New York City Bus Page
Founded by the state legislature in 1965, the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority has been providing bus service in New
York City since 1968. The MTA operates
two bus agencies, the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) and Manhattan and
Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MaBSTOA), both branded as New York
City Bus and having a white-with-blue-stripe livery. Buses operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year, in all five boroughs, and each borough has its own route numbering
scheme, with a prefix letter to indicate which borough in which the route is
based—Bx for Bronx, B for Brooklyn, M for Manhattan, Q for Queens and S for
Staten Island—while express buses are denoted by an X prefix. In total, New York City Bus has a fleet of
more than 4300 buses, the largest city bus fleet in the United States,
consisting of NovaBus RTS and LFS, Orion V and VII, New Flyer D60, C40LF, D40LF
and XD40 buses for local service, with MCI 102DLW3SS and D4500, and Prevost
X3-45 coaches for express service. Since
2008, New York City Bus and the MTA Bus Company have been operating under the
umbrella of MTA Regional Bus Operations, which until December 2011 also oversaw
the operation of Long Island Bus in Nassau County. The MTA also operates Select Bus Service, a
bus rapid transit service using specially-liveried articulated buses on very
busy streets.
All photos are by the webmaster unless stated
otherwise.
Museum Bus Fleet
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2969 is a 1949 GM TDH-5101, seen at the New
York Transit Museum on September 13, 2003.
Built as a 400-bus special order for the New York City Board of
Transportation, the TDH-5101 was the first non-demonstrator 40-foot bus built
by General Motors. This bus was
originally numbered 4789, and it was renumbered to 2969 to match the bus
Ralph Kramden drove in The Honeymooners.
(Photo by Oren Hirsch, featured on Oren’s Transit Page) |
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3100 is a 1956 GM TDH-5106 seen at the
Transit Museum on September 13, 2003.
This bus was one of two air-conditioned demonstrator buses built by
General Motors, and it was purchased by the Fifth Avenue Coach Company,
making it the first air-conditioned transit bus in New York City. Fifth Avenue Coach went bankrupt in 1962
and became MaBSTOA, a subsidiary of the NYCTA. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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3011 was spotted again on West 42nd Street
crossing Broadway on December 30, 2009. (Photo by The Port of
Authority) |
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9098 is a 1958 GM TDH-5106, seen on 42nd
Street, taken out especially for the Christmas season, on December 3, 2010. Unlike other GM “old look” buses, the 120
purchased for the NYCTA had sideways-sliding windows rather than the
vertical-sliding windows of other buses. (Photo by Gryffindor) |
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100 is a 1959 GM TDH-5301, shown on display
at the Transit Museum on September 13, 2003.
This bus is one of 190 GM New Look buses purchased in 1959 and one of
more than 900 TDH-5301 buses purchased by 1962. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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5227 is a rebuilt 1971 GMC T6H-5305A, seen on
display at the Transit Museum on September 13, 2003. This bus shows the orange express lights
ordered on almost all MTA buses between 1968 and 2019, to be used in case of
emergency. 5227 was originally
numbered as 4401 and was one of 648 GM New Look buses rebuilt in the
mid-1980s by Bus and Truck of Chicago (Blitz) in order to extend their
service life. The last New Look buses
were retired in 1995, after which all buses in New York City were wheelchair
accessible. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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236 is a 1980 Grumman Flxible 870, shown at
the Transit Museum on September 13, 2003.
Although the NYCTA had purchased many Flxible New Looks during the
1960s and 1970s, the 1980 order was the only order for Flxible Metro ADB
buses. After many design flaws became
apparent after only a short time, including cracked frames, the MTA ordered
the buses off the road in 1984 and they were eventually sold to other transit
agencies, including NJ Transit. The
MTA had planned to order the considerably more reliable Flxible Metro-E in
1995, but Flxible went bankrupt before the buses could be built and the order
went to Orion instead. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
Transportation Manufacturing
Corporation/NovaBus Corporation
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8605 was a 1994 TMC T80-206, seen on State
Street at Bridge Street on June 20, 2009.
