List of bus routes in Manhattan


Several companies, most prominently the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, operate a number of bus routes in Manhattan, New York, United States. Many of them are the direct descendants of streetcar lines.

Companies

Presently, the New York City Transit Authority and its subsidiary Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority operate most local buses in Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation operates the Roosevelt Island Red Bus Service on Roosevelt Island.
The first bus company in Manhattan was the Fifth Avenue Coach Company, which began operating the Fifth Avenue Line in 1886. When New York Railways began abandoning several streetcar lines in 1919, the replacement bus routes were picked up by the New York City Department of Plant and Structures. The DP&S began operating several other buses in 1921. All of these but the M21 were acquired by Green Bus Lines in 1933; Green transferred several of these to the Comprehensive Omnibus Corporation in 1935.
The New York City Omnibus Corporation began operating replacement routes for New York Railways lines abandoned in 1936, and acquired the remaining Green routes. They also acquired the Madison Avenue Coach Company, Eighth Avenue Coach Corporation, and in 1942 the Triangle Bus Corporation.
In 1936, the NYCO and Fifth Avenue were placed under common ownership. The two were merged directly by 1956, when the NYCO acquired the Surface Transportation Corporation, and changed its name to Fifth Avenue Coach Lines. After a strike in 1962, the entire Fifth Avenue system was transferred to the newly formed Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority on March 22, 1962.
In 1933, two related companies began to operate routes: the Comprehensive Omnibus Corporation gained several Green Bus Lines routes, and the East Side Omnibus Corporation started operating former Second Avenue Railroad routes. The Comprehensive also started the current M66 route that year, and in 1948 the New York City Board of Transportation acquired the Comprehensive and East Side routes, transferred to the New York City Transit Authority in 1953. The M9 route came from the Avenue B and East Broadway Transit Company in 1980, which had begun operating replacement routes for the Dry Dock, East Broadway and Battery Railroad lines in 1932.

Routes

This table gives details for the routes prefixed with "M"—in other words, those considered to run primarily in Manhattan by the MTA. For details on routes with other prefixes, see the following articles:
Connections to New York City Subway stations at the bus routes' terminals are also listed where applicable.

New York City Bus

Most bus routes do not operate overnight, usually defined as midnight to 5:00 AM. Routes that do provide overnight service are noted below with an asterisk.
The Manhattan bus routes should not be confused with Megabus routes originating from Manhattan. Like the Manhattan bus routes, Megabus route designations consist of the letter "M" followed by a number.
All routes in operate local service; additional limited-stop or Select Bus Service routes are noted below.

New York Waterway

operates shuttle bus routes to/from its West Midtown Ferry Terminal, located at 38th Street and Twelfth Avenue. Service is free.
;Peak service
TerminalStreets traveled
Midtown
Third Avenue and 57th Street		57th Street
Midtown
Lexington Avenue and 50th Street		50th Street, 49th Street
Midtown
Third Avenue and 42nd Street		42nd Street
Murray Hill
Third Avenue and 34th Street		34th Street
Downtown LoopAM: 23rd Street, Broadway, Houston Street, West Street
PM: West Street, Clarkson Street, Sixth Avenue, 23rd Street

;Off-peak service
All routes operate as clockwise loops.
Streets traveledNotes
50th Street, Tenth Avenue, 65th Street, Broadway, 42nd StreetNo Sunday service
44th Street, Eighth Avenue, 57th Street, Fifth Avenue, 49th Street
50th Street, Sixth Avenue, 57th Street, Eighth Avenue, 49th StreetWeekday midday service only
42nd Street, Fifth Avenue, 34th Street
23rd Street, Varick Street, West Broadway, Murray Street, West Street

NYC Ferry

A clockwise "loop" bus via 34th Street, Sixth Avenue, 48th Street, and Lexington Avenue operates during peak hours to/from East 34th Street Ferry Landing.

Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation

This route is operated by Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation and is the lone unsubsidized route operating in Manhattan. The Red Bus route operates an on-island shuttle bus service from apartment buildings to the subway and tramway lines. Service is free.

