Buses

Slower than the subway almost everywhere, and better than the subway in a few specific situations worth knowing.

New Yorkers under-use the bus, largely because the subway is so dominant. But the bus network solves problems the subway cannot.

When the bus wins

• Crosstown trips in Manhattan. The subway runs overwhelmingly north–south. Going east–west, a crosstown bus is often the only direct option.
• Trips within an outer borough. Subway lines converge on Manhattan, so travelling from one part of Brooklyn or Queens to another frequently means going in and back out. The bus goes directly.
• Step-free travel. Every bus is accessible; most subway stations are not.
• Short hops where the walk to and from the platform exceeds the ride.

Select Bus Service

SBS routes are the MTA's faster tier. The differences that matter:

• Off-board fare payment on some routes — you pay at a kerbside machine before boarding and keep the receipt as proof.
• All-door boarding, which cuts the largest single delay on a busy route.
• Dedicated bus lanes on much of the route, camera-enforced.
• Fewer stops, spaced further apart.

SBS is a service pattern, not a separate network — an SBS route usually runs alongside a local version of the same route with more stops.

Express buses

Express buses connect the outer boroughs to Manhattan with limited stops and coach-style seating. They cost substantially more than a local bus and are aimed at commuters from areas with weak subway coverage, especially Staten Island.

Reading a bus route

Route prefixes tell you the borough: M Manhattan, B Brooklyn, Q Queens, Bx the Bronx, S Staten Island. A route beginning with X is an express bus.

Paying

Tap OMNY at the front door on local buses, or at the kerbside machine on off-board-payment SBS routes. Bus-to-subway and bus-to-bus transfers within the window are included.