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United States

New York

Yellow cabs thread the skyscraper canyons. The subway runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

MTA Bus

No gates: tap the reader yourself as you board and be ready for inspectors. Cash still works here, unlike at the subway turnstile - exact change in coins only - and even that ends sometime in 2026.

Updated on August 2, 2026

  • Until Dec 31, 2026

    Cash and MetroCard both end sometime in 2026

    Coins in the farebox and MetroCard will stop being accepted on the same day at some point in 2026. The MTA says the date will be announced later in the year and has not set it yet. Even after that, you'll still be able to load an OMNY Card with cash at subway vending machines and retail stores.

How to ride

  1. 1
    Check what kind of bus you're catching
    Look at the round "lollipop" sign for the route number. SBS changes how you board; express buses change what you pay.
  2. 2
    On local buses, board at the front and tap
    Enter through the front door and tap your contactless card, phone or OMNY Card on the reader beside the driver.
  3. 3
    On SBS, board at any door and tap right there
    Board at any door and tap the reader there. With coins or MetroCard, get a paper ticket from the sidewalk kiosk first and keep it.
  4. 4
    Paying cash? Drop in exact change
    Drop coins into the farebox. No bills, no pennies, and no change is given.
  5. 5
    Tap the same card again when you transfer
    Tap the same card or device on your next bus or at the subway turnstile - no paper transfer is issued.
  6. 6
    Signal for your stop, then exit at the rear
    Press one of the yellow tape strips or pull the cord, then leave through the rear doors.

Fares

Single fares3

Local / Limited / Rush / SBS single ride
The same as the subway; every MTA bus except express costs this.
3 USD ≈ $3
Express bus single ride
The coach-style borough expresses; transferring from the subway or a local bus, you pay only the difference.
7.25 USD ≈ $7
Single-Ride OMNY ticket
Sold at vending machines and cash is accepted; valid two hours, and the only free transfer is bus to bus.
3.5 USD ≈ $4

Fare caps1

7-day fare cap (tapping the same card)
$35 across subway and local buses, or $67 if express buses are included; after that you ride free.
35〜67 USD ≈ $35–67

Card itself1

OMNY Card (the card itself)
A limited-time introductory price; buy it with cash at subway vending machines or at retail stores.
1 USD ≈ $1

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 3, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
DiscoverVISAMastercardJCBAmex銀聯
No gates - you tap the reader on board as you get on
IC card
The OMNY Card; top it up with cash at vending machines and shops
App tickets
There is no ticketing app; you tap the card held in your phone wallet
Paper tickets
Only the SBS sidewalk-kiosk ticket; MetroCards can no longer be bought
Cash
Coins, exact change only; MTA's cash list omits express buses

Quick facts

Fares from
3 USD+

Heads-up

  • Inspectors check on board and unpaid fares mean a summons

    Buses have no fare gates, so payment is checked on board. Inspectors work local routes as well as SBS, and if you haven't paid you can be asked to get off the bus and handed a summons.

Timetable

Typical duration Best for the crosstown and outer-borough trips the subway doesn't make - you pick the bus for coverage, not speed
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka