How NYC bus times work

A quick guide to reading live bus times, NYC route names and the different kinds of bus — so you know when to leave and which bus to take.

Where the times come from

Every MTA bus reports its GPS position to MTA Bus Time about every 30 seconds. NYC Bus Times reads that feed, shows each bus on the map and asks for a prediction of when it will reach each stop. The app refreshes bus positions every 15 seconds and stop times every 30 seconds while it's open.

A prediction is an estimate: traffic, detours and busy stops can make it jump by a few minutes. Times close to now (under about 10 minutes) are the most reliable.

Reading an arrival

  • "5 min" — the bus is expected at your stop in about five minutes.
  • "2 stops" — no minute estimate is available, so we show how many stops away the bus is instead.
  • "At stop" — the bus is at, or pulling into, your stop.
  • "No buses on the way" — nothing is reporting toward that stop right now. Some routes don't run late at night or on weekends, and a few buses don't report their position.

What route names mean

The letters at the start of a route tell you where it runs:

  • M — Manhattan
  • B — Brooklyn
  • Bx — the Bronx
  • Q — Queens
  • S — Staten Island
  • X, BM, BxM, QM, SIM — express buses, mostly between the outer boroughs and Manhattan, with a higher fare.

Routes that cross a border keep the letter of the borough they were first assigned to — the Q32, for example, runs deep into Manhattan.

Local, Limited, Select Bus Service and express

  • Local buses stop at every stop on the route.
  • Limited buses skip some stops to go faster on busy corridors.
  • Select Bus Service (SBS) routes, like the M15-SBS or Bx12-SBS, stop less often and use bus lanes. Many SBS stops have their own way to pay before boarding — follow the signs at the stop.
  • Express buses make a few stops in one borough, then run nonstop to and from Manhattan.

On NYC Bus Times, SBS routes are listed separately from the local route with the same number, because they stop at different places.

Getting the most out of the app

  • Turn on location to see the stops around you and the next buses at each one.
  • Save your stops and routes with the star, and they'll be at the top next time — no account needed.
  • Add it to your home screen from your browser's share menu so it opens like an app.
  • Tap a time to follow that bus on the map, stop by stop.
  • Check service alerts before a trip — detours can move your stop.

Find your route

Browse routes in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, or see express buses and every route.