Downtown Connection

In Lower Manhattan a free shuttle, sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District, operates minibuses daily from 10:00 AM until 7:30 PM.

History of the current Manhattan bus routes

Routes M1 to M20

Routes M21 to M79

RouteHistory
M21
  • New York City Department of Plant and Structures bus route replaced New York Railways' Avenue C Line streetcar on September 21, 1919.
  • Extended to FDR Drive and weekend service discontinued on June 27, 2010, due to budget crisis.
  • Weekend service was restored on January 6, 2013.
M22
  • New York City Department of Plant and Structures bus route replaced New York Railways' Chambers and Madison Streets Line streetcar on September 21, 1919.
  • Renumbered M22 on July 1, 1974.
  • Overnight service was discontinued on June 27, 2010, due to a budget crisis.
    • M23
  • New York City Omnibus Corporation bus route replaced New York Railways' 23rd Street Crosstown Line streetcar on April 8, 1936.
  • Became M26 on July 1, 1974 and M23 c. March 1989.
  • Route was converted to be a Select Bus Service route on November 6, 2016.
    • M31
  • East Side Omnibus Corporation began operating bus route on June 26, 1933.
  • Became M31 on July 1, 1974.
  • The M31 was extended along 57th Street to 11th Avenue on January 9, 1994, replacing the M58. Service frequency and span of service were increased on the route.
    • M34M34A
    • New York City Omnibus Corporation bus route replaced New York Railways' 34th Street Crosstown Line streetcar on April 1, 1936.
    • M16 service to Waterside was moved from the FDR Drive to Second Avenue in the 1980s.
    • The main route was renumbered the M34 in April 1986.
    • The M16 was cut from Pier 83 to Port Authority Bus Terminal on September 10, 1995 as part of a series of service cuts enacted to cover a $113 budget deficit, eliminating overlap with the M42. Residents of the neighborhood testified at the April 18, 1996 meeting of the New York City Transit Committee of the MTA Board in opposition to the cut, and in response, NYCT studied M42 service west of 42nd Street to see if it was adequate. The study found that M42 service was adequate. However, after meeting with members of the neighborhood, the western terminal of M16 service was moved to West 43rd Street, and the first southbound stop was moved to the corner of 42nd Street and Ninth Avenue.
    • Select Bus Service started on November 13, 2011, and the M16 was renumbered to the M34A.
    • Alternate trips on the M34 to/from Waterside Plaza were added on September 3, 2017.
    M35
  • Originally the TB; became M34, M35, and Bx21 on July 1, 1974; combined as the M35 in the 1980s, when M34 was applied to the 34th Street Crosstown.
  • Some M35 trips went to Astoria, Queens until September 10, 1995 when they were eliminated due to a budget crisis.
  • On June 28, 2015, westbound M35 buses were rerouted along Hell Gate Circle.
    • M42
  • Surface Transportation Corporation bus route replaced Third Avenue Railway's 42nd Street Crosstown Line streetcar on November 17, 1946.
  • This route was renumbered the M42 in April 1986.
  • Service to Javits Center was discontinued on June 27, 2010, due to a budget crisis and low ridership.
    • M50
