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

"Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service" identifies 50 priority corridors for speed improvements, including five next-generation rapid transit bus routes

Plan will install shelters and seating at hundreds of bus stops, roll out thousands of new buses, phase in all-door boarding by 2027 and deliver a new, world-class rapid bus route on Flatbush Avenue by 2030

See Photos of Today's Announcement

Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today unveiled Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service, a sweeping bus action plan to build the next generation of bus service in New York City.

The plan marks a historic partnership between the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to transform how New Yorkers experience the city's buses - with investments that will make service faster, more accessible and more comfortable from curb to destination.

Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service identifies 50 priority bus corridors for improvements across the five boroughs and launches the City's next generation of rapid bus service along five key routes. Together, these investments will shorten commutes, improve reliability, expand accessibility and create a bus system worthy of the city that depends on it.

"Every day, millions of New Yorkers rely on buses to get around this city, but for far too long, making their journeys faster and their lives easier has seemed out of reach. That all changes today," Governor Hochul said. "New York is in the midst of a transit renaissance, with historic investments being made to improve the lifeblood of our city. Now, working with Mayor Mamdani, we are advancing a bold and ambitious plan to move buses faster, dramatically expand bus priority, reduce delays and make our bus system the envy of the world."

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, "For working New Yorkers, every minute matters. But for too long, our buses have been stuck in traffic instead of keeping pace with the city that never sleeps. 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. Together with Governor Hochul, we're investing in faster, more reliable buses because New Yorkers deserve a transit system that respects their time. This plan will make it easier to get to work, school and home - and build a city that works better for the people who keep it running."

New York City DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn said, "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 center through this historic partnership and investment. 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 Yorker 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."

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, "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. 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."

New Yorkers take 2.75 million trips on New York City buses each day, making the system the busiest in the nation - carrying more riders than the bus systems of Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Philadelphia combined. But New York's buses remain the slowest of any major U.S. city, averaging just eight miles per hour.

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

Fast Buses and the Next Generation of Rapid Transit

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 modeled after the best rapid bus systems around the world.

Reliable Buses

The MTA will work together 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 implement all-door boarding in 2027 with the complete transition to tap and ride.

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.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. said, "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. 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 the work ahead of finally giving Queens residents that quick and effective bus service they have always deserved."

New York City Council Member Tiffany Caban said, "This investment in faster buses and better service across the five boroughs is desperately needed. 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 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."

New York City Council Member Lynn Schulman said, "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. 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."

Riders Alliance Executive Director Besty Plum said, "Bus riders across New York organized and won a visionary plan for fast buses and the chance to win back hours of our lives. 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."

Regional Plan Association Executive Director Kate Slevin said, "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. 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."

Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA Executive Director Lisa Daglian said, "For too long, bus riders have endured unbearably slow, unreliable trips, due in part to politics, but that's about to change. 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."

Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York Executive Director Sharon McLennon Wier, Ph.D., MSEd., CRC, LMHC said, "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. 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."

AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel said, "New Yorkers deserve a transit system that keeps pace with how they live, work and age. 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."

People-Oriented Cities Executive Director Walter Hook said, "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. 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."