What is a New York city bus?

One of the largest and most dynamic metropolitan areas in the world is New York. It is called "the city that never sleeps". And indeed it is! An American friend who speaks excellent Russian told a very interesting story. He lived here for a long time and even witnessed the sad events of September 11, 2001. So, one night he was awake and witnessed a huge New York traffic jam that occurred at the beginning of the fourth .. night!


Given such a busy traffic flow in this largest city in America, it becomes clear that not everyone who comes here will be able to bring their own car with them. In this case, public urban transport is of particular importance. First of all, bus routes.

American buses - closed space

We are all well aware of the legendary American muscle cars or huge powerful trucks. Even people far from cars are familiar with them, thanks to American adventure films. The buses of the North American continent are quite another matter.


They are a kind of closed space intended for internal use only. In fact, few people in Europe would be able to immediately name a few local companies specializing in the production of city or intercity buses.

In addition to buses, there is, of course, other public transport. This is the metro, traditional for large cities, and ferries, and even a cable car. All of them are vital for the metropolis, daily immersed in numerous traffic jams. The metro in this case, of course, can come to the rescue. But, after all, from the window of his car you will not see the local beauties. And here the city bus comes to the rescue.


Even with your own car in the vast New York, it is very easy to get lost. There is no need to talk about walking around the vast urban area, considering local sights. Therefore, whatever one may say, guests of the Big Apple simply cannot do without surface public transport. An interactive route planner from the MTA company can help with this.

New York bus routes

Bus service in the metropolis is more than very well developed. There are a huge number of different routes, affecting not only the central streets, but also the outskirts and suburbs. Despite the traditional American carelessness, ground transport runs here with German pedantry. Although ubiquitous traffic jams can make their own unpleasant adjustments to this process.


In general, the schedule of the desired bus, which is easy to find at the bus stop or from the route map, can be completely trusted (not like in our penates). Completely free of charge, you will be offered a booklet with detailed information about the schedule of each of the routes. They are available near any metro station or at special information stands located in libraries. By the way, it is important to remember that on holidays the bus schedule changes.



The total number of main routes is 254. There are also several dozen additional express lines. As of 2022, they are distributed by lot as follows:

✅ Queens - 80 regular and 30 express
✅ Brooklyn - 58 and 7
✅ Stat Island - 31 and 29
✅ Bronx - 44 and 11
✅ Manhattan - 41 regular routes

When boarding the bus, you can pay for the fare with coins. Readers do not work with paper money. Change is also not issued, so you need to have the required amount for the calculation. Although metallic dollars can be used, the 50 cent coin is not suitable for payment due to its large size. Coins of 1 cent also cannot be used in the calculation. If you have to transfer, then you need to notify the driver. It will issue a single-use MetroCard with a black stripe on the back. It can be used in the next transport.

Nevertheless, the main and most convenient payment method is the reusable MetroCard. At the entrance, it is inserted into the reader located next to the driver. After that, the card is returned to the owner. This differs from the magnetic tape reading system by simply swiping the card used in the subway.


When the passenger has reached his stop, he must exit through the middle door. This can be done by first notifying the driver by pressing the red “Stop” button on the handrail. The doors will open automatically or you will have to click on the yellow strip between them. In addition to the MTA, there are many small private companies. Chinatown social buses are also provided, the fare for which is only $2 (instead of the usual $2,75). True, there is no possibility of a free transfer to another route.

What is a New York bus?

The latest tender for the main urban transportation was won by the Canadian company Nova Bus. In Europe, it is practically unfamiliar, but in North America it is one of the largest bus manufacturers. It is a subsidiary of Prevost, owned by Volvo. Its most modern family is the LFS line. It is available in three versions:

✅ urban (12,4 m, 38 seats, 250/280 hp engine)
✅ suburban (12,2 m, 49 seats. 280-horsepower engine)
✅ airfield (28 seats and a huge area for standing places and luggage)

The supporting structure can be 12 meters high, with a rigid frame option. Another modification, with an articulated frame, has a longer length - 18 meters. The model was the first model of a transit bus developed by the company. Its release started in 1996 and has been going on for more than a quarter of a century. Among its power plants there are various variations:

✅ diesel/gas
✅ diesel/electric
✅ on rechargeable batteries

For the initial hit on the American market, the Canadian-Swedish offspring had to confirm compliance with the "Buy American" requirements. In just over 20 years, more than 400 LFS buses have arrived in the United States. During this time, there were two branches in New York State that produced such equipment. Therefore, the city itself also received dozens of buses for urban infrastructure. In Canada itself, 7 out of 10 buses are produced by Nova Bus.

Who does the transportation in New York?

Routes with limited stops are operated by Select Bus Service. It provides a mode of high-speed intracity communication. The project has been operating in New York since 2008. To date, the number of routes has exceeded twenty, and their further increase is planned.


Another company working on urban routes is Greyhound Lines Inc with more than a century of history. It is one of the leading operators in North America. More than 1700 buses owned by Greyhound Lines run throughout the United States.

For more convenient long-distance travel, there is Jet, a pilot production of luxury buses. The price of travel in them will be more expensive, but in addition to comfortable seats, passengers are offered fast Wi-Fi. Transport is designed for longer trips with a greater level of convenience. This is facilitated by a large distance between the rows and a soft suspension travel.