Real Estate Blog

While busses on most routes on Staten Island do run quite frequently, especially during peak times, it’s always nice to know how long you’re going to be waiting. That’s especially true if you’re not sure if you just missed a bus or if it hasn’t arrived at your stop yet. It used to be that all you could do was wait and see if the bus showed up, but with the institution of the MTA Bus Time program in January of this year, all that waiting and wondering can come to an end.

How it Works

There are three ways to see when your bus will be arriving with Bus Time, so even if you don’t have access to a computer or the latest smart phone, you can almost certainly still use the system. Probably the easiest way to access Bus Time information is to text the code you find on the sign at the bus stop to 511123. 

For instance, the code for the bus stop on the corner of Victory Boulevard and Richmond Ave, the code is 200444. If you text that code to the number above, you will receive a text back telling you what busses are due to arrive soon and how far away they each are. For this particular stop, multiple bus routes are available, so depending on the type of phone you have, you may need to specify the route number – S59 for example – as well as the bust stop code.

Similarly, if you have a smartphone with a QR reader, you can scan the code on the sign at the bus stop to access the same information. And if you are using a computer, you can go to bustime.mta.info and type in an intersection, bus route or bus stop code to see on a map where the relevant busses are. 

A Smoother Ride for Everyone

With the institution of this program, nearly all of the almost 2.5 million people who ride Staten Island busses on a daily basis can plan their trips better and get where they’re going with less hassle. Keeping a few of your most commonly used bus stop codes on hand at all times can allow you to plan when to leave your house and how best to manage a connection. And that can make it much easier to get where you need to go.