Purchase Builds on Recent Arrival of New Clean Diesel Buses in the Bronx
New Buses Enhance Bus Operator Safety With Full Driver Enclosure
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board today approved exercising an option to purchase 100 new clean diesel buses to retire older buses in the fleet and maintain reliable service. These new buses will be outfitted with new features including driver enclosure, OMNY readers, and Automated Camera Enforcement (ACE). The new buses also produce less emissions and offer better reliability with a greater mean distance between failures (MDBF) than the buses they are replacing, a metric that measures how long a bus can run before needing service.
“These new buses are an unexpected holiday gift for the millions of New Yorkers who ride MTA buses every day,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “We were able to leverage our contract to deliver more clean diesel buses now while we continue work towards a zero-emissions fleet.”
“This investment ensures riders get reliable service now, even as the agency continues its long-term transition to a zero-emissions fleet,” said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “These new buses replace some of the oldest buses in the fleet – providing immediate environmental and operational benefits with less emissions, smoother rides, and increased reliability.”
“This purchase bridges the gap between riders’ immediate needs and adapting new, evolving bus technology,” said MTA Chief of Rolling Stock Program Tim Mulligan. “It’s a balanced approach that prioritizes riders while we responsibly evaluate our options toward a clean, zero-emissions future.”
This procurement highlights the Authority’s commitment to serving bus riders with modern, more reliable buses using familiar technology while working toward its long-term goal of a zero-emissions bus fleet. Recently, the Gun Hill Bus Depot in the Bronx welcomed 11 brand new clean diesel 60-foot articulated buses from New Flyer, which are currently being introduced into service along local and Select Bus Service (SBS) routes. This is part of a larger order consisting of 245 New Flyer buses. The MTA expects to receive at least 100 more new buses from this contract by the end of next year.
The contract for the 100 new buses approved today is a $97.6 million order from Nova Bus. These buses are expected to begin arriving early 2027 and be fully delivered by the summer of 2027.