In the Bronx, all streetcars were eventually operated by the Third Avenue Railway Co. The Third Avenue Railway Co. had originally operated in Manhattan, but later expanded by acquiring the various street railways in the Bronx.
In 1924, the Third Avenue Railway Co. formed a subsidiary, Surface Transportation Corp., to operate the bus routes which would replace the streetcar routes. In 1956, the Third Avenue Railway Co. merged with the Fifth Avenue Coach Co. And in 1962, the city took over the Fifth Avenue Coach Co. operations with the city. A separate entity, the Manhattan & Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MaBSTOA), was formed to operate the routes. This was to isolate any legal complications of the takeover from the main New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA). MaBSTOA continues to exist as a separate operating entity, although perceived by the public as part of the same system as NYCTA.
Some bus routes were originally operated by independent operators, prior to being operated by Surface Transportation Corp. Original operating company names are indicated. A few routes were temporarily operated under supervision by the New York City Department of Plant & Structures (DP&S). DP&S routes were assigned numbers in the order in which they were introduced, in all five boroughs.
Where no recent route number is indicated, route has been discontinued.
Route Route Old Route Buses Introduced
Number Name Number Streetcars Discontinued
Bx 1 Grand Concourse Bx 1 7/ 3/21 New Bus-Concourse (DP&S Route 58)
Bx 2 Grand Concourse/Melrose Bx 2 7/ 3/21 New Bus-Concourse (DP&S Route 59)
Bx 3 University/W 181 St Bx38 10/26/47 Replace Streetcar
Bx 4 Westchester Av Bx42 7/20/48 Replace Streetcar
Bx 5 Crosby Bx23 6/15/34 New Bus-Bronx Coach
Bx 5 Bruckner Blvd/Story Av Bx 5 3/26/28 New Bus-DP&S
Bx 6 East 161/E 163 St Bx34 6/27/48 Replace Streetcar
Bx 7 Riverdale Av/Broadway Bx10 2/12/28 New Bus
Bx 8 Bronxwood/Williamsbridge Bx 8 11/ 1/27 New Bus
Bx 8 Westchester Bx22 8/25/40 Replace Streetcar
Bx 8 Country Club Bx22 1933 New Bus-Capwood
Bx 9 Broadway/Kingsbridge Bx20 3/25/48 Replace Streetcar
Bx10 Riverdale/Norwood Bx28 8/22/48 Replace Streetcar
Bx11 Claremont Pkwy/E 170 St Bx11 2/27/48 New Bus
Bx12 Pelham Pkwy/Fordham Rd Bx12 4/23/28 New Bus
Bx13 Ogden Av/W 181 St Bx37 10/26/47 Replace Streetcar
Bx15 3 Av/125 St Bx29 8/ 5/41 Replace Streetcar
Bx16 E 233 St Bx14 8/18/35 Replace Streetcar
Bx16 Nereid Av Bx16 8/18/35 Replace Streetcar
Bx16 Baychester Bx19
Edenwald Bx14 4/20/31 New Bus
Bx17 Crotona Av/Prospect Av Bx 3 10/24/21 New Bus-Pioneer Bus (DP&S Route 67)
Bx18 Macombs Rd Bx18 6/22/41 New Bus
Bx19 Southern Blvd Bx31 8/22/48 Replace Streetcar
Bx19 E 149 St Bx30 8/17/47 Replace Streetcar
Bx20 Broadway/Hudson Pkwy Bx24 6/27/48 Replace Streetcar
Randalls Island Bx21
Bx21 Morris Park Av/Boston Rd Bx26 8/22/48 Replace Streetcar
Bx22 Castle Hill Av Bx13 1928 New Bus-Windus
Bx26 Allerton Av Bx17 6/26/41 New Bus
Bx27 Westchester/Soundview Av Bx27 3/ 9/47 Replace Streetcar
Bx28 E Gun Hill Rd Bx15 9/18/33 New Bus
Bx29 City Island Bx12 9/ 4/16 New Bus-City Island (DP&S Route 69/70)
Bx30 Boston Rd Bx 7 2/12/28 Replace Streetcar
Bx30 E Gun Hill Rd Bx 6 3/26/28 New Bus-DP&S
Bx31 Eastchester Rd Bx 9 11/ 1/27 New Bus
St. Anns Bx32 7/11/48 Replace Streetcar
Bx32 Morris Bx25 11/ 1/41 Replace Streetcar
Bx32 Jerome Bx 4 12/10/21 New Bus-York Transp. (DP&S Route 74)
Bx33 W 135/E 138 Bx33 7/11/48 Replace Streetcar
Bx34 Bainbridge Av Bx 4 by 1927 New Bus-Audubon (DP&S Route 74)
Bx35 E 167/W 181 St Bx35 7/11/48 Replace Streetcar
Bx36 E 174/E 180 St Bx36 10/26/47 Replace Streetcar
Bx39 White Plains Rd Bx28 8/22/48 Replace Streetcar
Sedgwick Bx39 6/27/48 Replace Streetcar
Bx40 Tremont Av Crosstown Bx40 8/22/48 Replace Streetcar
Bx40 Fort Schuyler Bx 6 12/10/21 New Bus-James Geelan (DP&S Route 73)
Bx41 Webster Av/White Plains Rd Bx41 6/27/48 Replace Streetcar
Bx42 Tremont Av/Throgs Neck Bx40 8/22/48 Replace Streetcar
Metropolitan Av Bx54
Not listed, and until 2008 not shown on NYCTA bus maps, are express bus routes into Manhattan, previously operated by private carriers and subsidized by the New York City Department of Transportation. These routes have numbers beginning with "BxM", reflecting both boroughs. In 2004, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) formed a new subsidiary, MTA Bus, to take over the remaining private bus operations in New York City. And in January and July 2005 respectively, MTA Bus took over all routes which had been operated by Liberty Lines and New York Bus Service.Liberty Lines evolved from express bus service originally introduced in 1968 by Riverdale Transit Corp., between Bronx and Manhattan. Liberty Lines was formed in 1953, operating in Westchester County, and acquired Riverdale Transit Corp. in 1972. An additional subsidiary of Liberty Lines, Pelham Parkway Bus Service, was formed in 1971. In 1984, Liberty Lines combined its subsidiaries Riverdale Transit Corp. and Pelham Parkway Bus Service into Liberty Lines Express. Continues to operate local bus routes in Westchester County under contract, known as the Bee Line.
New York Bus Service was formed 1945 as a school bus operator. And in 1970 began operating express bus service between Bronx and Manhattan.