MTA to seek 650 new buses, its biggest single order since 2013, but they run on compressed natural gas, not electricity; Lieber says the agency is buying CNG "while the electric bus industry continues to mature"

Sept. 10 release: the MTA will issue an RFP (proposals due Oct. 19, 2026) for 650 CNG buses funded by the 2025-29 Capital Plan, replacing aging CNG buses; the order is more than 10% of the fleet. The release says 30% of standard bus purchases in this Capital Plan are expected to be CNG and that the plan separately funds 500 zero-emission buses plus depot charging. It says 100% of the natural gas is offset by renewable natural gas credits. Context for the tracker: the MTA's stated goal is a zero-emission fleet by 2040; this order is a fossil-fuel purchase framed as a bridge. Since the July "Next Stop" plan, 41 new buses have entered service.

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