  • Originally M3 bus route; Became M27 on July 1, 1974.
  • Part of M27 became M50 c. 1989.
  • Weekend and overnight service discontinued June 27, 2010, due to budget crisis
  • Route shortened from 42nd Street to 49th Street at its eastern end and weekend service restored in July 2011.
    • M55
  • Service south of New York University was part of the M6 route. Merged with the M5 on June 27, 2010.
  • Split off from the M5 on January 8, 2017, serving the Midtown to South Ferry portion of the former M5.
    • M57
  • Fifth Avenue Coach Company began operating bus on March 15, 1937.
  • The bus route was renumbered the M28 on July 1, 1974.
  • On September 10, 1989, the M28 and M103 routes were merged to form the M57. M57 buses began operating from 57th Street and Sutton Place South to Broadway and 72nd Street, running via 57th Street and West End Avenue.
    • M60
  • New route created and established on September 6, 1992, operating between the 125th Street and Lenox Avenue subway station of the 2 and 3 trains, and LaGuardia Airport's Main Central Terminal area only.
  • The route was extended further west from Lenox Avenue to Broadway and West 106th Street in 1998.
  • On June 23, 1998, weekday service was increased to run every 20 minutes between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m..
  • The route was converted to Select Bus Service on May 25, 2014.
    • M66
  • Comprehensive Omnibus Company began operating bus route on February 15, 1935.
  • Route M7 became M29 in July 1974 and M66 c. March 1989.
  • In November 1987, the MTA Board approved plans to reroute its eastern terminal loop and to renumber the route the M66. Eastbound service was rerouted from running east along East 68th Street, north along York Avenue, west along East 71st Street, and north along First Avenue, to running north directly along First Avenue after running east on East 68th Street. The route's terminal was moved from York Avenue and East 70th Street to York Avenue and East 69th Street. This change formalized a detour that was regularly made to avoid vehicles blocking East 68th Street between First Avenue and York Avenue. The change also eliminated two difficult turns.
  • Overnight service was discontinued on June 27, 2010, due to a budget crisis.
    • M72
  • The M72 was created on September 10, 1989 to provide 72 Street Crosstown service from East 72nd Street and York Avenue to 66th Street and Freedom Place via the 65 Street Transverse.
  • On December 20, 2009, due to New York State Department of Transportation construction on West 72nd Street, service was rerouted to a new terminal on West 66th Street between Riverside Boulevard and Freedom Place. Due to that construction, service had been rerouted via Riverside Boulevard, West 68th Street and Freedom Place. To bypass congestion on West 68th street, westbound service was rerouted via West 66th Street to the new terminal.
    • M79
  • New York City Department of Plant and Structures began operating bus on November 30, 1921.
  • Operated by Green Bus Lines from 1933 to 1936, then taken over by New York City Omnibus Corporation on June 22, 1936.
  • Route M17 became M79 c. March 1989.
  • Select Bus Service began on the route on May 21, 2017.

