The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, known more familiarly as MTA New York City, is the single largest public transportation operator in the United States. The MTA operates over 5700 buses, over 6000 subway cars, and two different commuter rail systems: Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Railroad. Most of the MTA’s operation is centered around New York City, NY.
Headquarters Location
MTA New York City’s Headquarters is located at 2 Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, NY
MTA New York City Bus Operations
MTA New York City operates two types of bus service: Local Buses (identified by a letter and number). And express buses (identified by two or more letters and a number). Local buses utilize a simple fare system and offer free transfer between lines as well as subways. Express buses, on the other hand, utilize a more premium fare and free transfers are NOT available to express buses.
Of these buses, MTA New York City also operates two sub-divisions within their bus network: MTA Bus and MTA New York City Transit. MTA Bus is composed of former private operations such as Jamaica bus lines, Queens Surface, and many others that the MTA has taken over. MTA New York City Transit, however, is all from the original New York City Transit Authority, which is MTA’s direct predecessor.
MTA New York City Bus Routes and Transfers
As previously mentioned, all MTA bus routes have letter and number combinations. The letter would indicate which borough the route operates through, whereas the number is the bus route itself. Express buses would have two or more letters indicating more than one borough.
- B – Brooklyn. These buses operate within the borough of Brooklyn, connecting with Downtown Brooklyn, JFK Airport, Coney Island, and Williamsburg.
- Bx – Bronx. These buses operate within the borough of Bronx. Some bronx routes connect with Westchester Bee-Line buses through the borough. Some Bronx Buses also operate into Harlem, Manhattan.
- M – Manhattan. These buses operate primarily within Manhattan, with some crossing over to Queens. Manhattan buses can connect with NJ Transit in Middtown Manhattan.
- Q – Queens. Now this is where it gets interesting as for the most part, queens bus routes stay within Queens but unlike every other letter, there is at least one Q route in every Borough (except Staten Island). Queens buses connect with Nassau Inter-county Expresss or NICE within Jamaica, Queens.
- S (or SI for Express Buses) – Staten Island. All of these routes are from Richmond County service, operating to St George’s Ferry Terminal, Eltingville Transit Center, or Staten Island Mall. Some Staten Island Bus routes operate into Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
- X – Express. This is also a non-demoninator express bus designator. Unlike with every other designation, X buses only utilize one letter in the route number on express bus lines.
On Express buses, the route letters would indicate which boroughs they serve. For example, SIM routes serve Staten Island and Manhattan. Most express buses serve Manhattan, as the “M” in their names suggests.
MTA New York City Bus Fleet Roster
MTA New York City’s bus fleet is in a transitional phase, between the classic “Orion” buses from the early 2000s, to more modern New Flyer Xcelsior and NovaBus LFS buses. The MTA has also notably changed their livery in 2015 to what is known now as the “Cuomo livery.”
| Year | Make/Model | Image | Engine/ Transmission | Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-2006 | Motor Coach Industries D4500CL |  | Catepillar C13/ Allison B500R-5 | 3000-3474, 4306 (MTA Bus) |
