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Anyone who has ever tried to collapse a stroller while simultaneously holding a baby and a diaper bag knows that riding a New York City bus with small children can feel like an Olympic event. But at long last, the MTA is making it a little easier.
The transit agency announced this week that it is expanding its open-stroller program to every local and Select Bus Service bus in the New York City Transit fleet. By the end of 2026, all of the agency’s more than 5,800 buses are expected to have a designated space near the rear door where one stroller can remain open during the ride. Importantly, the stroller spots are separate from the priority areas at the front of buses reserved for passengers using wheelchairs and other mobility devices.
About 75-percent of the fleet has already been retrofitted, according to New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. Depending on the bus, the setup will either be an open area or two seats that flip upward to create room for a stroller.
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“We’re making our bus network a better option for parents, families to get to where they need to go and expanding our open stroller pilot for our New Yorkers,” Crichlow said Thursday.
The MTA first began testing open stroller areas in 2022, retrofitting 142 buses across seven routes. More than 80-percent of riders who provided feedback supported allowing open strollers and expanding the program, according to the agency, while bus operators reported zero conflicts or safety incidents tied to the pilot. It grew to more than 1,000 buses on 57 routes in 2023, and the MTA committed the following year to buying only new buses with stroller spaces built in.
There are still a few rules: each bus has room for just one open stroller; if the space is already occupied—or your stroller doesn't fit—you'll have to fold yours. Parents must keep their child secured, apply the stroller brakes and keep control of it while the bus is moving. Riders with strollers also still need to board through the front door. You’ll be able to spot stroller-friendly buses before climbing aboard, thanks to a stroller-symbol sticker near the front door.
For New York parents accustomed to treating a simple bus ride like a feat of logistical engineering, that little sticker should be a very welcome sight.