MTA Regional Bus Operations

MTA Regional Bus Operations (RBO) is the bus part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City. It helps millions of people travel around the city each day using local, express, and fast buses called Select Bus Service. With over 5,000 buses and more than 300 routes, it is the biggest bus system in the United States. Many buses run all day and all night.

MTA Regional Bus Operations started in 2008 to bring together the city's bus services. There are two main parts: MTA New York City Bus, which began as the city's first public bus service in 1919 and runs all over the city, and MTA Bus, which started in 2006 to run mostly in Queens after taking over seven private bus companies. Even though they have different histories, they work together with the same schedules, fares, and customer service.

In 2025, about 823 million people rode these buses. This shows how important buses are for getting people to work, school, and other places in New York City.

Brands and service area

MTA Regional Bus Operations provides public bus service in the southeast of New York state under several names. The main names are MTA New York City Bus for most routes in New York City, and MTA Bus for services mostly in Queens, with some in the Bronx and Brooklyn, and express services to Manhattan.

These buses have different colors and designs over the years. Today, most buses have a blue stripe on a white background, but a new design with navy blue, light blue, and yellow was introduced in 2016 and is being used more now.

History

The MTA's bus services started with the New York City Transit Authority in 1953. Before that, the city used private entrepreneurs to run emergency buses in 1919, replacing old streetcars. Over time, the city took over more bus and trolley services from private companies.

In 1962, the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority was created to manage bus routes. By the late 1950s, the city ran most local bus services in parts of New York City, with some private companies still running routes in Queens and Manhattan.

In the mid-2000s, the MTA took over many privately run bus services. This brought almost all bus transportation in New York City under one management. In 2008, these services were merged into MTA Regional Bus Operations, which still manages bus services today.

Operations

See also: List of bus routes in the Bronx, List of bus routes in Brooklyn, List of bus routes in Manhattan, List of bus routes in Queens, List of bus routes in Staten Island, and List of express bus routes in New York City

MTA Regional Bus routes go all over New York City, and some go even farther. For example, the Q5, Q87, and Q89 routes go to Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream. The Q2 and Q82 routes leave Queens to run along Hempstead Turnpike and onto the Cross Island Parkway, turning around at Belmont Racetrack before coming back to the city. Express buses like the QM64 also serve parts of Elmont. Other routes, such as the Q46 and QM6, run along Lakeville Road to reach medical centers and other places.

Buses in the Bronx, like the Bx7 and Bx9, end at the Bronx–Westchester border. Express buses such as the BxM3 go to Getty Square in Yonkers. In Queens, buses like the Q4 and Q12 stop at the Queens-Nassau border. The S89 route ends at the 34th Street Hudson-Bergen Light Rail station in Bayonne, New Jersey. Some Staten Island express routes go through New Jersey but do not stop there.

Local bus routes have a number and a letter showing which borough they serve: B for Brooklyn, Bx for the Bronx, M for Manhattan, Q for Queens, and S for Staten Island. Express buses to Manhattan usually have a two-letter name ending in “M” (like BM for Brooklyn, BxM for the Bronx, QM for Queens, and SIM for Staten Island). Some Brooklyn express routes use an X prefix instead. Additional letters can show different parts of a route.

Local and limited-stop buses travel within one borough or sometimes two. Local buses stop at every stop, while limited-stop buses stop only at busy places or important points. Limited-Stop Service began in 1973 with the M4 bus and later expanded.

Select Bus Service (SBS) is a special bus service where passengers pay before getting on the bus, using machines at special stops called “stations.” The first SBS route started in 2008 on the Bx12, and more have been added over time. These buses have special signs and sometimes only use certain lanes during the day.

Express buses mainly help people travel during busy times from outer boroughs and nearby areas to Midtown or Lower Manhattan. Some express routes run all day. These buses began in 1965 and have changed routes over the years.

The Access-A-Ride service helps people who cannot use regular buses or subways travel around New York City. This service started in 1991 after laws required it. It runs all the time in all five boroughs.

Bus stops

Bus stops in New York City are usually placed every two to three blocks. They follow rules that say they should be about 750 feet apart. Some buses, like those on Select Bus Service and Express routes, stop less often. Stops are found at the side of the road, often at street corners, and have blue signs and shelters. Buses may stop on special concrete areas or in marked bus lanes.

All bus stops are active all the time unless a sign says differently.

Bus stops have two kinds of signs. Older signs are simple metal ones, while newer signs show the bus route and where it is going. Some buses that travel between Queens and Nassau County share signs with another bus service. The newer signs, made from strong plastic, have been used since the mid-2000s.

Some bus stops have electronic clocks that show how far away the next bus is. These clocks were first put up in 2013 and have been added to more stops over the years.

Many bus stops have modern shelters made by a company called Cemusa. These shelters are made of steel and glass and have space for ads and benches.