| 2008 | Motor Coach Industries D4500CT |  | Catepillar C13/ Allison B500R-5 | 2210-2250 |
| 2008 | Motor Coach Industries D4500CT (ex-NJ Transit) |  | Catepillar C13/ Allison B500R-5 | 2195-2209 |
| 2008-2010 | Orion VII “Next Generation” HEV |  | Cummins ISB/ BAE Systems HybriDrive | 3800-4278, 4330-4702 |
| 2009-2010 | NovaBus LFS Artic |   | Cummins ISL/ ZF Ecomat 604-6HP | 1200-1289 |
| 2011-2013 | New Flyer C40LF |  | Cummins ISL-G/ Allison B400R6 | 185-672 |
| 2011-2012 | New Flyer XD40 |  | Cummins ISL/ Allison B400R6 | 4810-4899 |
| 2011 | NovaBus LFS |   | Cummins ISL/ Allison B400R6 (8000-8014) Cummins ISL/ ZF Ecolife 1400AB (8015-8089) | 8000-8089 |
| 2011-2013 | NovaBus LFS Artic |  | Cummins ISL/ ZF Ecolife 1700AB | 5252-5383 (2013) 5770-5986 (2011-2012) |
| 2011 | Orion VII “Third Generation” |  | Cummins ISL/ ZF Ecolife 1400AB | 7000-7089 |
| 2011 | Prevost X3-45 |  | Volvo D13/ Allison B400R6 | 2400-2489 |
| 2012 | Motor Coach Industries D4500CT | | Cummins ISL/ Allison B500R6 | 2251-2304 |
| 2012-2013 | New Flyer XD60 |  | Cummins ISL/ Allison B500R6 (4710-4783) Cummins ISL/ ZF Ecolife 1700AB (4784-4799) | 4710-4754 (2012) 4755-4783 (2013) |
| 2014-2015 | Prevost X3-45 |  | Volvo D13/ Allison B500R6 | 2490-2789 |
| 2014-2015 | New Flyer XD40 |  | Cummins ISL/ Allison B400R6 | 7090-7483 |
| 2015-2016 | New Flyer XD60 |  | Cummins ISL/ ZF Ecolife 1700AB | 5364-5438 |
| 2015-2016 | NovaBus LFS |  | Cummins ISL/ ZF Ecolife 1400AB | 8090-8503 |
| 2016-2017 | New Flyer XN40 |  | Cummins ISL-G/ Allison B500R6 | 673-810 |
| 2016-2020 | New Flyer XD60 |  | Cummins ISL/ Allison B500R6 (5987-6125) Cummins L9/ Allison B500R6 (6126-6286) | 5987-6286 |
| 2016-2018 | NovaBus LFS Artic |  | Cummins ISL/ ZF Ecolife 1700AB | 5439-5530 |
| 2017-2018 | New Flyer XN60 |  | Cummins ISL-G/ ZF Ecolife 1700AB (1016-1020) Cummins L9N/ ZF Ecolife 1700AB | 1000-1109 |
| 2017-2018 | New Flyer XD40 |  | Cummins L9/ Allison B400R6 | 7484-7850 |
| 2018-2021 | New Flyer XDE40 |   | Cummins B6.7/ Allison H 40 EP (9500-9504, 9510-9559) Cummins B6.7/ BAE Systems HDS 200 (9505-9509, 9560-9619, 9416-9499) | 9500-9509 (2018) 9510-9619 (2020-2021) 9416-9499 (2021) |
| 2018-2019 | NovaBus LFS |  | Cummins L9/ ZF Ecolife 1400AB | 8503-8754 |
| 2018-2019 | NovaBus LFS Artic |  | Cummins L9/ ZF Ecolife 1700AB | 5531-5602 |
| 2019 | New Flyer XE60 |  | Electric Bus | 4950-4964 |
| 2020-2021 | NovaBus LFS |  | Cummins L9/ ZF Ecolife 1400AB | 8755-9271 |
| 2020-2021 | Prevost X3-45 |  | Volvo D13/ Allison B500R6 | 1300-1629 |
| 2021 | NovaBus LFS Hybrid |  | Cummins B6.7/ BAE Systems HDS 200 | 9785-9910 |
| 2021-2022 | New Flyer XD40 |  | Cummins L9/ Allison B400R6 | 7851-7989 9272-9387 (2024) |
| 2023-2024 | New Flyer XE40 |  | 4965-5024 5030-5216 | |
| 2024 | NovaBus LFSe |  | 5025-5029 | |
| 2025-2027 | New Flyer XD60 |  | 6287-6510 | |
| Year | Make/Model | Image | Engine/Transmission | Numbers |
MTA New York City Subway
MTA New York City operates 28 different subway lines and one railway under the “New York City Transit Authority Department of Subways” system. These 29 lines, despite sharing the branding of MTA New York City Transit is divided into divisions.
New York City Subway Divisions
- A Division
- Trains with numbers are considered “A” division.
- Trains on these lines operate with narrow, shorter cars
- 8.6×51 feet on average
- All trains in this division were operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) Company until 1940
- B Division
- Lines with letters are considered B division.
