Mayor Mamdani and Governor Hochul Unveil Historic Plan to Build the Fastest, Best Bus System in New York City History

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

Through the MTA's historic $68 billion 2025-2029 Capital Program, fully funded by Governor Hochul and the State Legislature in the FY26 Enacted Budget, the authority will purchase approximately 2,500 new buses, replacing 40% of its aging fleet.

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.

Improving the Rider Experience
The plan recognizes that riders deserve more than a faster trip - they deserve a better one.

To make bus stops safer, more comfortable and more accessible, NYC DOT and the MTA will:

• Expand the bus stop accessibility program to reach 65 stops per year by 2030.
• Install 300 new bus shelters by 2028.
• Add seating at 875 bus stops annually, ensuring every feasible stop has seating by 2035.
• Plant 30 trees at bus stops in 2026 and pilot shelter design improvements for mitigating extreme heat at bus stops.
• Install 90 new Real-Time Passenger Information displays in 2026 and expand to 2,900 displays citywide by 2030.

Keeping Bus Lanes Clear
Keeping buses moving requires keeping bus lanes free of illegal traffic.

Automated Camera Enforcement (ACE) has increased bus speeds by as much as 30% while reducing collisions by 20%.

To build on those gains:

• NYC DOT and the MTA will expand bus-mounted ACE to 25 additional routes each year in 2026 and 2027.
• NYC DOT will install 200 additional stationary bus lane cameras by 2027, an effective program to capture vehicles illegally driving in bus lanes.
• The New York City Police Department (NYPD) will expand targeted bus lane enforcement from 14 to 20 corridors beginning in 2026.

Putting Riders Front and Center
Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service also establishes a more robust, rider-centered 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 organizations 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.

"In recent years, then-Assemblymember Mamdani and I worked to deliver the accessible and reliable public transit system New Yorkers deserve through the Fix MTA and Fare Free Bus Pilot Programs," said New York State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris. "Today's announcement will put bus riders in the express lane to improved service. I applaud Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani for continuing our work to deliver a better bus system."

"Every New Yorker deserves a faster, more reliable commute. The Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service plan provides a blueprint for improving service, expanding accessibility and keeping our city moving," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. "This investment in our bus network will help millions of commuters and demonstrate what is possible when we prioritize efficient, reliable and accessible public transportation. I want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber and NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn for their collaboration and leadership in advancing such an ambitious proposal. Together, we are building a bus system that meets the needs of New Yorkers today and for generations to come."

"Mayor Mamdani and Governor Hochul's bus action plan will deliver faster, more reliable bus service across the city, returning countless hours to New Yorkers' lives," said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. "I am especially happy that Brooklyn will receive three priority rapid bus corridors along Flatbush Ave, Church Ave and Utica Ave - areas that have long been plagued by slow bus service and are each identified as priorities in my 2025 Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn. This mutual cooperation between the City and the State is essential for delivering results for New Yorkers, and my office looks forward to working with the Mayor and the Governor to ensure the perspectives of Brooklyn riders are incorporated as we pursue these much-needed improvements."

"More than 800,000 Queens residents ride an MTA bus each day - rivaling the average daily usage of Chicago's entire mass transit system. For far too long, however, our borough's working families have rarely received the fast, reliable and efficient service that they have always deserved. At least, until now," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "From the Queens Bus Network Redesign to the action plan we're announcing today, we continue to make historic investments in the speed and reliability of our buses. Thank you to Governor Hochul, Mayor Mamdani and all our agencies involved for your partnership in prioritizing these 14 vital corridors in Queens. I look forward to work ahead of finally giving Queens residents that quick and effective bus service they have always deserve."

"This investment in faster buses and better service across the five boroughs is desperately needed," said Council Member Tiffany Cabán. "Working class New Yorkers rely on our buses to get to work, to see loved ones and to access services. But when they wait at bus stops, they're too often encounter buses that are late, slow or don't show up at all. I'm glad to see that we're delivering on fast, better buses to serve New Yorkers."

"This historic partnership between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul represents the kind of bold investment New Yorkers deserve," said Council Member Rita Joseph. "For far too many working families, students, seniors and people with disabilities, buses are not a last resort they are a lifeline. A faster, more reliable, and more accessible bus system means shorter commutes, greater economic opportunity and a stronger, more equitable city. As Chair of the New York City Council Committee on Higher Education, I know that reliable transit is essential to student success. Whether it's a CUNY student getting to class, a parent commuting to work or a senior traveling to a doctor's appointment, every New Yorker deserves a bus system that works for them. I applaud Mayor Mamdani and Governor Hochul for advancing this historic vision, and I look forward to working with partners in government to ensure these investments reach every neighborhood and every rider."