The last TMC RTS buses were withdrawn in 2010. (Photo by Oren
Hirsch) |
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8982 is a 1996 NovaBus RTS-06, spotted on
Third Avenue and East 79th Street on June 18, 2001. (Photo by Oren
Hirsch) |
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9012 is another 1996 Nova RTS-06, seen on
East 34th Street on July 18, 2004. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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9388 is a 1997 NovaBus RTS-06, spotted on
Surf Avenue near Coney Island in Brooklyn on March 8, 2014. |
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9616 is a 1998 Nova
RTS-06, shown on Surf Avenue near Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue Station in
Brooklyn on March 8, 2014. |
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9618 is another 1998 Nova RTS-06, spotted on
Broadway at West 45th Street on July 15, 2004. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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4964 is a 1998 Nova RTS-06, seen on Surf
Avenue near Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn on March 8, 2014. |
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5031 is another 1998 Nova RTS-06, shown on
Fifth Avenue at East 82nd Street on June 26, 2003. (Photo by Oren
Hirsch) |
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5209 is a 1999 NovaBus RTS-06, seen on East
Houston Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side on March 8, 2014. |
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1237 is a 2010 NovaBus LFS Artic, shown laying up at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal near Battery
Park in Lower Manhattan on March 10, 2014. |
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1254 is another 2010 NovaBus LFS Artic, seen
operating in Select Bus Service on Second Avenue in the Lower East Side on
October 17, 2010. (Photo by Fan Railer) |
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1259 was spotted resting at the Staten Island
Ferry Terminal in Lower Manhattan on March 10, 2014. In addition to the special livery, SBS buses
use flashing blue express lights next to the destination sign to indicate the
special BRT service. |
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5842 is a 2011 NovaBus LFS Artic, seen on
West 34th Street near the Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan on March
9, 2014. |
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5858 is a 2012 Nova LFS Artic, spotted on
West 34th Street near Herald Square in Midtown Manhattan on March 9, 2014. |
Bus Industries of America/Orion International
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156 was a 1993 BIA Orion V Suburban, spotted
on North End Avenue on January 7, 2003.
The MTA purchased specially equipped transit buses for use on express routes,
such including GM New Look and Orion V buses, before beginning to buy MCI
coaches in 1998. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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203 was a 1993 Orion V Transit, shown on
Fifth Avenue at East 82nd Street on June 26, 2003. (Photo by Oren
Hirsch) |
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545 was a 1995 Orion V, seen on Main Street
at Roosevelt Avenue in Queens on June 27, 2003. All Orion V buses purchased before 1996
were retired in 2010. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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658 is a 1996 Orion V, spotted on Roosevelt
Avenue at Main Street on June 27, 2003. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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This bus is a rare 3-door, 3-axle, hybrid
Orion VI being tested by MTA New York City Bus. The MTA would eventually purchase 10 of
these hybrid buses, but these buses were 2-axle models built with only the
centre exit door. (Photo source The
Financial Post) |
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6350 is a 1998 Orion VI hybrid, seen on Third
Avenue at East 72nd Street on August 4, 2002.
