NYC Bus Guide: When the Bus Is Better Than the Subway
New York buses are slower than the subway for many long trips, but they solve problems the subway cannot: crosstown travel, short neighborhood hops, step-free boarding and routes that fill gaps between train lines.
Especially when the subway would require an awkward transfer.
Use the same payment method when combining eligible bus and subway rides.
Buses can be useful when subway stairs or elevator outages create problems.
When a bus is the better choice
Use buses when your origin and destination sit along the same avenue or crosstown corridor, when the nearest subway lines run in the wrong direction, or when a short bus ride avoids a long walk and transfer.
Visitors often ignore buses because the subway map is more familiar. That can make simple east-west trips in Manhattan harder than they need to be.
Paying and transfers
OMNY works on local buses. Use the same card, phone, watch or OMNY card when an eligible bus-to-subway or subway-to-bus transfer is part of the trip.
Do not tap different devices for different legs if you want the system to recognize the same rider consistently.
Local vs Select Bus Service
Select Bus Service routes are designed to make busy bus corridors faster through features such as all-door boarding and bus-priority treatments. Read current MTA instructions for the route you are using because boarding and payment procedures can evolve.
Traffic is the trade-off
A bus gives you street-level views and may save walking, but road congestion makes journey times less predictable than rail. Avoid depending on a tight bus connection before an airport train, timed ticket or show unless you have a generous buffer.
Useful visitor scenarios
- Crosstown Manhattan trips
- Short Upper East/Upper West Side connections
- Travel with someone who finds subway stairs difficult
- Neighborhood routes in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island
- Late or disrupted subway service when a parallel bus is available