The countdown is on to a potentially significant disruption in New York City’s yellow school bus service, with bus companies threatening to shut down if they don’t get a new contract. It wouldn’t be considered a traditional strike.

New York City’s school bus companies have agreed to a 30-day extension to finalize contracts, averting a strike on Monday, according to a spokesperson for the companies’

Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist candidate running for New York City mayor, has proposed free public buses as part of his campaign.

Waiting for the bus might get a bit more bearable with new seating coming to all 8,750 bus stops across New York City, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Thursday. The Department of Transportation will install new seating at 875 bus stops every year for the next ten years,

The Adams administration wants bus riders to take a load off, announcing Thursday that the city would be making a $40 million investment toward installing benches or “leaning bars” at

The bus companies placed blame on the city Department of Education’s Panel on Education Policy for not approving a five-year contract extension, which was originally scheduled to begin on July 1, 2025. The companies have been operating under an “emergency contract” pending the approval of this contract.

"Free buses" is one of the big ideas that helped Zohran Mamdani win the Democratic mayoral primary in New York City. But in Kansas City, the bus system is going the opposite direction after years of free fares — mostly because of a lack of transit funding.