The current public brands are listed below: The most common scheme today is a straight blue stripe across the sides of the bus against a white base, with no colors on the front or back, and black window trim.

[13] Unlike the other lines,[citation needed] this one remained city-operated, and was replaced by the B39 bus route on December 5, 1948, by then transferred to the New York City Board of Transportation.

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.

To that effect, RBO was officially created in May 2008, with the president of what was then MTA New York City Transit's Department of Buses, Joseph J. Smith, named to lead the consolidated bus operations.

The Q2 and Q110 routes leave Queens as they run along Hempstead Turnpike and onto the Cross Island Parkway, and Belmont Racetrack in Elmont, where they turn-around and re-enter the city.

The Q46 local and QM6 express buses run along Lakeville Road in Lake Success, Nassau County, upon entering Long Island Jewish Medical Center and North Shore Towers.

[39] Local bus routes are labeled with a number and a prefix identifying the primary borough of operation (B for Brooklyn,[40] Bx for the Bronx,[41] M for Manhattan,[42] Q for Queens,[38] and S for Staten Island[39]).

Exceptions to this rule are seven Brooklyn and Queens express routes operated by New York City Transit using an X prefix, which will be retired under both borough’s redesigns.

[citation needed] As of 2018[update], MTA Regional Bus Operations' budgetary burden for expenditures was $773 million, which it supports through the collection of taxes and fees.

Occasionally, a paper orange and purple "Limited" sign will also be placed at the bottom of the windshield by the bus operator in case of false assumptions.

As opposed to other SBS routes, the Q70 is wrapped in a light blue scheme with clouds and airplanes in order to encourage more people to use public transportation when using the airport.

[69] A temporary M14 Select Bus Service route was proposed for implementation in early 2019, in preparation for the 14th Street Tunnel shutdown.

[70] However, on January 3, 2019, the shutdown plan was altered by Governor Andrew Cuomo and the proposed SBS routes were put on hold.

[80] Service originally began on November 3, 1965, on route R8X (later X8, now SIM5) traveling from the South Shore of Staten Island, up Hylan Blvd and Father Capodanno Blvd., into Downtown Brooklyn.

Both old and new-style stops carry a Guide-A-Ride box that is attached to the center of the pole, providing route maps, schedules and other information.

[100] Metal signs in their current design, which are mainly used on MTA Bus-operated routes and at temporary construction-regulation bus stops, were first used in 1976, as part of a pilot program on Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Midtown Manhattan funded by the Urban Mass Transit Administration,[91] and fully implemented in the 1980s.

On bus stops that operate at all times of day, an arrow and red text on the bottom of the upper circle indicates the no-standing zone for cars.

On the non-advertising panel is an insert listing the streets of the intersection where the stop is located on the outer side, and route maps and information also featured on the Guide-A-Ride on its inner face.

A 2024 study found that some of the hottest bus stops in the city, which lacked both shelters and trees, were located in Queens and the Bronx.

[145] The screens are supplied by contract from 3 different vendors and are installed on new bus deliveries starting in 2017 while buses built after 2008 are currently receiving retrofits.

[154] In 2022, the MTA announced that they would trial hydrogen fuel cell buses, funded by a grant from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

[162] Other notes: In November 1993,[165] a fare system called the MetroCard was introduced, which allows riders to use cards that store the value equal to the amount paid to a subway station booth clerk or vending machine.

[174] As of November 2017[update], three-quarters of bus routes provide high-frequency service in at least one direction during rush hours, with buses arriving at least every ten minutes.

If the operating costs were closer to the U.S. average, MTA buses would have the highest farebox recovery ratio among U.S. cities' bus systems.

The longest local bus route in the city, the S78, is 20.8 miles (33.5 km) long and spans the entire length of Staten Island.

[188][189] The redesigns of the Brooklyn and Queens bus networks, initially scheduled for early 2021, were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.

[175]: 30  In 2008, the Victory Boulevard installation was followed by the Fordham Road and Pelham Parkway corridor (Bx12 bus) in the Bronx, which used GPS transponders aboard buses.

[184][185] As of June 2021[update], traffic signal priority was active at 1,700 intersections, and transponders had been installed in 2,700 vehicles that operated on seven routes.

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, the agency announced its transition to a zero-emissions electric bus fleet.

[210][211] As part of a pilot program in early 2024, CCTV screens were to be installed on 100 buses to discourage fare evasion and assaults against staff.