- Trains on these lines use wider, longer cars
- Trains could be as wide as 10 or as narrow as 9.75 ft
- Trains could be as long as 60 or even 75 ft
- B Division trains are broken up into further sub-divisions internally
- B1 division lines were operated by the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT), until 1940
- B2 division lines were operated by the Independent Subway System (IND), which was the name of the original city-owned system.
- Staten Island Railway
- Despite not being directly connected by the rest of the Subway system, this system is still operated by the New York City Transit Authority Department of Subways.
- This is a single line, owned by Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (SIRTOA).
New York City Subway Color Coding
Each of these lines are colored based on their service level and point of origin.
A, C, E | Eighth Avenue Line Service | Primarily operates via 8th Avenue in Manhattan |
B, D, F, M | Sixth Avenue Line Service | Primarily operates via 6th Avenue in Manhattan |
G | Crosstown Line Service | Crosstown service between Brooklyn and Queens, does not serve Manhattan |
L | Canarsie Line | Primarily operates via 14th Street in Manhattan, to Canarsie in Brooklyn |
J, Z | Nassau Street Line | Operates to Nassau Street in Manhattan |
N, Q, R, W | Broadway Line | Operates via Broadway in Manhattan between 14th Street–Union Square and Times Square–42nd Street |
1, 2, 3 | Seventh Avenue Line | Operates via 7th Avenue in Manhattan between Chambers St and Times Square–42nd Street, then via Broadway until 66th Street–Lincoln Center |
4, 5, 6 | Lexington Avenue Line | Primarily operates via Lexington Avenue in Manhattan |
7 | Flushing Line | Operates to Flushing in Queens |
Presently Unused | Second Avenue Subway | Operates via 2nd Avenue in Manhattan. To be used for route T in the future |
SIR | Staten Island Railway | Rail service in Staten Island (Not a New York City Subway Line) |
S | Shuttles | Shuttle service, connecting two more stations to a main line.
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MTA New York City Subway Fleet
The MTA New York City subway (and by extension, the Staten Island Railway) fleet is a diverse mix of rail vehicles. The eldest of the fleet, the R46 cars built by Pullman Standard, are being replaced with the modern R211 series cars from Kawasaki.
| Year | Make/Model | Image | Numbers | Used on lines | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-1978 | Pullman Standard R46 |  | 5482-6207 6208-6258 | N, Q, W | Mostly retired |
| 1983-1985 | Kawasaki R62 |  | 1301-1625 | 1, 3 | |
| 1984-1987 | Bombardier R62A | 1651-2475 | 1, 6, S | ||
| 1986-1988 | Westinghouse-Amrail R68 |  | 2500-2924 | B, D, N, Q, W, S | |
| 1988-1989 | Kawasaki R68A |  | 5001-5200 | B, N, Q, W | |
| 1999-2003 | Bombardier R142 |  | 1101-1250, 6301-7180 | 2, 4, 5 | |
| 1999-2005 | Kawasaki R142A |  | 7591-7810 | 4 | 7211-7590 were converted to R188s in 2017 |
| 2001-2003 | Kawasaki R143 |  | 8101-8312 | J, L, Z | |
| 2005-2010 | Alstom R160A |  | 8313-8712, 9233-9802 9943-9974 | E, F, J, L, M, R, Z | |
| 2005-2010 | Kawasaki R160B |  | 8713-9232, 9803-9942 | E, F, R | 8843-9102 have Siemens SITRAC Propulsion systems |
| 2010-2016 | Kawasaki R188 | | 7211-7590, 7811-7936 | 7 | 7211-7590 were converted from R142As |
| 2016-2019 | Bombardier R179 |  | 3010–3327 | A, C, J, M, Z, S | |
| 2021- | Kawasaki R211A |  | 3400-4039, 4060-4499 | A, B, C, G, S | on delivery |
| 2021-2024 | Kawasaki R211S | | 100-174 | SIR | |
| 2021- | Kawasaki R211T | | 4040-4059 | G | on delivery First “open gangway” units |