Clean and green might not be the first words that come to mind when you think of New York City Transit, but they should be. Every year, the MTA allows New Yorkers to avoid emitting 20 million metric tons of carbon – the equivalent of keeping 4.5 million cars off the road. And with Earth Day approaching, we’re ramping up efforts to electrify our entire 5,800-strong bus fleet by 2040.
2024 was our biggest year yet with 60 new buses entering service on routes like the Q59, B57, B32 and B39 at three newly upgraded depots. That brings our systemwide total to 75 zero emissions buses providing whisper-quiet and exhaust-free rides to customers in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Manhattan.
It takes a lot of behind the scenes work to get those vehicles on the road. Charging infrastructure must be installed; older bus depots require renovations and upgrades to accommodate the new models; and extra power is needed to keep buses charged and in service.
But the end result is worth it. In December, we finished our most ambitious project yet, the transformation of the Charleston Depot on Staten Island. It involved installing 20 electric chargers — 12 overhead pantographs and eight plug-ins. This was the first time an MTA depot was outfitted with both methods of charging, which allowed us to start running electric buses in the borough for the first time.
The Bronx is next. This year we’ve got another 205 buses coming, including the first ever deployment to the Gun Hill Depot in Baychester. And thanks to Congestion Relief, an additional 265 buses will start hitting the road in 2026, while the new state-of-the-art Jamaica Bus Depot is on track to open the following year as our first facility designed for all-electric operations.
It’s hard to overstate the impact a fully zero emissions fleet will have in our communities. Electric buses reduce harmful asthma-causing pollutants and create better public health outcomes for everybody – not just the nearly two million bus customers who ride with us every day. For the sake of all New Yorkers, this Earth Day and every day we’re working to create a cleaner, more sustainable transit system and City.
Demetrius Crichlow is MTA New York City Transit president.
