In Manhattan, most surface transportation was eventually operated by the Fifth Avenue Coach Co. and its subsidiaries. Fifth Avenue Coach Co. was formed in 1896, first operating horse drawn omnibuses on Fifth Avenue, later expanding onto other streets which did not have streetcar routes.
Most of the streetcars were operated by New York Railways (NYRys), which in 1925 was acquired by Fifth Avenue Coach Co. as a subsidiary. Also in 1925, Fifth Avenue Coach Co. formed another subsidiary, New York City Omnibus Co. (NYCO), to operate the bus routes which would replace the streetcars. That company actually began operating buses in 1936, the year when all of the New York Railways streetcar routes were converted.
A few New York Railways streetcar routes were converted in earlier years, with buses operated independently.
In addition, the Third Avenue Railway Co. continued to operate streetcars in Manhattan, which were subsequently replaced by operated by subsidiary Surface Transportation Corp. 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.
A few smaller companies also operated some streetcar and bus routes independently. These routes eventually became the only Manhattan routes actually operated by NYCTA.
The Hamilton Bus Company began operating the Houston St/Avenue C route in 1929, was sold to the Triangle Bus Co, in 1935, and to New York City Omnibus Co. in 1940.
Beginning in 1919, several bus routes began operation, operated by independent owner operators granted permits 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. Some routes did not survive long and are not listed. In 1933 these routes were assumed by Green Bus Lines, and received "M" route numbers.
Route Route DP&S Buses Newer Number Name Route No. Introduced Route No. M1 Madison/Chambers St 1 9/21/19 M22 M2 Delancy/Spring St 2 9/21/19 M3 49/50 St Crosstown new by 1930 M50 M4 79 St Crosstown 71 11/30/21 M79 M5 86 St Crosstown (west) 8 11/ 3/19 M86 M6 96 St Crosstown 60 7/ 4/21 M96Green Bus Lines was a major operator of buses in Queens until 2005. In 1935, the Madison/Chambers and the 49/50 St Crosstown route franchises were awarded to the Comprehensive Omnibus Co. And in 1936, the remaining Green Bus Lines route franchises in Manhattan were awarded to the New York City Omnibus Co. At that same time, Green Bus Lines was permitted to expand significantly in Queens.
The East Side Omnibus Co. operated buses originally to replace the streetcars operated by the Second Avenue Railroad. In 1948, the East Side Omnibus Co. and the Comprehensive Omnibus Co. were acquired by the city.
After the Dry Dock East Broadway & Battery Railroad failed in 1932, the Avenue B & East Broadway Transit Co. began operating buses over that route. That remained the last independent bus operation in Manhattan, until the NYCTA took over the route in 1980.
Where no streetcar company is listed, route started new as a bus route.
Where no recent route number is indicated, route has been discontinued.
Around 1989, the crosstown routes were given new numbers corresponding to the numbered streets.
Effective 1/8/2017, the M5 route was split at Midtown Manhattan, with the south segment becoming route M55.
Route Route Old Route Streetcar Private Bus Buses Introduced
Number Name Number Company Company Streetcars Disc.
M 1 Fifth Av 1 ----- Fifth Av. 1896
M 1 Madison Av 1 NY&H Madison 3/ /36
M 2 Fifth/Madison/Powell Blvd 2 ----- Fifth Av. 2/23/01
M 3 Fifth/Madison/St Nicholas 3 ----- Fifth Av. 2/23/01
Convent Av 3 ----- Fifth Av. 1/13/39
49/50 St Crosstown M 3 NYRys DP&S by 1930
M 4 Fifth/Madison/Broadway 4 ----- Fifth Av. 8/ 5/00
M 5 Fifth Av/6 Av/Riverside 5 ----- Fifth Av. 8/ 5/00
7 Av 6 NYRys NYCO 3/ 6/36
57/72 St Crosstown 6 ----- Fifth Av. 2/23/01
M 7 Columbus/Amsterdam/Lenox 7 NYRys NYCO 3/25/36
M 8 8/9 St Crosstown 13 NYRys NYCO 3/ 3/36
M 9 Avenue B/East Broadway Dry Dock Av B/E Bwy 7/30/32
M 9 Avenue C 21 ----- DP&S 9/21/19
M 10 7/8 Avs/Douglass Blvd 10 NYRys NYCO 3/ /36
M 11 9/10 Avs 11 8&9 Av NYCO 3/ /36
M 14 14 St Crosstown 14 NYRys NYCO 4/20/36
M 15 First/Second Av M 15 Second Av East Side 6/25/33
M 20 7/8 Avs/Hudson St
M 21 Houston St 21 ----- Hamilton 3/ /29
M 22 Madison/Chambers St M 1 NYRys DP&S 9/21/19
M 23 23 St Crosstown 15 NYRys NYCO 4/ 8/36
M 31 57 St/York Av M 11 Second Av East Side 6/25/33
M 34 34 St Crosstown 16 NYRys NYCO 4/ 1/36
M 35 Randall's Is./Ward's Is. TB
M 42 42 St Crosstown M 106 Third Av Surface 11/17/46
M 50 49/50 St Crosstown M 3 NYRys DP&S by 1930
M 55 6 Av (south) 6 NYRys NYCO 3/ 3/36
Broadway 6 NYRys NYCO 3/ 6/36
M 57 57 St Crosstown 20 ----- Fifth Av. 4/17/34
M 60 La Guardia via 125 St Bx 29 Third Av Surface 8/ 5/41
M 66 66/67 St Crosstown M 7 ----- Compreh. 1933
M 72 72 St Crosstown 6 ----- Fifth Av. 2/23/01
M 79 79 St Crosstown 17 ----- DP&S 11/30/21
M 86 86 St Crosstown (east) 18 NYRys NYCO 6/ 8/36
M 86 86 St Crosstown (west) M 5 ----- DP&S 11/ 3/19
M 96 96 St Crosstown 19 ----- DP&S 7/ 4/21
M 98 Washington Hts/Midtown
M 100 Amsterdam/Broadway/125 St M 100 Third Av Surface 6/22/47
M 101 Third/Lexington/Amsterdam M 101 Third Av Surface 5/28/47
M 102 Third/Lexington/Lenox Av M 102 NYRys NYCO 3/ /36
M 103 Third/Lexington Avs
59 St Crosstown M 103 Third Av Surface 11/10/46
M 104 Broadway/42 St M 104 Third Av Surface 12/15/46
M 106 96/106 St Crosstown M 107
M 116 116 St Crosstown 20 NYRys NYCO 4/ 1/36