The NYC Transit Bus Radio System Disaster Continues, as the Transit Unions Alliance Responds

After filing grievances, raising complaints before the MTA Board, and holding multiple meetings with management, it has become abundantly clear that the Transit Authority refuses to acknowledge the serious problems with the $90 million bus radio system. Even more troubling, they have dismissed the concerns raised by the Presidents of every bus operator union.

President Demetrius Crichlow continues to demand “data” proving the system is broken. But the problem is not that individual radios are physically broken — it is the digital radio system itself that is failing. Operators across the city are experiencing communication breakdowns that compromise safety. When bus operators cannot reliably communicate in real time, both they and the riding public are placed at risk.

On February 13, 2026, the NYC Transit Union Alliance formally notified MTA leadership — including MTA Chairman Janno Lieber, Paige Graves, and President Crichlow — that unless the Transit Authority produces an immediate emergency plan to repair or replace the bus radio system, the Alliance will pursue legal action to compel them to do so.

This situation should never have reached this point. Transit leadership has a fundamental obligation to protect the safety of frontline workers and the public. Failing to address a known system-wide communication problem is unacceptable.

Accountability starts at the top. Leadership must step up, acknowledge the problem, and fix it — before a preventable tragedy forces their hand.