| Slogan | Improving...non-stop. |
|---|---|
| Parent | Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York) |
| Founded | May 7, 2008[1] |
| Headquarters | 2 Broadway, New York, NY 10004-2207 |
| Locale | New York metropolitan area |
| Service area | New York City |
| Service type | Local, limited-stop, bus rapid transit, and express bus service |
| Routes |
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| Fleet | 5,856[2][3] |
| Fuel type | |
| Operator | |
| Chief executive | Darryl Irick |
| Web site | Metropolitan Transportation Authority |
MTA Regional Bus Operations (RBO) is the surface transit division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York) (MTA), created in 2008 to consolidate all bus operations operated by the MTA.[1]
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The history of the MTA's bus operations generally follows the history of the New York City Transit Authority, which was created in 1953 by the State of New York to take over operations then operated by the New York City Board of Transportation. The current system came into being in the mid 2000s following the MTA's assumption of services previously operated by private carriers under contract to the New York City Department of Transportation, the successor to the Board of Transportation. This brought almost all bus transportation in New York City under its control.[4] Completed in 2006,[5] the MTA then moved to streamline its operations through consolidation of management function. To that effect, RBO was officially created in May 2008, with the president of what was then New York City Transit's Department of Buses, Joseph J. Smith, named to lead the consolidated bus operations.[1]
Currently, many RBO's operational changes have been at the management level, with the creation of a unified command center and consolidation of management for all bus operations, with the aim of reducing redundancies in the agency. Other changes have included eliminating the MTA Bus call center, folding it into that of New York City Transit, and the unification of the fare policy for all of the MTA's services.
RBO is currently only used in official documentation, and not publicly as a brand. The current public brands are listed below:
The current scheme (except for #2185, with a special 9/11 memorial scheme) is a straight blue stripe across the sides of the bus against a white base, with no colors on the front or back, and black window trim. From 1977 until late 2007, (and still present on much of the fleet), the livery was a full all-around stripe with a black rear, and until late 2010 (and still present on buses repainted during this time), the scheme was a stripe with a blank rear. Buses operated in Select Bus Service bus rapid transit service are wrapped with a light blue-and-white wrap below the windows.
Access-A-Ride paratransit services are provided by various contractors, using vans owned by the MTA.
In addition, MTA Regional Bus Operations operated bus service in Nassau County under the name Long Island Bus until December 31, 2011. Nassau County, the owner of the system, has decided to hire Veolia Transportation to operate the system in place of the MTA.
Within the service area, the color of the route on a bus stop sign indicates the type of service run. Routes are branded on bus stop signs, which are normally located every 2-3 blocks apart in most cases.
All bus stops are in effect at all times unless otherwise indicated by signage.
| Sign color | Type of service |
|---|---|
| Blue |
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| Purple |
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| Green |
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| Black |
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| Turquoise |
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| Yellow |
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| White |
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From 10:00 PM until 5:00 AM, customers on most fixed-route buses may "request-a-stop"; that is, to ask to be dropped off at any location that is not a bus stop (as long as the operator considers it safe). Request-A-Stop is not available on Select Bus Service, Limited-Stop routes, or on buses that are functioning as bus bridges.
The fleet consists of over 5,900 buses of various types and models for fixed-route service, and over 2,000 vans and cabs for ADA paratransit service, providing service in New York City, Nassau County, the western edge of Suffolk County, New York, and the city of Yonkers. All vehicles (except for paratransit cabs) are fully accessible to persons with disabilities.[2][3]
Within the current fleet are over 1,600 diesel-electric buses and over 900 buses powered by compressed natural gas. Fixed-route buses are dispatched from 28 garages (20 New York City Bus and 8 MTA Bus) and one annex in New York City. By fleet size, the MTA Regional Bus (New York City Bus and MTA Bus) fleet is the fourth largest in the United States and Canada (and the largest public transit fleet), behind three school bus operators: First Student, Durham School Services, and Student Transportation, Incorporated.
Dollar bills and half-dollar coins are not accepted on fixed-route buses or Select Bus Service payment stations. All fares are in US dollars, and the following fare policy also applies to the Bee-Line Bus System in Westchester County, New York (except for the BxM4C).
| Local, Limited-Stop, and Select Bus Service (transfer available upon request) |
Express bus (New York City Bus and MTA Bus) |
Student fare | Access-A-Ride (New York City paratransit) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full fare | Reduced fare | Full fare | Reduced-fare (off-peak only) |
Student Free MetroCard (City of New York only) |
Student Half Fare MetroCard (City of New York only) |
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| $2.25 ($2.50 for a SingleRide ticket) |
$1.10 | $5.50 | $2.75 | Free | $1.10 | $2.25 |
Transfer rules:
Other notes:
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The following schedule is operated on holidays. Services that would not operate on these days of the week will not operate on indicated holidays.
| Holiday | Service level |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day*† | Reduced Sunday |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | Reduced weekday |
| Presidents' Day | Saturday |
| Memorial Day† | Sunday |
| Independence Day**† | Saturday |
| Labor Day† | Sunday |
| Thanksgiving Day† | Sunday |
| Day after Thanksgiving | Reduced weekday |
| Christmas Day*† | Reduced Sunday |
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