Open Strollers Start Rolling Onto More MTA Buses

NEW YORK CITY — Babies boarding buses are about to get some long-awaited stroller space, MTA officials said.

A test-run of an open stroller program will expand to more than 1,000 and 57 routes, including some of the busiest in the city, officials announced Thursday.

About 15 percent of buses soon will have designated spaces where parents and caregivers can keep their strollers open, officials said.

Bus riders have long had to fold up strollers — a prospect that apparently even prominent state senators who are parents dreaded.

“As a parent whose 5-year-old recently graduated from a stroller, I know all too well that managing public transit with a stroller can too often be a stressful nightmare,” said state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal in a statement released by the MTA.

“In addition to navigating stairs and crowds, I’ve had to fold strollers on buses, creating logistical hassles for me and other passengers."

The hassles prompted MTA officials to start a pilot program in September that tested whether open strollers could work.

After 2,500 successful open stroller riders on 140 buses, officials in January announced they decided to expand the pilot into a second phase, but they left the start date open.

The announcement Thursday showed the next phase will be in motion over the coming days, weeks and months.

The following bus routes will have open stroller space, according to the MTA:

• Brooklyn: B1, B3, B6/6 LTD, B36, B64, B74
• The Bronx: Bx6, Bx6 SBS, Bx8, Bx11, Bx17, Bx19, Bx21, Bx23, Bx27, Bx31, Bx32, Bx33, Bx35, Bx36/36LTD, Bx46
• Manhattan: M15, M31, M101, M102, M103, M125
• Queens: Q12, Q13, Q15, Q15A, Q16, Q20A, Q20B, Q26, Q28, Q31, Q32, Q44 SBS, Q48, Q50LTD, Q76
• Staten Island: S40, S42, S46, S48, S51, S52, S53, S66, S76, S81 LTD, S86 LTD, S90 LTD, S93 LTD, S96 LTD, S98 LTD