New Yorkers who spend their commutes squinting down the avenue for a bus that may or may not be coming are getting a new tool. The city Department of Transportation signed a deal this week to put countdown clocks at more than 1,400 bus stops, according to documents reported by Gothamist.

The plan calls for a digital panel mounted on the side of the bus shelter, and the new displays will include a text-to-speech feature for visually impaired riders. The city’s bus shelters are managed by JCDecaux, which builds and maintains them in exchange for the right to sell advertising. Beyond the shelters, DOT plans to hire a contractor to install 1,400 clocks on bus poles, so stops without a shelter get one too.

The larger goal is 2,900 countdown clocks across the city’s roughly 15,000 bus stops by 2030. Officials say 700 are already installed at bus stations. DOT expects to spend $17 million on the installations, a figure that does not cover maintaining the equipment. Locations will be chosen based on ridership and what officials call an “equitable approach” meant to make sure all New Yorkers can access the technology.

The pitch is accuracy. The MTA says the new screens will sync with its bus location system, giving riders the same real-time arrival estimates already available through Bus Time, the MTA app and subway platform screens. MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara said in a statement that the agency is grateful for the partnership.

Riders who have used the existing clocks have reasons for doubt. Earlier this week, Arlen Sun, 25, waited at a Downtown Brooklyn stop where the clock showed both a B61 and a B65 arriving in zero minutes. Several minutes passed with no bus in sight. Sun checked Google Maps, which put the next bus 10 minutes away. He told Gothamist he rarely looks at the clocks anymore. “They don’t really work, and you gotta use online,” he said, adding that buses can’t really keep a set schedule. “I guess that’s just a part of taking a bus.”

Others see a possible upside. Iris Velez, who caught a bus in SoHo this week, told Gothamist she normally avoids the service but might ride more if the clocks helped her figure out “which way would be a better route.”

The clocks fit into a wider bus push at City Hall. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced earlier this year plans to add 300 new bus shelters over the next two years, and his administration has added bus lanes across the city this year in an effort to make service more reliable. “Every New Yorker deserves to know when their bus is coming,” the mayor said in a statement. “It’s another step toward the fast, reliable, world-class bus service New Yorkers deserve.”

The test will be whether the new screens match what’s actually coming down the avenue. Subway riders have had countdown clocks on every line for years; bus riders are about to find out whether the next generation of them tells the truth.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many countdown clocks is NYC DOT planning to install at bus stops?

The DOT plans to install countdown clocks at more than 1,400 additional bus stops, part of a citywide goal of 2,900 clocks across roughly 15,000 bus stops by 2030. Officials say about 700 are already installed.

How much will the NYC bus countdown clock project cost?

The DOT expects to spend $17 million on the installations, a figure that does not include maintenance of the equipment.

Will NYC bus countdown clocks show real-time arrival times?

Yes, the new displays will sync with the MTA’s bus location system, giving riders the same real-time arrival estimates available through Bus Time, the MTA app, and subway platform screens.

Do NYC bus countdown clocks have a feature for visually impaired riders?

Yes, the new displays will include a text-to-speech feature for visually impaired riders.

Who manages the bus shelters in NYC and where will clocks be placed?

JCDecaux manages the city’s bus shelters, building and maintaining them in exchange for advertising rights, and clocks will be placed on the shelter panels. At stops without shelters, a contractor will install clocks on bus poles.

Editorial Transparency. A first draft of this story was produced with AI-assisted writing tools, then reviewed for accuracy and tone by the named editor before publication. More on our process: Editorial Policy.