advertising panel. On the non-advertising panel is an insert listing the streets of the intersection where the stop is located on the outer side, and route maps and information also featured on theGuide-A-Ride on its inner face.[119][124][127]
The shelters come in five sizes (Regular: 5 by 14 feet (1.5 m × 4.3 m); Narrow: 3.5 by 14 feet (1.1 m × 4.3 m); Short: 5 by 10 feet (1.5 m × 3.0 m); Little: 3.5 by 10 feet (1.1 m × 3.0 m); and Double: 5 by 26 feet (1.5 m × 7.9 m)).[119][124] All the modern shelters feature benches (many of the old ones did not), and were praised for environmentally friendly construction during their introduction.[126][128][129] Several of these shelters, primarily in Manhattan, have since been equipped with LED displays,LCD video advertisement panels, and ad panels withNFC communication technology.[130][131][132] Following the acquisition of Cemusa by French advertising firmJCDecaux in 2015, bus shelters are now maintained by JCDecaux.[124]
Bus stops with shelters or nearby trees tend to be cooler than bus stops with neither shelters nor trees. A 2024 study found that some of the hottest bus stops in the city, which lacked both shelters and trees, were located in Queens and the Bronx.[133][134]
Between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., "Request-a-Stop" service is available as dictated byNYCDOT traffic regulations. If requested by a passenger, the bus operator may discharge passengers at a location along the route that is not a bus stop, as long as it is considered safe. If the location is not "safe" (i.e. it will interfere with traffic flow), the bus operator will discharge passengers at the nearest safe location.[85][135] Request-A-Stop is not available onSelect Bus Service, Express routes, Limited-Stop routes, or overnight bus shuttles.[85] Request-A-Stop was inaugurated on December 5, 1993, in Staten Island, and expanded to other boroughs in 1994.[136]
The fleet consists of over 5,700 buses of various types and models for fixed-route service, making MTA RBO's fleet the largest public bus fleet in the United States.[80] The MTA also has over 2,000 vans and cabs for ADA paratransit service, providing service in New York City, southwestern Nassau County, and the city of Yonkers. All vehicles (except for paratransit cabs) are fully accessible to persons with disabilities.[137][138] Fixed-route buses are dispatched from 27 garages (19 New York City Bus and 8 MTA Bus).
Several fleet improvements have been introduced over the system's history. The first large order of air conditioned buses began service in 1966.[81] "Kneeling buses" were introduced in 1976, and wheelchair lifts began appearing in 1980.[7][81][139] Also in the 1980s,stop-request cords ("bell cords") were replaced by yellow tape strips. However, buses ordered after 2008 feature cords rather than tape strips due to the latter's higher maintenance cost.[140]Articulated buses were introduced in 1996, and have since become prominent in the Bronx and Manhattan.[141][7]
Low-floor buses, designed to speed boarding and alighting and improve riding conditions for elderly and disabled passengers, were first tested in 1997[142][143] and made up most of the new non-express buses ordered since the early 2000s. The last non-express high-floor bus was withdrawn in 2019.[144] Most post-2000 orders also feature stop-request buttons located on grab bars.[85] Since 2016, buses built after 2011 have been built or retrofitted withWi-Fi connectivity andUSB charging ports.
Starting in 2016, efforts to bring an audio/visual system to the current and future fleet went underway to improve customer service and ADA accessibility by using next-stop announcements andpublic service announcements. Though the former Long Island Bus Division (nowNICE Bus) had already deployed such a system throughout its fleet since the early-2000s, the MTA had only trialed similar systems alongside GPS tracking between 2007 and 2012 on select routes in the New York City Bus system. Current plans include the installation of digital information screens installed throughout the interior of the bus which will provide real-time information such as time, weather, advertisements, & service advisories.[145] The screens are supplied by contract from 3 different vendors and are installed on new bus deliveries starting in 2017 while buses built after 2008 are currently receiving retrofits.