Between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., passengers can ask the bus to stop at places that aren’t usual bus stops, as long as it’s safe. This service started in Staten Island in 1993 and was later added to other areas. It is not available on certain bus routes like Select Bus Service or express buses during rush hours.

Fleet

See also: Bus depots of MTA Regional Bus Operations

The MTA Regional Bus Operations has the largest public bus fleet in the United States, with over 5,800 buses. These buses serve New York City, parts of nearby Nassau County, and the city of Yonkers. Almost all of these buses can be used by people with disabilities. Buses come from 27 garages in the city and nearby areas.

Over time, the MTA has added new features to its buses to make them better for everyone. Air conditioning started in 1966, and buses that can stop smoothly were added in 1976. Buses for people who use wheelchairs became common in 1980. Since the early 2000s, most new buses have low floors to make getting on and off easier. Many buses now have Wi‑Fi and places to charge devices. Plans are also in place to add screens inside buses to show useful information.

Low and zero emission buses

Main article: Low-emission buses in New York City

Many of the MTA’s buses use cleaner fuels. Since 2000, the MTA has worked to use buses that pollute less. Some buses run on compressed natural gas, and others use a mix of diesel and electric power. The MTA has also tested fully electric buses and plans to use hydrogen-powered buses starting in 2024. The goal is to have all buses use zero emissions by the year 2040.

Fares

See also: New York City transit fares

You cannot use dollar bills or half-dollar coins to pay for bus rides in New York City. Fares are in US dollars and apply to many bus systems, including Bee-Line Bus System in Westchester County and the Nassau Inter-County Express in Nassau County. Up to three children who are 5 years old or younger can ride for free if they are with someone who is paying for their ride.

Some bus routes do not charge a fare. The Q70 route has been free since May 2022. From September 2023 to August 31, 2024, five more routes—one in each borough—were also free as part of a test program. These routes are the Bx18, B60, M116, Q4, and S46/S96.

Fare collection

Main articles: MetroCard and OMNY

In November 1993, New York City introduced a system called the MetroCard. This let riders use cards that store money to pay for rides. Later, the MetroCard was updated to allow free transfers between subways and buses within two hours. Unlimited-ride MetroCards became available for 7-day and 30-day periods.

In April 2016, plans were made to replace the MetroCard with a new contactless payment system called OMNY. This system uses contactless payments like Apple Pay, Google Pay, debit/credit cards with near-field communication technology, or radio-frequency identification cards. All buses started accepting OMNY in December 2020. MetroCard sales ended on December 31, 2025, but existing MetroCards can still be used until their money runs out or the card expires.

Quality of service

Many bus routes in New York City have buses that come often during busy times, with buses arriving at least every ten minutes. Some routes have frequent buses in both directions, while others only have frequent buses in one direction. However, about one quarter of the routes have buses that come less often, arriving more than ten minutes apart during busy times.

Buses in the MTA Regional Bus system sometimes run late, and some routes have bus bunching, where several buses arrive close together after a long wait with no buses. This can make it hard to plan trips. The average speed of local buses is slow, ranging from 7 to 8 miles per hour, with some routes in Manhattan being even slower. Efforts to improve bus speeds and reliability have been ongoing, including changes to bus routes on Staten Island and in the Bronx.

Ridership

In 2017, about 1.9 million people rode the buses on weekdays and 2.1 million on weekends. Express buses had around 40,200 riders each weekday.

Bus riding has gone down over the past years. From 2008 to 2017, the number of bus riders dropped. Weekday bus riders fell, and weekend riders also fell from 2016 to 2017. The biggest drops happened in Manhattan. Some areas like the Bronx and parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island saw small increases in bus riders. Bus routes close to subway stations also had fewer riders.

Service improvements

Bus lanes

Main article: Bus lanes in New York City

To make bus service faster, the city started adding special bus lanes in 1963. These lanes help buses move more quickly by keeping other cars away. Over the years, more bus lanes were added, and today they can be found on major streets all across the city.

Rules for bus lanes are enforced by cameras above the lanes. If a car uses a bus lane when it isn’t allowed, the driver gets a fine. Bus lanes have helped buses travel faster on average.

Bus priority signals

As of July 2017, special traffic signals that favor buses are used on five main streets in New York City. These signals stay green longer when a bus is approaching, helping buses move faster. Since then, more bus routes have gotten these special signals. By 2021, they were in use at many intersections, helping buses travel quicker.

Bus Action Plan

In April 2018, the MTA created a plan with ideas to make bus service better. The plan includes removing some bus stops to save time, adding more bus lanes, and improving bus maps. New buses will have digital screens, Wi‑Fi, and better safety features. The MTA is also testing electric buses to help the environment.

By 2021, many of these changes were being put in place, with cameras on buses and new features like USB charging ports. The plan aims to make bus travel easier and more reliable for everyone.