MTA Bus Company

MTA Bus Company

#230 picks up customers at the first stop on the Q64 Jewel Avenue route in Forest Hills.
Slogan	Improving...non-stop.
Parent	MTA Regional Bus Operations
Headquarters	2 Broadway, New York, NY 10004-2207
Locale	New York City
Service area	Southwestern Westchester, The Bronx, Manhattan, eastern Brooklyn, Queens, and southwestern Nassau
Service type	Local and express
Routes	44 local and limited-stop routes 36 express bus routes
Fleet	1,260[1]
Daily ridership	362,230 (weekday-2007)[1]
Fuel type	#2 diesel (all garages) Compressed natural gas (College Point & Spring Creek)
Operator	MTA Bus Company
Web site	MTA Buses

MTA Bus Company is a service of MTA Regional Bus Operations used on routes previously controlled by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), and operated by private operators that provided service under contract to the NYCDOT.^[2] Currently, the public distinction between MTA Bus and New York City Bus is only visible on the actual rolling stock and published timetables.

History

MTA Bus Company was established in late 2004 to take over privately operated bus routes operated under contract to the NYCDOT.^[3][4] The routes were taken over on a staggered schedule, beginning with Liberty Lines Express in January 2005 and ending with Triboro Coach Corp. in February 2006.

MTA Bus started to operate the former Liberty Lines Express bus routes on January 3, 2005, Queens Surface Corporation bus routes on February 27, 2005, New York Bus Service bus routes on July 1, 2005, Command Bus Company bus routes on December 5, 2005, Green Bus Lines bus routes on January 9, 2006 and Jamaica Buses bus routes on January 30, 2006. Triboro Coach Corporation, the final remaining company, ceased operating and its routes have been operated by MTA Bus since February 20, 2006.^[5]

Currently, the only NYCDOT subsidized lines not consolidated into MTA Bus are those run by Atlantic Express and were formerly run by Academy Bus (Commuter Coach) until 2001.^[6] Although the X23, and X24 routes were absorbed by Atlantic Express, the X17J, X21, X22, and X30 routes were absorbed by the New York City Transit Authority. NYCT discontinued service on the X21 months after the takeover.^[7] Recentlty, NYS Assemblyman Lou Tobacco and NYS Senator Andrew Lanza, along with U.S. Congressman Michael E. McMahon and NYC Councilmen Vincent Ignizio and James Oddo have asked the MTA to look into the possible consolidation of the remainder of the NYCDOT routes.^[8] Private Transportation (Bus Company) route B110 is franchised but not subsidized by NYCDOT. Atlantic Express also ran the AE7 express route from Travis, Staten Island and Tottenville, Staten Island in the same manner as the Private Transportation B110 local route. Citing low ridership and increased costs, Atlantic Express canceled the AE7 service on December 31, 2011. Councilmen Ignizio and Oddo as well as Congressman Michael G. Grimm have called on the MTA to revamp that route also.^[9]

In spring 2008, the MTA streamlined bus operations such that MTA Bus Company, New York City Transit buses, and Long Island Bus buses would be managed as a single entity, MTA Regional Bus. The MTA Bus brand will continue to be used.^[10]

Fare

Main article: New York City transit fares

The current MTA Bus base fare is the same as that of the New York City Transit Authority and Long Island Bus: $2.25 for local and limited-stop service and $5.50 for express bus service, payable in coins or MetroCard only.^[11]

Routes

#2249 on the BM2 in Greenwood Heights, bound for Canarsie.

MTA Bus currently operates the following routes:

Local and Limited-Stop bus service

Main article: List of bus routes in Queens

Main article: List of bus routes in Brooklyn

MTA Bus provides local bus service primarily in southern, western, and central Queens, with local and limited-stop bus service where private operators contracted by the New York City Department of Transportation formerly provided service.

Express bus service

Main article: List of express and multi-borough bus routes in New York City

From the Bronx, parts of Yonkers, much of Queens, and parts of southern and eastern Brooklyn, MTA Bus provides service along a number of express bus lines running to downtown and midtown Manhattan.

Like the local routes, these routes were also previously franchised by the New York City Department of Transportation.

Bus stops

A typical bus stop sign in New York City, denoting routes served.

Within New York City, similar to routes operated under New York City Bus, the color of the route on a bus stop sign indicates the type of service run. Unlike the signs for the NYCT routes which were completely replaced by the mid-2000s, many signs for MTA Bus routes still sport 1970s-1990s era blue and red NYC DOT signage. Routes are branded on bus stop signs, which are normally located every 2-3 blocks apart in most cases, as follows:

Sign color	Type of service
Blue	Local bus service.
Purple	Limited-Stop bus service.
Green	Express bus service.
Black	Service operating to a particular stop during late night hours only.
Yellow	Special school service (stopping at that stop only when New York City public schools are in session, usually at the end of the school day).

Unless otherwise signed, bus stops are reserved for use of specified services at all times.

MTA Bus facilities

MTA Bus currently operates out of eight bus depots, all of which were formerly used by private companies, in The Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn. All of the garages are leased to the City of New York and MTA Bus, except for the Spring Creek and Yonkers garages which are owned by MTA Bus. They are distinct from the Bus depots of the New York City Transit Authority.