A new livery was also introduced, replacing the blue stripe livery on a white base that had been in use in one variation or another since the late 1970s. The first of these buses entered service in mid-May 2016 on theQ10 route.[146]
Buses operating on clean or alternative fuels also make up a significant portion of the fleet, particularly since the establishment of the MTA's "Clean Fuel Bus" program in June 2000.[81] Buses runningcompressed natural gas (CNG) were first tested in the early 1990s,[147][148] and mass-ordered beginning in 1999.[81][147]Hybrid-electric buses, operating with a combination of diesel andelectric power, were introduced in September 1998,[81][149][150] and mass-ordered beginning in 2004.[7][149] Within the current fleet are over 1,600 diesel-electric buses and over 700 buses powered by compressed natural gas, which make up over half of the total fleet.[80][151][152] This is the largest fleet of either kind in the United States.[152][153]
Between 2017 and 2021, the MTA tested a fleet ofbattery electric buses – subsequently ordering battery-electric buses in sixty-foot articulated and forty-foot lengths from 2019 onwards.[154] In 2022, the MTA announced that they would trialhydrogen fuel cell buses, funded by a grant fromNew York State Energy Research and Development Authority.[155] The first two buses (New Flyer Xcelsior CHARGE H2) will be launched in The Bronx by late 2024.[156] The MTA announced that it would only purchase zero-emission buses from 2029, and that the entire bus fleet will be zero-emission by 2040.[157][154]
Dollar bills and half-dollar coins are not accepted on fixed-route buses or Select Bus Service payment stations, nor are they accepted on buses of theBee-Line Bus System (Bee-Line) inWestchester County or theNassau Inter-County Express (NICE) inNassau County. All fares are inUS dollars, and the following fare policy applies to all New York City Transit, MTA Bus, NICE, and Bee-Line (except for the BxM4C) buses. Up to three children who are 5 years old or younger get to ride free provided that they are accompanied by a fare-paying rider.
TheQ70 route has not charged a fare since May 2022.[158][159] From September 2023 to August 31, 2024, five additional routes—one in each borough, namely theBx18,B60,M116,Q4 andS46/S96—did not charge any fares as part of a pilot program.[160][161][162]
| Local, Limited-Stop, and Select Bus Service (transfer available upon request) | Express Bus Service (New York City Bus and MTA Bus) | Student fare | Access-A-Ride (New York City paratransit) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full fare | Reduced fare | Full fare | Reduced-fare (off-peak only) | Student Free MetroCard (City of New York only) | Student Half Fare MetroCard (City of New York only) | |
| $2.90 ($3.25 for a Single-Ride ticket) | $1.45[163] | $7.00 | $3.45 | Free | $1.45 | $2.90 |
Transfer rules:
Other notes:
| ||||||
In November 1993,[165] a fare system called theMetroCard was introduced, which allows riders to use cards that store the value equal to the amount paid to a subway station booth clerk or vending machine.[166] The MetroCard was enhanced in 1997 to allow passengers to make free transfers between subways and buses within two hours; several MetroCard-onlytransfers between subway stations were added in 2001.[167][168] With the addition of unlimited-ride MetroCards in 1998, the New York City Transit system was the last major transit system in the United States with the exception ofBART inSan Francisco to introduce passes for unlimited bus and rapid transit travel.[169]Unlimited-ride MetroCards are available for 7-day and 30-day periods.[170] One-day "Fun Pass" and 14-day cards were also introduced, but have since been discontinued.[171]
In April 2016, MTA solicited proposals for a contactless "New Fare Payment System" to replace the MetroCard by 2022.[172] On October 23, 2017, it was announced that the MetroCard would be phased out and replaced byOMNY, acontactless fare payment system also by Cubic, with fare payment being made usingApple Pay,Google Pay, debit/credit cards withnear-field communication technology, orradio-frequency identification cards.[173][174] The announcement calls for the expansion of this system to a general-use electronic fare payment system at 500 subway turnstiles and 600 buses by late 2018, with all buses and subway stations using electronic fare collection by 2020. However, support of the MetroCard is slated to remain until 2024.[174]
As of November 2017[update], three-quarters of bus routes provide high-frequency service in at least one direction during rush hours, with buses arriving at least every ten minutes. Of these routes, 54% provide high-frequency service in both directions, while 21% provide service only in the peak direction (toward transit hubs during the morning, and away from these hubs during the evening). One quarter of routes run withheadways of more than 10 minutes during rush hours.[175]: 22