This bus was one of four Orion VI buses originally ordered by NJ
Transit, but the MTA picked them up after NJ Transit rejected the order. Six more Orion VI hybrids would be
delivered by 2000, but all ten buses were retired in 2005. 6350 has been preserved and is now part of
the New York Transit Museum fleet. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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6019 is a 1999 Orion V, spotted on Broadway
at West 64th Street on December 21, 2003. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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6086 is another 1999 Orion V, shown arriving
at the Saint George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island on March 10, 2014. |
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6177 is a 1999 Orion V, seen resting at the
Saint George Ferry terminal in Staten Island on March 10, 2014. |
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6330 is a 1999 Orion V, spotted waiting to
resume service at the Saint George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island on March
10, 2014. |
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6378 is a 2003 Orion VII HEV, seen on Park
Avenue South at 35th Street on July 13, 2004. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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6407 is a 2004 Orion VII hybrid, spotted on
Broadway in Greenwich Village in Manhattan on March 8, 2014. |
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6411 is another 2004 Orion VII hybrid, shown
on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan on March 9, 2014. |
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6418 is a 2004 Orion 07.501 hybrid, spotted
on West 42nd Street between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue on June 20,
2009. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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6424 is another 2004 Orion VII hybrid, shown
on Madison Avenue at East 79th Street on November 26, 2004. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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6556 is a 2005 Orion VII hybrid, seen on Surf
Avenue near Coney Island in Brooklyn on March 8, 2014. |
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6590 is another 2005 Orion VII hybrid, shown
parked on Mermaid Avenue near Stillwell Avenue near Coney Island in Brooklyn
on March 8, 2014. |
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6645 was spotted on Broadway near Houston
Street in Greenwich Village in Manhattan on March 8, 2014. |
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6677 is a 2005 Orion VII hybrid, seen on
Eighth Avenue at 44th Street on June 4, 2006. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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6684 is another 2005 Orion VII hybrid, shown
on West 110th Street at Central Park West on June 25, 2010. (Photo by
Oren Hirsch) |
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3808 is a 2008 Orion VII Next Generation HEV,
spotted on West 42nd Street at Seventh Avenue on June 20, 2009. (Photo
by Oren Hirsch) |
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3856 is another 2008 Orion VII NG hybrid,
seen on West 42nd Street at Broadway on June 20, 2009. (Photo by Oren
Hirsch) |
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3871 was spotted on Fifth Avenue in Midtown
Manhattan on March 9, 2014. |
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3906 is shown on East Houston Street in
Manhattan’s Lower East Side on March 8, 2014. |
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3955 is a 2008 Orion VII NG HEV, seen on
Broadway near Houston Street in Manhattan on March 8, 2014. |
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4174 is a 2009 Orion VII NG hybrid, spotted
on Fifth Avenue at West 45th Street in Midtown Manhattan on March 9, 2014. |
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7015 is a 2011 Orion VII, shown waiting to
resume service at the Saint George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island on March
10, 2014. While most second- and
third-generation Orion VII buses were built with frameless windows, framed
windows were available on the third-generation buses, and this option was
used on the MTA’s last order for Orion VII buses. |
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7020 is another 2011 Orion VII, seen laying
up at the Saint George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island on March 10, 2014. |
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7024 is a 2011 Orion VII, spotted resting at
the Saint George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island on March 10, 2014. |
New Flyer Industries
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1053 is a 1997 New Flyer D60 “Galaxy”,
spotted on East 79th Street at Park Avenue on June 26, 2003. (Photo by
Oren Hirsch) |
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803 is a 1999 New Flyer C40LF, seen on Fulton
Street at Hoyt Street in Brooklyn on June 20, 2001. (Photo by Oren
Hirsch) |
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998 is a 1999 New Flyer D45S “Viking”, spotted
on West 34th Street at Sixth Avenue on July 13, 2004. Only 104 of these coaches were built, with
101 of the buses being ordered by Houston Metro in Texas, and three being
delivered to the MTA. All three
coaches were retired in 2010. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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880 is a 2000 New Flyer C40LF, shown on
Church Avenue at McDonald Avenue in Brooklyn on January 15, 2005.
(Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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892 is another 2000 New Flyer C40LF, seen on
Surf Avenue at Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn on June 27, 2003. (Photo
by Oren Hirsch) |
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5513 is a 2002 New Flyer D60 “Galaxy”, shown
on East Houston Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan on March 8, 2014. |
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5517 is another 2002 New Flyer D60, seen on
East 86th Street at Madison Avenue on June 24, 2010. This bus is equipped with an LED
advertising display panel. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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5550 is a 2002 New Flyer D60, shown on Fourth
Avenue at Astor Place on June 3, 2006. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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5631 is a 2003 New Flyer Galaxy, seen on 14th
Street at Union Square on June 27, 2010. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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5739 is a 2004 New Flyer D60, shown on East
79th Street at Lexington Avenue on July 14, 2004. (Photo by Oren
Hirsch) |
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5757 is another 2004 New Flyer Galaxy,
spotted on East 79th Street at Third Avenue on February 15, 2004. The MTA tried place another order for these
articulated buses in 2004 but New Flyer discontinued the model to concentrate
on its low-floor product line. (Photo by Oren Hirsch) |
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246 is a 2011 New Flyer C40LF, shown on Surf
Avenue near Coney Island in Brooklyn on March 8, 2014. These buses were among the first buses
ordered by the MTA not to be equipped with orange emergency lights next to
the destination sign, a feature that had been used on previous NYCTA bus
orders back to 1968. |
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247 is another 2011 NFI C40LF, seen on Surf
Avenue near Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn on March 8, 2014. New Flyer had actually discontinued this
model in 2009, but agreed to produce the bus with the older design for the
MTA for one final order that lasted into 2013. |
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4835 is a 2011 New Flyer XD40 “Xcelsior”,
shown on Surf Avenue near Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue Station in Brooklyn
on March 8, 2014. |
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4888 is another 2011 NFI Xcelsior, seen on
Surf Avenue near Coney Island on March 8, 2014. These buses were ordered as part of the
40-foot Bus Test and Evaluation Plan, which ordered ninety buses each from
New Flyer Industries, NovaBus Corporation, and Orion International, in order to
determine which vehicle performed the best and provided the best value for
money for the MTA. |
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4898 is a 2011 New Flyer Excelsior, seen
turning from Surf Avenue onto Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn on March 8, 2014. |
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343 is a 2012 New Flyer C40LF, seen on Surf
Avenue near Coney Island in Brooklyn on March 8, 2014. |
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353 is another 2012 New Flyer C40LF, shown on
Surf Avenue near Coney Island in Brooklyn on March 8, 2014. |
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463 is a 2012 NFI C40LF, seen operating as a
subway shuttle on Surf Avenue near Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn on March 8,
2014. |
Motor Coach Industries
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1937 was a 1998 MCI 102DLW3SS, spotted on
Lexington Avenue at East 37th Street in Midtown Manhattan on July 13,
2004. This bus was part of the first
order for MCI coaches for used on MTA express routes. (Photo by Oren
Hirsch) |
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2715 is a 2000 MCI 102DLW3SS, shown on
Broadway near Houston Street in Greenwich Village in Manhattan on March 8,
2014. |
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2188 is a 2001 MCI D4500, seen on Church
Street at Courtlandt Street on December 22, 2003. (Photo by Oren
Hirsch) |
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2192 is another 2001 MCI D4500 coach, shown
on East 34th Street at Madison Avenue on July 13, 2004. (Photo by Oren
Hirsch) |
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2879 is a 2002 MCI D4500, seen on Battery
Place in Lower Manhattan on March 10, 2014. |
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2216 is a 2008 MCI D4500CT, shown on Battery
Place in Lower Manhattan on March 10, 2014. |
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2221 is another 2008 MCI D4500CT, seen on
Battery Place in Lower Manhattan on March 10, 2014. |
Prévost Car
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2437 is a 2011 Prevost X3-45 coach, spotted
on Fifth Avenue near the Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan on March
9, 2014. These coaches were the first
X3-45 coaches to be adapted for commuter use, including two-piece entrance
doors, a full-width destination sign, and transit-configured driver controls,
and were ordered as part of the 45-foot Bus Test and Evaluation Program. |
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2470 is another 2011 Prevost X3-45, seen on
Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan on March 9, 2014. |