"For hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, including myself, bus service is the primary way we get to work, school, medical appointments and other locations around the city. Investing in faster, more reliable and more accessible bus service is a commitment to equity, quality of life and the economic vitality of our neighborhoods," said Council Member Lynn Schulman. "I applaud Mayor Mamdani, Governor Hochul, the MTA and the Department of Transportation for coming together to advance this ambitious vision for the future of our bus system. I look forward to working closely with the MTA, NYC DOT and both the Mayor's and Governor's office to ensure the communities in my district are able to experience these improvements. By delivering a better, faster and more dependable bus system, all New Yorkers will benefit."

"Bus riders across New York organized and won a visionary plan for fast buses and the chance to win back hours of our lives," said Betsy Plum, Executive Director of Riders Alliance. "By reigniting a real partnership between NYC DOT and the MTA, Mayor Mamdani and Governor Hochul are creating a historic opportunity to make buses dramatically faster and more reliable for the New Yorkers who depend on them every day. Slow buses are not just an inconvenience. They are a barrier to opportunity, a drain on family time and a daily indignity for the New Yorkers who rely on them to reach work, school, childcare, healthcare and other basic needs and opportunities. Getting buses right means getting the basics of city life right. Riders built the power that made this moment possible, and we'll keep organizing until these promises become real improvements in every borough."

"The new bus plan from Mayor Mamdani and Governor Hochul sets the bar high - and rightfully so, with the commutes of more than two million riders at stake," said Ben Furnas, Executive Director at Transportation Alternatives. "Reaching these bold goals along 50 priority corridors is going to take hard work coordinated by both the City and the State, and this plan is a comprehensive vision for how we get there. We're particularly excited by the focus on Central Brooklyn routes, by citywide all-door boarding and by the commitment to providing seating, shade and shelter universally at every feasible bus stop across our city, so riders will no longer have to stand in the sweltering heat or freezing cold while they wait - and soon, they'll be waiting a lot less!"

"Regional Plan Association congratulates the Governor, the Mayor and the New York City Department of Transportation for advancing this plan to make bus service faster, more frequent and more reliable," said Kate Slevin, Executive Vice President of Regional Plan Association. "These improvements are long overdue and can't come soon enough for New Yorkers who depend on buses every day. Faster, more efficient bus service is essential to building a more sustainable, equitable and economically competitive city."

"For too long, bus riders have endured unbearably slow, unreliable trips, due in part to politics, but that's about to change," said Lisa Daglian, Executive Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC). "Concrete investments that put bus riders front and center - including bus priority corridors and all-door boarding - will speed up their rides so they can finally move faster than a chicken. We applaud the extraordinary partnership and political will shown by the Governor, Mayor, MTA, DOT and enforcement agencies, which will make a difference in the lives of millions of New York riders."

"The Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY) supports equitable bus expansion that allows for people with disabilities, seniors and all riders to benefit from experiencing accessible, safe and time-efficient service to and from their destinations," said Sharon McLennon Wier, Ph.D., MSEd., CRC, LMHC, Executive Director of CIDNY. "The proposed faster bus design in Brooklyn targets neighborhoods where numerous people with disabilities, seniors and riders who use baby strollers and grocery carts. These riders must have a way to onboard and deboard these buses safely. Fast bus service cannot take for granted safe and accessible transit for all."

"New Yorkers deserve a transit system that keeps pace with how they live, work and age," said Beth Finkel, State Director of AARP New York. "Improvements that make buses faster, more reliable and more accessible are especially important for older adults and others who depend on public transportation every day. AARP New York welcomes this commitment to strengthening bus service and helping people remain active, connected and independent in their communities."

"Public transit is one of the most effective ways to reduce emissions while lowering the cost of living and expanding economic opportunity for all New Yorkers," said Alia Soomro, Deputy Director for NYC Policy at New York League of Conservation Voters. "By investing in faster, more reliable bus service, New York is making it easier for millions of people to choose mass transit over driving, which will reduce congestion and improve air quality in communities across the five boroughs. NYLCV applauds Mayor Mamdani, Governor Hochul and Commissioner Flynn for launching this ambitious plan and looks forward to seeing these improvements delivered for riders."

"With Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service, we at People-Oriented Cities are thrilled that NYC DOT and MTA are committed to truly moving the needle on bus speeds and reliability," said Walter Hook, Executive Director of People-Oriented Cities. "We look forward to partnering with both agencies to help ensure that buses are meeting the ambitious targets set forth in this report and that the five Rapid Bus corridors reach the level of true, world-class Bus Rapid Transit."

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