What we’re fighting for

NYC doesn’t run without its buses. Everyone rides the bus – hospital workers, teachers, homecare providers, and more. But we’re stuck with unreliable commutes on buses that don’t show up on time and when they do, they’re crawling through traffic. We need fast, free, fully-funded buses that will keep New Yorkers moving.

Our demands are simple:

• FAST buses that get us where we need to go, instead of leaving us stuck in traffic.

• FREE buses that make New York more affordable, speed up boarding, and end punitive fare enforcement that harasses riders and slows everyone down.

• FULLY-FUNDED buses with the investment, frequency, and reliable service New Yorkers need and deserve.

Together, following years of organizing and successes like the 14th Street busway, riders pushed the Mayor to agree to building a record amount of busways, and secured historic commitments from DOT and MTA to implement features that make riding the bus more convenient, reliable, and comfortable, such as bus shelters, countdown clocks, and all-door boarding. Now it’s time to make sure that these commitments are delivered equitably and quickly to ensure that bus riders are a priority on every busy street.

We have a real opportunity to utterly transform bus service in New York City and save over a million daily riders considerable time and aggravation. But our power to win rests on our ability to come together across all five boroughs to make our voices impossible to ignore, and demand a city that values our time, work, and lives.

Why it matters

While not every part of the city is easily accessible by subway, buses can reach nearly every block, and busways can cost as little as a can of red paint. Faster and more reliable bus service would mean that no job, school, or doctor’s office would be out of reach. Riders in every borough and neighborhood deserve access to work, education, and healthcare - without the wait.

Fast, free, and funded buses will save badly needed time and money for New York’s families, freeing up resources that can be invested in people and communities citywide. Right now, dangerous, car-centric streets in neighborhoods far from the subway are failing everyone with congestion, pollution and collisions that leave lasting injuries. Bus service that works for all, that provides a genuine, viable option and not just a last resort, is critical to making the city affordable for families getting pushed out and improving everyone’s quality of life.

Fast buses are not just a matter of riders’ convenience — they’re a matter of racial justice and transit equity. From the lack of sheltered waiting areas at bus stops, to the antiquated bus routes that still follow old trolley paths and haven’t been updated for speedier, more efficient service, the legacy of disinvestment in public transit is real. The result is stark inequity between local bus services used primarily by Black and brown city residents and other modes of transit, especially the rail services used primarily by white, 9-to-5 office workers shuttling in from the suburbs, to say nothing of highway users.

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Resources