New York City Transit buses, operating under the MTA New York City Bus brand, operate in all five boroughs, employing roughly 4500 buses on about 200 local and 40 express routes within the five boroughs of New York City in the United States. The bus system is meant to complement the MTA's rail lines - the New York City Subway, Staten Island Railway, Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad.

Operations

New York City Transit bus routes are spread out citywide. Some lines, such as the Q5 and Q85 cross the Nassau County border to go the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream. The Q2] leaves Queens as they run along Hempstead Turnpike and onto the Cross Island Parkway where they re-enter city-limits. The Q46 runs along Lakeville Road in Lake Success, Nassau County upon entering Long Island Jewish Medical Center. The Bx16 bus runs in to Westchester County for two blocks in Mount Vernon. The Bx7 & the Bx10 both make their last stops at the Bronx-Westchester border, with the Bx7 to be extended into Westchester County during the third quarter of 2008.. The S89 is the only route to have a stop outside state borders, terminating at the 34th Street Hudson-Bergen Light Rail station in Bayonne, New Jersey. Some Staten Island express routes run via New Jersey, but do not stop in the state.

Buses are labeled with a number and a prefix identifying the primary borough (B for Brooklyn, Bx for the Bronx, M for Manhattan, Q for Queens, and S for Staten Island). Express buses use the letter "x" rather than a borough label. Lettered suffixes can be used to designate branches or variants.

MTA Bus Company routes also follow this scheme, and MTA Long Island Bus uses "N" for Nassau County. "W" or "BL" and "S" are commonly used by the non-MTA Bee-Line Bus System (Westchester County) and Suffolk Transit (Suffolk County).

Between 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM "Request-a-Stop" service is available. 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", the bus operator will discharge passengers at the nearest safe location.

Local and limited-stop service

Local and limited-stop buses provide service within a borough. 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 the M4 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 many subway lines.

The following New York City Bus routes run limited stop service:

• Bronx: Bx1, Bx2, Bx41 and Bx55
• Brooklyn: B6, B35, B38, B41, B44, B46 and B49
• Manhattan: M1, M2, M4, M5, M15, M98 and M101
• Queens: Q4, Q5, Q17, Q27, Q36, Q43, Q44, Q46, Q83 and Q85
• Staten Island: S81, S84, S86, S89, S90, S91, S92, S93, S94, S96 and S98

Buses in this brand ae the same (blue stripe on a white base)...Limited-Stop buses carry a Limited sign in the windshield and flash LIMITED on the destination sign.

Select Bus Service

+SelectBusService (SBS), the brand name for MTA bus rapid transit service, is a variant of Limited-Stop bus service that requires fare payment to be made before boarding the bus, at fare payment machines in shelters at designated "stations" (such a shelter is shown to the right). On these buses, the operator is only able to dispense transfers, and then only for customers who had to pay their fare in coins. Receipts given for payment of fare are "proof-of-payment" that must be shown to fare enforcement 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 between 7AM and 7PM.

SBS began on the Bx12 Fordham Road/Pelham Parkway line in the Bronx on 2008-06-29. The M15 First/Second Avenues line will see SBS implementation in fall 2009, and the S79 Hylan Boulevard/Richmond Avenue and B44 Nostrand Avenue lines will see implementation in 2011. Variants will also be implemented on 34th Street, 5 Avenue, and Madison Avenue in Manhattan.

Buses used in this service are identifiable with blue lights on the sides of the destination sign, a special wrap below the blue stripe, as shown on #5741 in this section, a flashing blue light in the windshield, and "stations" be similar to those pictured to the right. 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 the NYC and NY State Departments of Transportation.

Express service

Express buses usually operate between Midtown Manhattan or Lower Manhattan and the other boroughs. While most express routes operate only during peak weekday hours, some routes (including the X1, X10, X17, X27, and X28, and various MTA Bus lines) run on a daily basis, from about 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM. Express buses cost more than local buses but provide extra amenities, including reading lights and reclining seats. For the most part, they use "over the road" MCI cruisers, such as the one pictured at the right.

History

City involvement with surface transit in the city began in September 1919, when Mayor John Francis Hylan, through the New York City Department of Plant and Structures, organized private entrepreneurs to operate "emergency" buses to replace four abandoned storage battery streetcar lines: the Madison Street Line, Spring and Delancey Streets Line, Avenue C Line, and Sixth Avenue Ferry Line. Many routes were soon added, replacing lines such as the Brooklyn and North River Line (trolleys) and Queens Bus Lines (buses), and the DP&S also began operating trolleys in Staten Island to replace the Staten Island Midland Railway's system. Eventually all of these routes were transferred to private management.

Another city acquisition was the Bridge Operating Company, which ran the Williamsburg Bridge Local trolley, acquired in 1921 by the DP&S. Unlike the other lines, this one remained city-operated, and was replaced by the B39 bus route on December 5, 1948, by then transferred to the New York City Board of Transportation.

On February 23, 1947, the Board of Transportation took over the Staten Island bus network of the Isle Transportation Company. Further acquisitions were made on March 30, 1947 with the North Shore Bus Company in Queens, and September 24, 1948 with the East Side Omnibus Corporation and Comprehensive Omnibus Corporation in Manhattan. With the city takeover of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation's surface subsidiary, the Brooklyn and Queens Transit Corporation, on June 2, 1940, the city gained a large network of trolley and bus lines, covering all of Brooklyn and portions of Queens. The final Brooklyn trolleys were the Church Avenue Line and McDonald Avenue Line, discontinued on October 31, 1956, though the privately-operated (by the Queensboro Bridge Railway) Queensboro Bridge Local remained until 1957.

Thus, in the late 1950s, the city operated all local service in Staten Island and Brooklyn, about half the local service in Queens, and several routes in Manhattan. Several private companies operated buses in Queens, and the Avenue B and East Broadway Transit Company operated a small Manhattan system, but by far the largest system was the Fifth Avenue Coach Company and Surface Transit, which operated almost all Manhattan routes and all Bronx routes, plus two into Queens(15 Fifth Avene - Jackson Heights and TB Triborough Bridge and one within Queens (16 Elmhurst Crosstown). After a strike in 1962, the city took over operations. To avoid legal issues, a new agency, the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MaBSTOA)was formed to operate the former Fifth Avenue Coach Lines and Surface Transit,Inc.routes. The final acquisition was in 1980, when MaBSTOA took over the Avenue B and East Broadway'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. Public takeover of the remaining Queens buses, as well as most express routes, was implemented in 2005 and 2006 by the new MTA Bus Company. There are preliminary plans to merge the operations of New York City Transit into a larger regional bus network, including Long Island Bus and the MTA Bus Company.

Fare

The base fare for riding any local or limited stop bus route is US$2.00 one-way trip (US$1.00 for seniors and disabilities), regardless of the distance traveled. An express bus fare costs a flat US$5.00 each way (US$2.50 off-peak hours for seniors and disabilities). Fares are payable with a MetroCard or in exact change with coins (except Pennies and Half-Dollars). Only Express Bus Plus and Pay-Per-Ride (with at least a US$5.00 balance) MetroCards work on express buses. At one time, change was given by the driver on local buses. This practice ceased when the fare rose above 20¢.

For the Bx12 Select Bus Service, fare must be paid at the bus stop prior to boarding the bus. All other procedures remain the same, except that customers paying with coins needing a transfer must board via the front door.

Student Pass Metro Cards are distributed to all students in grades 7-12 throughout the city. These passes are valid Monday to Friday, 5:30 AM to 8:30 PM, for 3 rides a day (plus transfers) during the school year.

Dollar bills are not accepted on any MTA buses (or Bee Line buses, which use the same fare collection system), as a vacuum is used to collect coins from the fareboxes, and the process would tear dollar bills.

When paying with change, a passenger can request a MetroCard Bus Transfer. It is valid for two hours and can be used only on Local and Limited Stop buses. Bus Transfers were called "Add-A-Ride" coupons when they were first made available in the 1970s for an additional charge.

Single fares were reduced to US$1.00 from US$2.00 for non-weekday dates during the 2005 holiday season and for the week from Christmas through New Year's holiday week. As of early 2006, the MTA was considering continuing this into future holiday seasons. The plan was ultimately dropped.

