NYLCV Primer – Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service

By Katelyn Villatoro

On July 8, Mayor Mamdani, Governor Hochul, and the MTA released Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service, an action plan to modernize and speed up NYC’s bus system. From green-lighting stalled bus projects to all-door boarding upgrades, this area of public transit is finally getting the attention it deserves. Investing in our bus system is vital for both quality of life since it helps residents get to where they need to go faster, as well as the health of our environment. 

Instead of traveling by car, commuting by bus means lower carbon emissions, less air pollution, and a reduction in traffic congestion. Improving our bus system is also an environmental justice issue; as the report notes, people of color make up 75% of commuters who use the bus.  The city has committed $254 million in expense funding and $628 million in capital funding over five fiscal years to carry out the plan.

Goals

Next Stop centers on four main goals to improve the city’s bus system. It also identifies 50 priority bus corridors for improvements across the city, and outlines five routes for bus rapid transit. According to the Mayor, these investments will speed up buses by 20%, shorten commutes by up to six minutes each way, improve reliability, expand accessibility and create a bus system worthy of the city that depends on it.

1. Fast, Reliable Buses

Increase bus speeds by 20% on priority corridors: NYC DOT and MTA aim to save riders upwards of six minutes of the bus journey. DOT and MTA will improve service and reliability by building out more dedicated bus lane infrastructure, innovative traffic signal technology, and operational enhancements, such as phasing in all-door boarding with the complete transition to tap and ride by 2027. This will speed up boardings at bus stops and reduce delays at bus stops to less than 2 minutes beyond scheduled wait time on priority corridors. By the end of 2026, DOT and MTA have committed to advancing 28 street design projects. As part of the 2025-2029 MTA Capital Program, the MTA will also purchase 2,500 new buses to replace more than 40% of the existing fleet.

About Priority Corridors.
NYC has identified 50 bus routes across the city where bus riders experience the most delay along their journey. Of the 50 priority corridors, 25 of the slowest bus routes in NYC operate along these 50 priority corridors. 

2. Valued Bus Riders

Improving the Bus Rider Experience: In an effort to improve the overall environment of bus stops, NYC DOT and MTA will ensure every stop is fully accessible, from seating to accurate arrival information. Under this goal, NYC is prioritizing bus shelters, universal seating, shade at bus stops and Real Time Passenger Information. The City has committed to installing 300 new bus shelters by 2028, installing seatings at 875 bus stops in 2026 to meet their 2035 universal seating goal, and upgrading 35 inaccessible bus stops by the end of this year. Additionally, the City has committed to planting 30 trees at bus stops and piloting bus shelter design improvements for mitigating extreme heat in 2026, which will help further the goals of the city’s first-ever Urban Forest Plan.

3. Culture of Courtesy and Respect

Keeping Bus Routes Clear: In order to improve bus service and reliability, the City will prioritize enforcement strategies such as Automated Camera Enforcement (ACE), which is a bus-mounted camera system that issues violations to vehicles occupying bus lanes, double-parked vehicles along bus routes, and vehicles blocking bus stops. This will also include stationary bus lane cameras and on-site enforcement. These measures are proven to speed up buses, and reduce congestion, ensuring safer streets in NYC.

4. Quality Transit for All

Rapid Bus Service to Bridge Mobility Gaps: NYC DOT & MTA will design and construct new,  rapid bus routes to guarantee 90% of New Yorkers live within a half-mile of a subway, rail, Select Bus, or new rapid bus station. Starting in 2026, four rapid bus corridors will be advanced, and one will be built. Bus rapid transit, or BRT, provides frequent, high-capacity bus service comparable in quality to rail and subway systems, at a fraction of the cost. This means faster travel, lower emissions, and safer streets. 

Timeline & Key Actions

This plan also lays out a timeline for goals ranging from 2026 to 2035. 

2026

• Advance 28 ongoing projects with coordinated schedule adjustments.
• Release next draft of the Brooklyn Bus Network Redesign and begin engagement for bus priority improvements on three key Central Brooklyn bus corridors.
• Upgrade 35 bus stops to be fully accessible.
• Install 90 RTPI signs and begin improvement of passenger information systems.
• Install seating at 875 bus stops.
• Expand shade at bus stops by planting 30 trees at bus stops and piloting
• new cooling shelter designs.
• Launch visioning engagement for the development of four rapid bus corridors across the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens

2027

• Advance new bus priority projects on Priority Corridors.

• Implement all-door boarding with complete transition to tap and ride.

2028

• Reach installation of 300 new bus shelters.

2030

• Reach 175 Transit Signal Priority Corridors.
• Achieve installation of 125 queue jumps.
• Reach 2,900 new RTPI signs.
• Expand bus stop accessibility program to upgrade at least 65 stops per year.
• Implement a rapid bus route on Flatbush Avenue.

2035

• Achieve universal seating at bus stops.
• Complete tree planting at all feasible bus stops.

Public transportation is the cornerstone of an accessible, sustainable, and equitable city. As such, New Yorkers deserve to have their buses be affordable, sustainable, efficient, and most importantly, reliable. NYLCV applauds the Mamdani Administration, Governor Hochul, and the MTA on such a bold bus plan and is excited to watch these goals come to life for our city to benefit from. We hope it will inspire more policies for public transportation in the future.

Katelyn Villatoro has been the NYC Policy fellow for the New York League of Conservation Voters since September 2025. She holds a B.A in Politics from New York University, where she obtained her Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in Advocacy & Political Action in May of 2026. To learn more about Katelyn’s background, view her LinkedIn here.