Baisley Park Depot

The Baisley Park Depot, located on Guy R. Brewer Boulevard and Linden Boulevard in South Jamaica, in the New York City borough of Queens. It is currently owned by GTJ Reit Inc. (Green, Triboro, Jamaica) Realty Investment Trust, Inc, successor to the former operators. Jamaica Buses was the former operator of this facility and is currently leased to the City of New York and MTA Bus. Some Q64 buses and all Q110, Q111, Q112, and Q113 local routes, and QM21 express route, are dispatched from this garage.^{[citation needed]}

College Point Depot

The College Point Depot, located on 28th Avenue near Ulmer St in the College Point section of Queens, is a bus garage built and owned by the NYCDOT and leased to MTA Bus, and formerly leased to Queens Surface Corporation before it was taken over by MTA Bus. This garage dispatches the Q19, Q25, Q34, Q38, Q50 (most runs), Q64, Q65, and Q66 local routes, and the QM1, QM2, QM3, QM4, QM5, QM6, QM7, QM8, QM10, QM11, and QM20 express routes.^{[citation needed]}

Eastchester Depot

The Eastchester Depot is located on Tilotson Avenue near Conner Street off of the New England Thruway (Interstate 95) in the Eastchester, Bronx neighborhood of The Bronx, New York. It is currently owned by Edward Arrigonni, former president of New York Bus Service, and is leased to the City of New York and MTA Bus Company. This depot also contains a major storage facility along with the MTA scrap storage facility, as well as a major bus overhaul and repair facility/shops for various type of buses. Dispatched from Eastchester are the Bx23, and Q50 local routes and the BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, and BxM10 express routes.^{[citation needed]}

Far Rockaway Depot

The Far Rockaway Depot is situated on Rockaway Beach Boulevard and Beach 49th Street in Arverne, Queens. On January 9, 2006, MTA Bus took over bus routes that had previously been operated by Green Bus Lines. The garage is owned by GTJ Reit Inc, and formerly used by Green Bus Lines, Inc. It is presently leased to the City of New York and MTA Bus. The Far Rockaway Depot has two storage lots and a maintenance facility. Recently an annex has been built to support more buses. Far Rockaway Depot dispatches the Q11 (most runs), Q21, Q22, and Q35 local routes, and the QM15, QM16, QM17, and QM18 express routes.^{[citation needed]}

John F. Kennedy Depot

John F. Kennedy Bus Depot or (JFK Depot) along with Far Rockaway Depot are the MTA Bus garages that were formerly operated by Green Bus Lines and were assumed by MTA Bus on January 9, 2006. The garage is owned by GTJ Reit Inc, and formerly used by Green Bus Lines, Inc. It is presently leased to the City of New York and MTA Bus. JFK Depot is Located at 147th Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard near JFK Airport. Operated out of JFK Depot are the Q6, Q7, Q8, Q9, Q10, Q11 (some runs), Q37, Q40, Q41, and Q60 local routes, and QM15 (some runs) express routes.

LaGuardia Depot

Established on February 20, 2006, The LaGuardia Depot is located on 85th Street and 23rd Avenue in the East Elmhurst / Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens, New York near LaGuardia Airport. It is currently owned by GTJ Reit Inc. Triboro Coach Corporation was the previous operator of this facility, and is currently leased to the City of New York and MTA Bus Company. LaGuardia currently operates the Q18, Q23, Q29, Q33, Q39, Q47, Q49, Q53, Q67, Q69, Q72, Q100, Q101, Q102, Q103, and Q104 local routes, and the QM12, QM24 and QM25 express routes.^{[citation needed]}

Spring Creek Depot

The Spring Creek Depot is located on Flatlands Avenue east of Crescent Street in Spring Creek neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Originally leased to the Command Bus Company, it was previously built and owned by the New York City Department of Transportation before being sold to MTA Bus in early 2009. The B100 and B103 local routes, and BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, and BM5 express routes are operated from Spring Creek.^{[citation needed]}

Yonkers Depot

The Yonkers Depot is located at 59 Babcock Place in Yonkers, New York. Originally part of Liberty Lines Express, it is currently owned and operated by MTA Bus, and only operates express bus service between Yonkers, Western Bronx, and Manhattan on the BxM1, BxM2, BxM3, BxM4, BxM11, and BxM18 (peak service only) routes.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^ ^{a b} MTA Bus data from the National Transit Database
2. ^ About the MTA Bus Company
3. ^ APTA: New York MTA to Take Over Seven Private Bus Lines
4. ^ Toscano, John (December 2, 2004). "New Buses To Improve Private Line Service". Queens Gazette. http://www.qgazette.com/news/2004-12-02/Front_Page/. Retrieved 2011-07-02. 
5. ^ MTA Newsroom
6. ^ http://www.atlanticexpress.com/SouthShore.htm EMERGENCY INTERIM COMMUTER SERVICE For the South Shore Community of Staten Island
7. ^ "Staten Island pols call on MTA to take over 2 privately-operated bus routes". Staten Island Advance. September 29, 2009. http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/staten_island_pols_call_on_mta.html. Retrieved 2011-07-02. 
8. ^ http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=062&sh=story&story=33897 Staten Island Officials Call on MTA to Take over Bus Routes and Expand South Shore Express Bus Service
9. ^ Yates, Maura (November 24, 2010). "Pols make pitch to MTA to fill void for South Shore park-and-riders after Atlantic Express cancels route". Staten Island Advance. http://www.silive.com/southshore/index.ssf/2010/11/pols_make_pitch_to_mta_to_fill.html. Retrieved 2011-07-02. 
10. ^ "MTA Moves to Streamline Bus Operations" (Press release). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. May 7, 2008. http://www.mta.info/mta/news/releases/?en=080507-HQ15. Retrieved 2011-07-02. 
11. ^ Bus Company Fares, Transfers, and Discounts

See also

• Transportation in New York City
• New York City Transit Authority
• New York City Transit buses

External links

• MTA Buses
• Metropolitan Transportation Authority: MTA Bus Service Begins MTA Newsroom.