MTA to retrofit every NYC bus with area for open strollers
Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr
Traveling around New York City with small children will soon get a little easier. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday announced that every bus will have an open stroller area, a designated space for parents and caregivers to hold a stroller without having to fold it up, which was previously required to ride. The agency said about 75 percent of its 5,800 buses have been retrofitted with the open stroller area, with the rest to be installed by the end of the year.
The MTA tested the open stroller areas on buses as part of a pilot program that began in 2023 and slowly expanded over the years. By the end of 2026, all local and Select Bus Service buses will have the new stroller areas as part of a new permanent policy.
The stroller spaces will be found either as an open space near the rear door or a pair of side-by-side seats that flip up, depending on the bus model. Buses currently in the program will have a stroller decal on the outside of the bus. Only one stroller can be open at a time.
“The expansion of the Open Stroller program allows us to make buses more accessible for more riders while providing fast, safe, reliable service for New Yorkers and their families,” said New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow.
“We understand even the youngest New Yorkers have places to be and we’re ensuring our bus network continues to get them there.”
The expansion is possible thanks to a $1.5 million grant from Sen. Andrew Gounardes, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, and Assembly Members Nily Rozic and Jo Anne Simon.
Accessibility advocates like Christine Serdjenian Yearwood, who founded UP-STAND to advocate for pregnant people and families who use mass transit, called the new policy “life-changing.”
“This policy came about through the hard work of so many stakeholders who recognized how life-changing this accommodation could be for caregivers and young children in New York City,” she said. “Today, we are giving families a more certain, safe, and equitable mode to physically reach and fully participate in our great city.”
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