Bus depots and fleet

All service operated by NYC Transit is wheelchair accessible, utilizing a fleet of approximately 4500 buses.

Facilities

MTA New York City Transit and MaBSTOA currently operate the following out of 18 bus depots and 2 central maintenance facilities in New York City:Maintenance and training

• The Zerega Avenue Central Maintenance Facility serves as a registry facility for new buses and a major maintenance and surface transportation training/instruction facility.
• The East New York Central Maintenance Facility
• The Grand Avenue/Maspeth Central Maintenance Facility is currently under construction, and will replace the East New York Central Maintenance Facility as a primary maintenance facility system-wide.Bronx Division
• Amsterdam Depot
• Gun Hill Depot
• Kingsbridge Depot
• Mother Clara Hale Depot - formerly 146th Street Depot, currently closed
• West Farms Depot - formerly Coliseum DepotManhattan Division
• 100th Street Depot
• 126th Street Depot
• Manhattanville Depot - formerly 132nd Street Depot
• Michael J. Quill Depot - formerly West Side DepotBrooklyn Division
• East New York Depot
• Flatbush Depot
• Fresh Pond Depot
• Grand Avenue Depot
• Jackie Gleason Depot - formerly 5th Avenue Depot
• Ulmer Park DepotQueens Division
• Casey Stengel Depot - formerly Flushing Bus Depot
• Jamaica Depot
• Queens Village DepotStaten Island Division
• Castleton Depot
• Yukon Depot

Paratransit division

In addition to a 100% accessible bus fleet, New York City Transit also provides paratransit services under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 under the Access-A-Ride brand, for customers who cannot use regular bus or subway service servicing all five boroughs of New York City at all times. This service is usually contracted to private operators such as First.

See also

• Buses in New York City
• Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York) bus fleet

References

External links

• Official MTA New York City Transit Bus page
• Urban Transit Club (UTC) New York City Bus Roster
• Comparative Study of Diesel vs Hybrid Buses operating in NYC. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Nov 2006

New York City Transit buses, operating under the MTA New York City Bus brand, operate in all five boroughs, employing roughly 4500 buses on about 200 local and 40 express routes within the five boroughs of New York City in the United States. The bus system is meant to complement the MTA's rail lines - the New York City Subway, Staten Island Railway, Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad.

Operations

New York City Transit bus routes are spread out citywide. Some lines, such as the Q5 and Q85 cross the Nassau County border to go the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream. The Q2] leaves Queens as they run along Hempstead Turnpike and onto the Cross Island Parkway where they re-enter city-limits. The Q46 runs along Lakeville Road in Lake Success, Nassau County upon entering Long Island Jewish Medical Center. The Bx16 bus runs in to Westchester County for two blocks in Mount Vernon. The Bx7 & the Bx10 both make their last stops at the Bronx-Westchester border, with the Bx7 to be extended into Westchester County during the third quarter of 2008.. The S89 is the only route to have a stop outside state borders, terminating at the 34th Street Hudson-Bergen Light Rail station in Bayonne, New Jersey. Some Staten Island express routes run via New Jersey, but do not stop in the state.

Buses are labeled with a number and a prefix identifying the primary borough (B for Brooklyn, Bx for the Bronx, M for Manhattan, Q for Queens, and S for Staten Island). Express buses use the letter "x" rather than a borough label. Lettered suffixes can be used to designate branches or variants.

MTA Bus Company routes also follow this scheme, and MTA Long Island Bus uses "N" for Nassau County. "W" or "BL" and "S" are commonly used by the non-MTA Bee-Line Bus System (Westchester County) and Suffolk Transit (Suffolk County).

Between 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM "Request-a-Stop" service is available. 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", the bus operator will discharge passengers at the nearest safe location.

Local and limited-stop service

Local and limited-stop buses provide service within a borough. 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 the M4 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 many subway lines.

