Take a break, commuters! Thousands of NYC bus stops will soon have a place for commuters to rest their feet while waiting for the bus, city officials announced on Thursday.
All of the city’s approximately 8,750 eligible bus stops — those on public property with sufficient sidewalk or island space — will receive new seating or leaning bars through a $40 million investment, the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and Mayor’s office officials announced during a press conference in Queens on Oct. 30.
“To make New York City the best place to raise a family, and grow old in we have to take care of the big things and the small things,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “I am proud that this effort will give New Yorkers a break and transform the bus-riding experience for thousands of people.”
Starting next month, workers will begin installing benches or leaning bars at bus stops that currently lack seating. The stops must qualify by having sufficient public space to accommodate the street furniture. NYC has over 15,000 bus stops throughout the boroughs; a little more than half qualify for the new seating.
DOT officials plan to install seating at 875 bus stops every year over the next 10 years, while maintaining existing seating, to provide universal seating for bus commuters.
“In the hustle and bustle of the greatest city on earth, sometimes there’s no better feeling than resting on a city bench while New York keeps moving around you,” DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said. “For many New Yorkers, having a place to sit at the bus stop is more than just a matter of comfort; it’s a matter of whether they can take the bus at all. With more than 15,000 bus stops used by 1.4 million people every day, many of whom are seniors and people with disabilities, there has never been a better time to step up so New Yorkers can sit down.”
Transit advocates welcome the seating investment in a city where buses in some neighborhoods move as slowly as 8 mph. According to the DOT, nearly two-thirds of eligible bus stops currently lack seating while passengers wait for buses to arrive.
“Bus riders deserve a seat at the table and a seat at every bus stop,” shared Jolyse Race, senior organizer at the Riders Alliance. “Bus riders work the jobs that make New York possible and we have earned the respect of a safe, comfortable place to wait for service.”
To date, more than 5,000 bus stops across the city have seating elements. DOT inspects and maintains seating at around 2,600 locations throughout the five boroughs on sidewalks and at plazas.
“Bus stop seating is essential to safe transit for our city’s families. As the bus network is a vital mode of accessible transportation for us, we are excited that the city has secured funding to expand bus stop seating across all five boroughs,” added Christine Serdjenian Yearwood, founder and CEO of UP-STAND. “Additional bus stop seating will decrease children’s exposure to moving traffic, and enable pregnant and disabled riders the respite they need to travel safely.”
The investment also follows advocacy from New Yorkers for more seating and shelters at bus stops. Members of Manhattan Community Board 4 sent a letter to the DOT on Jan. 6 asking for more bus stop benches and shelters along West 23rd Street.
“This announcement is terrific news for the countless elderly and disabled Chelsea residents who rely on our bus network to navigate the city, but for whom long waits without a place to rest can turn a simple errand into an exhausting ordeal,” Jesse Greenwald, co-chair of Manhattan Community Board 4’s Transportation Planning Committee, told amNewYork in a statement.