    • Routes M86 to M116

    RouteHistory
    M86
    • New York City Omnibus Corporation bus replaced New York Railways' 86th Street Crosstown Line streetcar on June 8, 1936.
    • The M18 was renumbered the M86 on September 10, 1989 to identify the street the bus on which it operates.
    • Select Bus Service on the route began on July 13, 2015.
    M96
  • New York City Department of Plant and Structures began operating bus on July 1, 1921.
  • Operated by Green Bus Lines from 1933 to 1936, then taken over by New York City Omnibus Corporation on June 22, 1936.
  • Route M19 became M96 c. May 1993.
    • M98
  • New Limited Stop service running between 32nd Street and Washington Heights introduced on September 14, 1989, as a rush hour only service.
  • Service south of 68th Street to Grand Central was discontinued on June 27, 2010, due to a budget crisis.
    • M100
  • Surface Transportation Corporation bus replaced Third Avenue Railway's Broadway-Kingsbridge Line streetcar on June 22, 1947.
  • Original northern terminus was at Riverdale-Broadway/West 230th Street. Service was extended to Henry Hudson Parkway-West 239th Street via Spuyten Duyvil in November 1967, replacing former Bx10A service. Service was further extended to Riverdale Avenue-West 262nd Street in July 1974.
  • On February 19, 1984, weekday service terminated at Henry Hudson Parkway-West 246th Street, while all weeknight late evening and all weekend service continued to Riverdale Avenue-West 262nd Street. On March 5, 1989, the M100 saw further reductions in service, as the Bronx portion was split into the Bx20, but was not extended to Riverdale-West 262nd Street. These service cuts took place in order to address unreliable service. Service initially terminated at West 207th Street-Tenth Avenue.
  • Service was extended from Inwood-207th Street to 220th Street-Broadway to serve the Allen Hospital, a satellite facility of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital on September 7, 1997. Also on this date, service was extended on the route's south end from Third Avenue to Second Avenue.
  • In September 2013, the route was extended to First Avenue and 125th Street to provide additional service on 125th Street.
  • Inwood section rerouted from Broadway to Dyckman Street and Tenth Avenue on June 29, 2014.
  • Service on 125th Street will be discontinued as part of a redesign of the Bronx bus system. The M60 Select Bus Service, the M101, and the M125 will cover this portion.
    • M101
  • New York City Omnibus Corporation bus replaced New York Railways' Lexington Avenue Line streetcar on March 25, 1936.
  • Surface Transportation Corporation bus replaced Third Avenue Railway's Third and Amsterdam Avenues Line streetcar on May 18, 1947.
  • These two routes were combined as a one-way pair on July 17, 1960, and kept the route number M101.
  • Limited-stop service began on October 14, 1991, with alternate buses running limited between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
  • The portion of the route south of Cooper Union was split off into route M103 on September 10, 1995.
    • M102
  • Route M101A was started on March 2, 1969.
  • Renumbered the M102 on July 1, 1974.
  • The portion of the route south of Cooper Union split off into M103 on September 10, 1995.
    • M103
  • Former southern portion of routes M101 and M102 split off into new route on September 10, 1995.
    • M104
  • Surface Transportation Corporation bus replaced Third Avenue Railway's Broadway Line streetcar on December 15, 1946.
  • On March 10, 1957, northbound service was rerouted via Eighth Avenue between 42nd Street and Columbus Circle due to the conversion of Broadway between Columbus Circle and Herald Square to one-way southbound, the conversion of Seventh Avenue from Central Park South to Times Square to one-way southbound, and the conversion of Sixth Avenue to one-way northbound between Central Park South and Herald Square.
  • Starting on March 22, 1976, every third bus ran up Sixth Avenue between 7:50 a.m. and 1:50 p.m..
  • Service along 42nd Street was discontinued June 27, 2010, due to budget crisis.
    • M106
  • Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority began operating bus on September 10, 1962 as the M107 on a six-month trial basis. Bus service ran every 15 minutes between 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. from Monday through Saturday, and 30 minutes during these hours on Sundays and holidays. Originally ran from 106th Street and the FDR Drive to 110th Street and Riverside Drive.
  • In Fiscal Year 1963, this route was extended at the request of residents along the route.
  • Its western terminus was cut back to 106th Street and Fifth Avenue on May 24, 1964.
  • Became a branch of the M19 on January 7, 1974.
  • The main branch of the M19 became the M96 in May 1993, and the 106th Street branch of the M19 became the M106 in 1996 when it was rerouted to use Madison and Fifth Avenues instead of Lexington and Third Avenues.
    • M116
  • New York City Omnibus Corporation bus replaced New York Railways' 116th Street Crosstown Line streetcar on April 1, 1936.
  • Route M20 became M116 c. 1993.

    • Proposed bus route changes

    As part of the MTA's 2017 Fast Forward Plan to speed up mass transit service, a draft plan for a reorganization of Bronx bus routes was proposed in draft format in June 2019, with a final version published in October 2019. Many of the draft proposals were not included in the final version. These changes are set to take effect in mid-2020. These changes include modifications to the M100 route in Manhattan as well as the addition of a crosstown M125 bus route.
    If a route is not being changed, it will not be listed here. For a list of changes to Bronx bus routes, see.

    Former routes

    Except for early Fifth Avenue Coach Company routes, which were approved by the New York Legislature, all routes were assigned a franchise by the city, numbered in order from M1 to at least M47 and M100 to M106. Most companies used these numbers, but the New York City Omnibus Corporation gave its routes numbers from 1 to 22, and the Fifth Avenue Coach Company used numbers from 1 to 20. The public designations were not changed to avoid conflicts until July 1, 1974.

    [Fifth Avenue Coach Company]

    [New York City Omnibus Corporation]

    Other companies

    Renumbered or eliminated routes since 1962