The following New York City Bus routes run limited stop service:

• Bronx: Bx1, Bx2, Bx41 and Bx55
• Brooklyn: B6, B35, B38, B41, B44, B46 and B49
• Manhattan: M1, M2, M4, M5, M15, M98 and M101
• Queens: Q4, Q5, Q17, Q27, Q36, Q43, Q44, Q46, Q83 and Q85
• Staten Island: S81, S84, S86, S89, S90, S91, S92, S93, S94, S96 and S98

Buses in this brand ae the same (blue stripe on a white base)...Limited-Stop buses carry a Limited sign in the windshield and flash LIMITED on the destination sign.

Select Bus Service

+SelectBusService (SBS), the brand name for MTA bus rapid transit service, is a variant of Limited-Stop bus service that requires fare payment to be made before boarding the bus, at fare payment machines in shelters at designated "stations" (such a shelter is shown to the right). On these buses, the operator is only able to dispense transfers, and then only for customers who had to pay their fare in coins. Receipts given for payment of fare are "proof-of-payment" that must be shown to fare enforcement 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 between 7AM and 7PM.

SBS began on the Bx12 Fordham Road/Pelham Parkway line in the Bronx on 2008-06-29. The M15 First/Second Avenues line will see SBS implementation in fall 2009, and the S79 Hylan Boulevard/Richmond Avenue and B44 Nostrand Avenue lines will see implementation in 2011. Variants will also be implemented on 34th Street, 5 Avenue, and Madison Avenue in Manhattan.

Buses used in this service are identifiable with blue lights on the sides of the destination sign, a special wrap below the blue stripe, as shown on #5741 in this section, a flashing blue light in the windshield, and "stations" be similar to those pictured to the right. 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 the NYC and NY State Departments of Transportation.

Express service

Express buses usually operate between Midtown Manhattan or Lower Manhattan and the other boroughs. While most express routes operate only during peak weekday hours, some routes (including the X1, X10, X17, X27, and X28, and various MTA Bus lines) run on a daily basis, from about 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM. Express buses cost more than local buses but provide extra amenities, including reading lights and reclining seats. For the most part, they use "over the road" MCI cruisers, such as the one pictured at the right.

History

City involvement with surface transit in the city began in September 1919, when Mayor John Francis Hylan, through the New York City Department of Plant and Structures, organized private entrepreneurs to operate "emergency" buses to replace four abandoned storage battery streetcar lines: the Madison Street Line, Spring and Delancey Streets Line, Avenue C Line, and Sixth Avenue Ferry Line. Many routes were soon added, replacing lines such as the Brooklyn and North River Line (trolleys) and Queens Bus Lines (buses), and the DP&S also began operating trolleys in Staten Island to replace the Staten Island Midland Railway's system. Eventually all of these routes were transferred to private management.

Another city acquisition was the Bridge Operating Company, which ran the Williamsburg Bridge Local trolley, acquired in 1921 by the DP&S. Unlike the other lines, this one remained city-operated, and was replaced by the B39 bus route on December 5, 1948, by then transferred to the New York City Board of Transportation.

On February 23, 1947, the Board of Transportation took over the Staten Island bus network of the Isle Transportation Company. Further acquisitions were made on March 30, 1947 with the North Shore Bus Company in Queens, and September 24, 1948 with the East Side Omnibus Corporation and Comprehensive Omnibus Corporation in Manhattan. With the city takeover of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation's surface subsidiary, the Brooklyn and Queens Transit Corporation, on June 2, 1940, the city gained a large network of trolley and bus lines, covering all of Brooklyn and portions of Queens. The final Brooklyn trolleys were the Church Avenue Line and McDonald Avenue Line, discontinued on October 31, 1956, though the privately-operated (by the Queensboro Bridge Railway) Queensboro Bridge Local remained until 1957.

