MTA to Expand Crash-Detection System to Up to 150 More Buses After Collisions Drop

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to scale up a collision-avoidance technology pilot from six buses to between 100 and 150 additional buses by sometime next year, out of a total fleet of close to 6,000. The system uses external sensors to detect when a person or object is dangerously close, alerting the driver through small panels positioned to the left and right of the bus operator that light up orange or red outlines of nearby pedestrians, sometimes accompanied by an audible beep. MTA bus chief Frank Farrell said the devices are "effective" and that operators like them. MTA data separately shows that bus-bicycle collisions have fallen 16% so far in 2026 compared to the same period in 2025 — 61 incidents versus 26 more the prior year — while pedestrian contacts stand at 84, one fewer than last year. The six pilot buses came from the Michael J. Quill Bus Depot in Manhattan and the Far Rockaway Depot in Queens. Last month, the MTA issued a solicitation for a five-year contract valued at an estimated $1–5 million to retrofit the additional buses. Transport Workers Union Local 100 vice president Donald Yates, who represents Manhattan and Bronx drivers, said operators welcome the technology given the crowded conditions they navigate daily. Transportation Alternatives executive director Ben Furnas also praised the expansion, calling it "a proven safety technology."