September 11, 2026. Governor Kathy Hochul announced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will be releasing a request for proposals (RFPs) from bus manufacturing companies to build 650 new buses, the biggest single upgrade to the fleet since 2013. When the full order has been completed, these new buses will represent more than 10 percent of the MTA’s bus fleet and will serve more than one million daily riders. These buses will be purchased with funding secured by Governor Hochul in the MTA’s historic 2025-29 Capital Plan and will fulfill the MTA’s commitment to modernize its bus fleet made in the Next Stop: Faster Buses, Better Service plan announced in partnership with Governor Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani this summer. The buses will use compressed natural gas (CNG), a cheaper, greener alternative to diesel fuel. The new buses, which will replace aging CNG buses already in service, will improve fleet reliability, reduce emissions and improve air quality.
“We promised New Yorkers a historic partnership with City Hall to move buses faster and more reliably, now we are delivering by moving full speed ahead with the single largest purchase of new MTA buses in over a decade,” Governor Hochul said. “Modern, reliable buses can spend more time on the road and less time in the shop than the old vehicles they will replace, a win for riders who depend on frequent, reliable service to get around.”
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani said, “Working New Yorkers depend on our buses to get to work, get their kids to school, get home and get where they need to go. This investment will help us deliver the faster, more reliable and more affordable bus service New Yorkers deserve while modernizing our fleet and moving to cleaner, greener fuel. I’m proud to partner with Governor Hochul and the MTA to make that vision a reality and build a transit system that works for every New Yorker.”
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “The Governor and Mayor have been clear: better bus service can’t wait. So, while the electric bus industry continues to mature, MTA is moving forward with CNGs to further improve service for the millions of New Yorkers who ride MTA buses every day.”