Thus, in the late 1950s, the city operated all local service in Staten Island and Brooklyn, about half the local service in Queens, and several routes in Manhattan. Several private companies operated buses in Queens, and the Avenue B and East Broadway Transit Company operated a small Manhattan system, but by far the largest system was the Fifth Avenue Coach Company and Surface Transit, which operated almost all Manhattan routes and all Bronx routes, plus two into Queens(15 Fifth Avene - Jackson Heights and TB Triborough Bridge and one within Queens (16 Elmhurst Crosstown). After a strike in 1962, the city took over operations. To avoid legal issues, a new agency, the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MaBSTOA)was formed to operate the former Fifth Avenue Coach Lines and Surface Transit,Inc.routes. The final acquisition was in 1980, when MaBSTOA took over the Avenue B and East Broadway'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. Public takeover of the remaining Queens buses, as well as most express routes, was implemented in 2005 and 2006 by the new MTA Bus Company. There are preliminary plans to merge the operations of New York City Transit into a larger regional bus network, including Long Island Bus and the MTA Bus Company.

Fare

The base fare for riding any local or limited stop bus route is US$2.00 one-way trip (US$1.00 for seniors and disabilities), regardless of the distance traveled. An express bus fare costs a flat US$5.00 each way (US$2.50 off-peak hours for seniors and disabilities). Fares are payable with a MetroCard or in exact change with coins (except Pennies and Half-Dollars). Only Express Bus Plus and Pay-Per-Ride (with at least a US$5.00 balance) MetroCards work on express buses. At one time, change was given by the driver on local buses. This practice ceased when the fare rose above 20¢.

For the Bx12 Select Bus Service, fare must be paid at the bus stop prior to boarding the bus. All other procedures remain the same, except that customers paying with coins needing a transfer must board via the front door.

Student Pass Metro Cards are distributed to all students in grades 7-12 throughout the city. These passes are valid Monday to Friday, 5:30 AM to 8:30 PM, for 3 rides a day (plus transfers) during the school year.

Dollar bills are not accepted on any MTA buses (or Bee Line buses, which use the same fare collection system), as a vacuum is used to collect coins from the fareboxes, and the process would tear dollar bills.

When paying with change, a passenger can request a MetroCard Bus Transfer. It is valid for two hours and can be used only on Local and Limited Stop buses. Bus Transfers were called "Add-A-Ride" coupons when they were first made available in the 1970s for an additional charge.

Single fares were reduced to US$1.00 from US$2.00 for non-weekday dates during the 2005 holiday season and for the week from Christmas through New Year's holiday week. As of early 2006, the MTA was considering continuing this into future holiday seasons. The plan was ultimately dropped.

Bus depots and fleet

All service operated by NYC Transit is wheelchair accessible, utilizing a fleet of approximately 4500 buses.

Facilities

MTA New York City Transit and MaBSTOA currently operate the following out of 18 bus depots and 2 central maintenance facilities in New York City:Maintenance and training

• The Zerega Avenue Central Maintenance Facility serves as a registry facility for new buses and a major maintenance and surface transportation training/instruction facility.
• The East New York Central Maintenance Facility
• The Grand Avenue/Maspeth Central Maintenance Facility is currently under construction, and will replace the East New York Central Maintenance Facility as a primary maintenance facility system-wide.Bronx Division
• Amsterdam Depot
• Gun Hill Depot
• Kingsbridge Depot
• Mother Clara Hale Depot - formerly 146th Street Depot, currently closed
• West Farms Depot - formerly Coliseum DepotManhattan Division
• 100th Street Depot
• 126th Street Depot
• Manhattanville Depot - formerly 132nd Street Depot
• Michael J. Quill Depot - formerly West Side DepotBrooklyn Division
• East New York Depot
• Flatbush Depot
• Fresh Pond Depot
• Grand Avenue Depot
• Jackie Gleason Depot - formerly 5th Avenue Depot
• Ulmer Park DepotQueens Division
• Casey Stengel Depot - formerly Flushing Bus Depot
• Jamaica Depot
• Queens Village DepotStaten Island Division
• Castleton Depot
• Yukon Depot

Paratransit division

In addition to a 100% accessible bus fleet, New York City Transit also provides paratransit services under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 under the Access-A-Ride brand, for customers who cannot use regular bus or subway service servicing all five boroughs of New York City at all times. This service is usually contracted to private operators such as First.

See also

• Buses in New York City
• Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York) bus fleet

References

External links

• Official MTA New York City Transit Bus page
• Urban Transit Club (UTC) New York City Bus Roster
• Comparative Study of Diesel vs Hybrid Buses operating in NYC. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Nov 2006