Of the five boroughs, the Bronx has the greatest proportion of bus routes with high frequencies in both directions, with 65% of routes running such frequencies as of November 2017[update]. Manhattan has the highest ratio of routes with high frequencies in at least one direction, at 85%. On the other hand, more than 60% of routes on Staten Island, the city's least populous borough, ran with low rush-hour frequencies, marking the highest such ratio in the city. In roughly 28% of the city's neighborhoods, less than half of routes operate at high frequencies in both directions.[175]: 22 Neighborhoods outside of each borough's central business districts, as well as off-peak service, are more likely to be subject to low-frequency bus service, despite significant off-peak demand in areas likeForest Hills, Queens, andSunset Park, Brooklyn.[175]: 23 MTA Bus and New York City Bus also have the U.S.'s highest rates ofdeadhead runs, or "not-in-service" runs without passengers, with a respective 19% and 14% of trips being deadheads.[175]: 24
Buses running off-schedule are also common in the MTA Regional Bus system, with almost one in four buses running either too early or too late to maintain a constant spacing between buses. This is prevalent even on Select Bus Service bus rapid transit routes, where 20% of bus trips do not adhere to their schedules.[175]: 26 Some routes suffer frombus bunching. Routes affected by bus bunching may not have any buses in a certain direction for prolonged periods of time, and then several buses will show up within a short time period. In 2017, nearly twelve percent of routes were considered to be bunched on a regular basis, compared to 9.4% in 2015.[176] This phenomenon most affects bus routes withinBrooklyn Community Board 5 in East Brooklyn, where 15% of buses are subject to bunching.[177]
As of 2017[update], MTA buses on local buses run at average speeds of 7 to 8 miles per hour (11 to 13 km/h),[178][176] the slowest of any major bus system nationwide.[175]: 27 MTA Select Bus Service routes had marginally faster speeds, averaging 8.7 miles per hour (14.0 km/h).[175]: 40 The average speed varies between boroughs, with Manhattan having the lowest average local-bus speed (6 miles per hour [9.7 km/h]) and Staten Island having the highest (11 miles per hour [18 km/h]).[175]: 27 In 2017, sixteen of the seventeen bus routes with average speeds of less than 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) were located in Manhattan. Conversely, eight of the eleven routes with average speeds of more than 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) were located on Staten Island.[175]: 28 On average, buses generally spend a little more than half of the trip (54%) in motion, while 22% of the trip is spent at bus stops and 21% is spent idling at red lights.[175]: 29
TheStraphangers Campaign, another riders' advocacy group, gives out "Pokey Awards" to the slowest bus routes of each year.[179] The slowest bus routes are typically crosstown bus routes in Manhattan, with 14 of the slowest bus routes in 2017 being crosstown bus routes.[175]: 28 In 2017, the slowest bus route was theM42 crosstown bus on 42nd Street, which had an average speed of 3.9 miles per hour (6.3 km/h), approximately a walking pace. This was followed by theM31/M57,M50, andM66 crosstown buses on 57th, 49th/50th, and 65th/66th Streets respectively, all of which averaged less than 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h).[180] Other "winners" of the Pokey Award include theM79 on 79th Street[179] and theM23 on 23rd Street,[181] both of which have now been converted to Select Bus Service routes. However, Select Bus Service routes only serve 12% of all bus riders as of 2016[update], and the average bus route is 10% percent slower than it was in the mid-1990s.[182]
A 2015 study found that 35 MTA routes with significant ridership figures had average speeds of less than 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), and that the M66 crosstown bus had an average speed of 3.1 miles per hour (5.0 km/h). Slow bus rides were not limited to Manhattan routes; theBx2 bus in the Bronx and theB35 bus in Brooklyn both ran at speeds of less than 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h).[183] In 2018, the riders' advocacy group Bus Turnaround Campaign rated each bus route based on speed and reliability, and gave 75% of city bus routes a "D" or "F" grade.[176] As a result, in early January 2019, former mayorBill de Blasio promised to raise bus speeds by 25% by the next year.[184][185]
As a result of these slow average speeds, MTA Regional Bus Operations has the highest per-mile operating cost of all city bus systems in the U.S., with a per-mile cost of $30.40. If the operating costs were closer to the U.S. average, MTA buses would have the highestfarebox recovery ratio among U.S. cities' bus systems.[186]
Many local New York City Bus and MTA Bus routes take long and winding routes that, in the most extreme cases, take more than two hours to traverse from end to end.[175]: 36 Some of the longest routes are in Staten Island, where the average bus line is 10.6 miles (17.1 km) long. The longest local bus route in the city, theS78, is 20.8 miles (33.5 km) long and spans the entire length of Staten Island. Brooklyn also has several long bus routes, and the borough hosts three of the city's ten longest routes.[175]: 37
