m31, m57
57th Street Crosstown Line
An OBI Orion VII OG HEV 07.501 operating on the M57 and an NovaBus LFS HEV operating on the M31
Overview
System	MTA Regional Bus Operations
Operator	New York City Transit
Garage	Tuskegee Airmen Depot (M31) Michael J. Quill Depot (M57)
Vehicle	Nova Bus LFS HEV New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 (M57)
Route
Locale	Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Communities served	Upper West Side, Riverside South, Hell's Kitchen, Midtown, Sutton Place, Upper East Side
Start	M31: Hell's Kitchen –54th Street and 11th Avenue M57: Upper West Side –72nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue
Via	57th Street M31: York Avenue M57: West End Avenue
End	M31: Upper East Side –1st Avenue and 92nd Street M57: Sutton Place –1st Avenue and 55th Street
Length	2.8 miles (4.5 km) (eastbound M57) 3.1 miles (5.0 km) (westbound M57) 3.8 miles (6.1 km) (M31)
Service
Operates	M31: 5 a.m. (7 a.m. weekends) to 12:30 a.m. [1] M57: 5 a.m. (6:30 a.m. weekends) to 12:30 a.m. [2]
Ridership	M31: 2,030,247 (2022) [3] M57: 1,434,822 (2022) [3]
Transfers	Yes
Timetable	M31 M57
Route map ←  M23 SBS ← M50  {{{system_nav}}}  M34 SBS→ M60 SBS →

The M31 and M57 bus routes constitute the 57th Street Crosstown Line, a public transit line in Manhattan, New York City, running primarily along 57th Street. The M31 runs between 11th Avenue and 54th Street in Hell's Kitchen to 1st Avenue and 92nd Street in Yorkville. The M57 runs from 72nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue in the Upper West Side to Sutton Place and 57th Street in Sutton Place. ^{[4] [5]}

The M31 and M57 are operated by MTA Regional Bus Operations under the New York City Transit brand.

Route description and service

For most of its length, the M31 uses 57th Street to travel crosstown, then uses York Avenue to travel uptown to 92nd Street and First Avenue. ^{[1] [6]} At its western end, the M31 turns left on Eleventh Avenue, then left on 54th Street to terminate; eastbound buses return to 57th Street using Tenth Avenue. ^{[1] [6]} At its northern/eastern end, the M31 goes left on 91st Street then right on First Avenue, terminating along 92nd Street before returning southbound on York Avenue. ^[6]

The M57 mostly duplicates the M31 along 57th Street. ^{[2] [6]} The only major difference is that the M57 uses West End Avenue to reach its western terminus at 72nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue. At its eastern end, the M57 reaches First Avenue, eastbound buses turn on 1st, then terminate. Westbound buses then use Sutton Place, 55th Street, and First Avenue to access 57th Street, where they turn back crosstown. ^[6]

The M57 operates out of Michael J. Quill Depot whereas the M31 operates out of the Tuskegee Airmen Depot.

History

M31

East Side Omnibus Corporation began operating bus route (M11) on June 25, 1933. ^[4]

The route was renumbered as the M31 on July 1, 1974, as part of the renumbering of bus routes in Manhattan. ^{[7] [8]}

M57

Buses were introduced on April 17, 1934. ^[4] Service formerly went between Columbus Circle and Sutton Place. ^[9] Fifth Avenue Coach Company began operating bus #20 on March 15, 1937, from Sutton Place to 12th Avenue to provide river-to-river service for Sutton Place residents at five-minute headways. ^{[9] [10]}

The route, formerly numbered M20, became M28 on July 1, 1974, as part of the renumbering of bus routes in Manhattan. ^{[11] [7] [8]}

On September 10, 1989, the M28 (57th Street Crosstown) and M103 (59th/60th Street Crosstown) routes were merged to form the M57. M57 buses began operating from 57th Street and Sutton Place South to Broadway and 72nd Street, running via 57th Street and West End Avenue. ^[12]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to M31 (New York City bus) and M57 (New York City bus).