New York unveils historic plan for bus system

Improving bus service is central to Mamdani and Hochul’s promise to make New York City more liveable for working people. Bus riders are disproportionately working class, women and people of colour and are more likely than subway riders or drivers to live in households earning less than $100,000 annually.

Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service identifies 50 priority corridors where NYC DoT and the MTA will target investments to address the city’s slowest and most delay-prone bus routes. Improvements along routes will begin this year.

Five corridors in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx have been selected as the first phase of New York City’s next generation of rapid bus routes:

• Tremont/Cross Bronx, the Bronx
• Northern Boulevard, Queens
• Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn
• Utica Avenue, Brooklyn
• Kensington-JFK, Brooklyn and Queens.

These corridors were selected because they connect New Yorkers to jobs, schools, subway service and major destinations while supporting current and future housing and economic growth.

Beginning in 2026, NYC DoT and the MTA will advance these projects with dedicated, protected bus lanes, frequent all-day service, upgraded stations with sheltered waiting areas and public space improvements modelled after the best rapid bus systems around the world.

“Too often, New York City’s bus riders have felt like an afterthought. The Mamdani administration is putting the city’s one million daily bus riders front and centre through this historic partnership and investment,” said NYC DoT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “Bus service shouldn’t be treated as a second-rate option at the mercy of traffic congestion. It should be a world-class system for a world-class city: fast, comfortable, reliable and convenient enough that every New Yorkers sees the bus as a great way to get around. Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service provides the blueprint for transforming our bus system, and we are deeply appreciative of Governor Hochul and the MTA for their strong partnership.”

“When a commute stretches longer than it should, that’s less time with your kids, less time with your loved ones and less time enjoying the greatest city on earth”

The MTA will work to improve service reliability by ensuring scheduled trips are completed, modernising depot operations and strengthening bus maintenance.

Through the MTA’s historic $68bn 2025-2029 Capital Programme, fully funded by Hochul and the State Legislature in the FY26 Enacted Budget, the authority will purchase approximately 2,500 new buses, replacing 40 per cent of its ageing fleet.

“For years, we at MTA have wanted more bus lanes, more enforcement of cars and trucks blocking bus lanes. Faster buses. Congestion pricing. But it’s no secret we didn’t have support at the local level,” said Janno Lieber, chair and CEO of the MTA. “That is not the case anymore. Our partners today – this governor, this mayor and this NYC DoT – all want to make sure that riding the bus is always faster than walking. They want to follow through on long overdue commitments to build bus lanes and busways. They will ramp up traffic enforcement to keep streets moving. Buses can only move as fast as traffic allows, so if you are a bus or a bus rider this is terrific news.”

The MTA will also phase in all-door boarding in 2027 with the complete transition to tap and ride, reducing time bus riders are stuck at stops and helping buses move faster throughout the city.

Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service also establishes a more robust, rider-centred approach to community engagement. Working alongside the Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement (OME) and other City agencies, NYC DOT and the MTA will hold community events, conduct surveys and partner with advocacy organisations and community groups before the projects begin. Public education campaigns will help riders understand upcoming improvements and service upgrades.

To ensure accountability, NYC DoT and the MTA will publicly release performance data within six to 12 months after projects are completed, measuring impacts on travel times, reliability and rider experience while identifying opportunities for further improvements.