Some local routes divert into neighborhoods and detour down driveways rather than taking a more direct path. These routes then merge onto heavily congested main corridors.[175]: 39 A 2017 report indicated that nearly half of bus routes had at least 10 turns along their routes. The most winding route was the Bx8 bus in the Bronx, with 29 turns.[175]: 38
Starting in 2015, the MTA investigated express bus routes on Staten Island, which were circuitous, duplicative, and infrequent.[187]: 14–16 The MTA proposed replacing all of the existing express bus routes with simpler and shorter variants, a proposal supported by 76% of Staten Island residents who had learned about the study.[187]: 20, 21, 23 After hosting several meetings with Staten Island residents, the MTA announced that express bus service to Staten Island was expected to be completely reorganized in August 2018. As part of the redesign, all of the existing bus routes were discontinued and replaced with 21 new routes with a "SIM" prefix.[43][44] This was followed by the redesign of Bronx local and express routes, which took effect on June 26, 2022.[188][189] The redesigns of the Brooklyn and Queens bus networks, initially scheduled for early 2021, were delayed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in New York City.[190][191]
As of December 2017[update], weekday bus ridership in 2017 averaged 1.9 million, while total weekend ridership averaged 2.1 million. Express buses had an average weekday ridership of 40,200, while paratransit was used by a mean of 27,900 people each weekday.[192]: 94
Bus ridership has steadily declined through the 2000s and 2010s. From 2008 to 2017, bus ridership declined by more than 100 million.[193] Average weekday bus ridership fell 5.7%, and average weekend bus ridership fell 4%, from 2016 to 2017.[192]: 96 The greatest ridership decreases were in Manhattan, where bus ridership declined more than 15% from 2011 to 2016. Ridership decreased less dramatically in Brooklyn and parts of Queens and Staten Island, while ridership increased slightly within the Bronx, southwest Brooklyn, central Queens, and most of Staten Island.[175]: 18 Bus lines that ran parallel to subway routes also saw ridership declines. As of 2017, there were thirteen bus routes with at least 20 stops within 0.1 miles (0.16 km) of a subway station; all saw ridership declines, with each route averaging a 20% loss.[175]: 42
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To speed up bus service, the city started installing bus lanes inDowntown Brooklyn andSt. George, Staten Island, in 1963.[194] Another bus lane was soon installed alongHillside Avenue in Queens.[195]: 1 In 1969, part of42nd Street inMidtown Manhattan also received a bus lane.[196] Additional bus lanes were added in the 1970s and 1980s.[195]: 1 Bus lanes now exist on major corridors in all five boroughs, and are especially prevalent on high-volume and Select Bus Service corridors. There are also bus lanes along several highways that lead to Manhattan.[197] The city's bus lane network is about 104 miles (167 km) long as of November 2017[update], representing nearly two percent of the city's 6,000 miles (9,700 km) of streets.[198][175]: 7
The bus lane rules are enforced bytraffic cameras ongantries above the lanes; photos are taken of vehicles who violate the rules, and these motorists are then fined.[199][200][201] Bus lanes have generally increased average bus speeds and reduced travel times where they are installed. However, double-parked vehicles and other obstructions often force buses to merge out of these lanes.[175]: 40
As of July 2017[update],traffic signal preemption is used on five bus corridors in New York City.[202]: 4 Traffic signals with bus preemption allow traffic lights to display a green signal for a longer-than-normal period of time when a bus approaches the intersection. The first corridor to receive traffic signal priority was theVictory Boulevard corridor on Staten Island in 2006, which usedinfrared detection technology to allow traffic signals to communicate with transponders on buses.[202]: 3 Although the system itself was successful, the buses with transponders were reassigned to bus routes in Brooklyn and Queens, rendering the devices useless. Moreover, MTA administrators did not see any cost savings from the program, and employees generally lacked the motivation to maintain the system.[175]: 30 In 2008, the Victory Boulevard installation was followed by theFordham Road and Pelham Parkway corridor (Bx12 bus) in the Bronx, which usedGPS transponders aboard buses. Due to both systems' high cost, they were eventually removed from both corridors.[202]: 3
In 2011, MayorMichael Bloomberg proposed that traffic signal priority be installed along 11 bus routes within the following two years.[203] The MTA started testing signal priority along theM15 in Lower Manhattan in 2012.[204] From 2014 to 2016, fiveSelect Bus Service routes received GPS-based traffic signal priority at 260 intersections. They were the M15 in Manhattan; theB44 alongNostrand Avenue in Brooklyn; theS79 alongHylan Boulevard on Staten Island; theBx41 alongWebster Avenue in the Bronx; and theB46 alongUtica Avenue in Brooklyn.[202]: 3 The New York City government subsequently studied four of these routes, and found that all of the routes saw increases in average bus speeds along the portions that had bus priority signals.[202]: 5–8 Speeds on these routes increased by an average of 18%.[175]: 31 [205]
Eleven more corridors were set to receive traffic signal priority by July 2017.[202]: 9 The number of equipped intersections rose to 500 by March 2018, and was set to increase further to 1,000 intersections by 2020. However, as of that date, traffic signal priority was still in the testing stages,[206] and preemptive traffic signals in New York City were used in much lower proportions than in other major cities.[175]: 30 An expansion of traffic signal priority is planned as part of the Bus Action Plan.[68] In January 2019, de Blasio said that the traffic signal priority program would be expanded to 1,200 intersections.[184][185] As of June 2021[update], traffic signal priority was active at 1,700 intersections, and transponders had been installed in 2,700 vehicles that operated on seven routes.[207]: 42
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In April 2018, in response toa citywide transit crisis and complaints about the general quality of MTA bus service, the MTA published a Bus Action Plan detailing 28 suggestions to improve the bus system. Within twelve months, targeted corridor improvements were to be implemented, some bus stops would be removed to speed up service, and off-peak bus service would be expanded on strategic routes. As part of the plan, there will be a system-wide redesign of the bus network by 2021 to improve connectivity and provide more direct service.[68][75][208]
Expanding bus priority is also part of the plan. Traffic Signal Priority would be implemented on additional routes, and new bus lanes and queue jump lanes would be instituted. In addition, the MTA would study ways to implement exclusive bus lanes and busways on priority corridors. To ensure that bus lanes are not blocked, dedicated transit-priority traffic teams would be put into place with the NYPD in 2019. Tap readers would be installed by the end of 2020, and all-door boarding would be installed with the introduction of a newcontactless payment system that is planned to replace theMetroCard. There would be regular fare enforcement on bus routes to reducefare evasion.[68][75][208]
The plan also contained some improvements to bus riders' experience. All buses delivered after April 2018, as well as 1,000 existing buses, would also receive digital information screens with automated announcements. In addition, by the end of 2018, new bus maps would be designed to make it easier to comprehend the bus network and to provide location-specific maps for neighborhoods in each neighborhood. Although the MTA had already started installing bus stop signs with real-time information, the Action Plan called for more bus shelters to be equipped with these signs. Starting in 2019, the MTA's mobile app would provide real-time seat availability information on selected bus routes. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, the agency announced its transition to a zero-emissionselectric bus fleet. The MTA would also test out adouble-decker bus on the redesigned Staten Island bus routes in 2018.[68][75][208]
Safety features and customer amenities were installed on new and existing buses as part of the Bus Action Plan.[209]: 33 By January 2019, audible "pedestrian turn warning" announcement systems were installed on 617 buses, while cameras were installed on the inside of 3,469 buses and on the outside of 319 buses.[209]: 34 Relocated or smaller pillars were installed on most new buses to increase visibility for drivers.[209]: 35 Amenities such as USB charging ports, Wi-Fi, and digital information screens were installed on thousands of existing buses, as well as in all new buses.[209]: 41 Traffic signal priority systems and automatic passenger counters were both installed in over a thousand buses.[209]: 42 In addition, the MTA was planning to buy 248 compressed natural gas buses, 285 diesel-electric hybrid buses, and 60 electric buses in order to reduce energy emissions from the new bus fleet. Ten hybrid and ten electric buses had been tested in 2018.[209]: 36–37
As of June 2021[update], there were interior and exterior cameras on 4,200 buses, as well asrearview cameras on 120 buses.[207]: 43 In addition, 1,300 buses had pedestrian turn warnings and 1,800 buses had high-visibility windows.[207]: 44 Digital information screens were installed on 2,800 buses, and automatic passenger cameras with information about passenger loads were installed in 2,500 buses.[207]: 45 Additionally, starting in 2021, newer buses were equipped with wider rear doors and wheelchair ramps.[207]: 46 The MTA deactivated the buses' free Wi-Fi in January 2023, citing the fact that only two percent of riders used the Wi-Fi; the agency estimated that this would save $3.3 million annually.[210][211] As part of a pilot program in early 2024, CCTV screens were to be installed on 100 buses to discourage fare evasion and assaults against staff.[212][213]
The MTA says they have committed to a zero-emission bus fleet by 2040.
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