So as for the iconic RTSs, they're gone but DEFINITELY won't be forgotten

It’s the end of an era for the RTS RIP 1981-2019 😢

I love RTS buses!

Damn, I grew up in Brooklyn taking these buses everywhere as a kid. You will be missed.

The Greatest Bus of all time.

I honestly didn't know that yesterday was the last day for them. I'm sad to see them go. I rode them throughout most of my lifetime.

Loved sitting in that single seat next to the back door! Best seat in the house!

I miss the RTS busses. I grew up riding them

Not goona lie, I actually shed a tear for these buses. These were great buses and took a beating. So many childhood memories riding these buses in NYC. I always wanted to be a bus driver and drive these things.

Damn, the mileage on those buses. Some of them ran better than these new craps they making now....

Hey look at the bright side these will never be forgotten but these buses paved the way for newer high tech buses today. Not only that but in the subway the classical R32s are still running standing at 54 years old LONGEST RUNNING R-TYPE CAR 1964

Whelp, thats a wrap. RIP. RTS 06 Passenger Service from 1999-2019 Nice 20 years of operating... Now its time to go 😭

If only MTA Maryland did something like this with the Flxibles. The only survivor is a lone Metro E and along with a converted Metro A and it's only shown during a private company event. And it is branded as a historic vehicle with no public appearances. You'll have to know an MTA mechanic AND be an employee to even get a glimpse of it. This video is quite nice. I can't believe MTA had them for so long!

A icon of most major cities, it broke my heart to here these beauties are now retired!

My men and I took great pride painting bus 5249 back to it's original paint scheme.

Man, things won’t feel the same without the RTSes, but honestly, I’d accept the fact that we should move on, even if we are to take our past along with us.

Man, these buses will be missed! They were real workhorses! I know they were phased out since the early 2000s, but I would see them on routes every once in a while. I mean, they were on the M66/72 routes until a few years ago because these were the only buses that could fit under the low arches on the 66th street transverse. Thank you for your years of service!

I can't believe they have been gone for almost 3 years. I remember seeing these on the upper west side all the time when I was not even 5 years old.

I'm going miss the RTS buses, it's was so exciting & an honor to have rode them ,they were some of the finest bus 🚍 models ever created and they'll never be forgotten!

These were my absolute favorite buses... #RIPRTS 1981-2019

These were my favorite RTS and what the MTA did that day was amazing

I remember when I was young that the RTS's used to be very common on the Q58 bus service.

I recall these buses well and it was sometime in early 1981 when it was on the news that Southern California Rapid Transit District had gotten them and they would be going into service. Those buses were way cool and I enjoyed riding them.

This hurt my heart. I grew up riding these buses. RIP.

Hope they preserve 1 with the other historic fleet 1980 Grumman Flxible 870 236 1981 GMC New look

This is the oldest bus mta has still running it’s so sad to see them go they still look fine tho!!!

worst day of my life. I had so much memories on the rts riding them home on b41 they were the best!! I miss them

38 years of service. Salute, it will be sorely missed.

Remember when these bad boys ran on the Q54 bus route

May these boys rust in peace

For 5241, it was a long death march. It was sent to the breakers 2 weeks later. 5249 was retained for the MTA museum fleet while 4901 and (RTS 5227; the MTA already has a 5227 in its museum fleet, a third-gen New Look) were donated to museums in Kingston, NY and Lakewood, NJ respectively.

My favorite bus, goodbye old friend

We all grew up with the RTS in NYC for SURE

Haha @ 0:28 someone says "shut the hell up"

Great Video, The RTS’s Are The Greatest Buses Of All Time & I Will Never Forget The RTS’s

Wow! There goes another piece of my NYC childhood lost to time. I remember when those buses were first brought online by MTA. There were considered fancy because they could 'kneel', ran so much faster than their predecessor, and had power-steering. I remember a driver on the B68 line (in Brooklyn) raving about the power-steering and how much better it was to drive those buses. So long RTS!!! Although I've been out of NYC since August of 1999, you'll always be a part of my childhood memories as will all things NYC and MTA.

I was in that video and thanks for posting this video. I love it and it was a pleasure to meet you guy's and the boss as well.

THIS is where real, true men cried. 😭😭😭😭😭

I grew up riding these buses. So many memories.

The RTS buses were initially built by GMC. When it got out of the bus building business, an entrepreneur took over and produced the final ones. They were American designed and American built. Unfortunately, can't say the same for the new buses.

Be grateful, I havent seen an RTS in person since 1994 and that was also my last time being on one! I was still a kid! When D40s hit the scene in 93 or 94 it replaced the oldest bus fleet at the time which was...

But why No D60HF Ceremony? Does The MTA Not Know How Special Those Were? They Were The First Articulated Bus For NYC

So New York finally removes the main bus that always represented New York after all these years. It just shows how well they were able to last and how reliable they are. Especially when you take great care of them. I don't know where MTA get their parts from unless they made them themselves. I'm glad to have made it to NY for the first time to see one in person. I just wish I took the opportunity to ride one... MTA, I would definitely consider keeping one as a historical figure for NY. It would be very beneficial for the history of NY. Rest peacefully you reliable piece of metal screaming Detroit's of joy and pride. You will never be forgotten.

I remember the Grumman cracked steering fiasco and IIRC these buses were bought at the replacement. I rode these to and from school in the 80s. They always looked huge, heavy and ponderous to me as a kid. Were all of these lift equipped? I also recall seeing signage that if you wanted a wheelchair bus you had to call a day ahead to request it.

Poor bus ,shame to seee it being retired, hope Mta puts it in their heritage museum

I remember riding these back in 2013-15 where a lot of busses in Queens like the Q56 and Q24 used to have the wheelchair people get on the back and everyone had to go up the stairs in the front of the bus instead of a ramp the Noises from it was classic though 🥇🏆

😭😭😭😭😭😭 I CAN'T DO A MOMENT OF SILENCE!!!!!

RIP RTS 1981-2019

This is so sad because these were the best buses, Which is the RTS. Its quite sad to see them go away, but they wouldn't be forgotten and at least the MTA preserved them, unlike the redbirds that they dumped in the ocean, Lol.

I'm watching this whole video, to honor the bus I used to take, these buses are classic, I always call them the "old buses" whenever they came, wow, time flies

RTS won't be forgotten

These busses were my childhood

I missed it too but like the late Rodney Dangerfield, the RTS finally got respect. Another thing, a retirement party is just what this bus model needed.

They were great buses

The last RTS units from 1999 were last operating at Ulmer Park Depot (Brooklyn Division), Flatbush Depot (Brooklyn Division), and Michael J. Quill Depot (Manhattan Division). There also were plenty of them at Jamaica Depot (Queens Division).

I used to ride this bus all the time on the Q39 and Q58 back when I was a kid, my mom would take me to work with her, ahh those were the simple times.

I remember when they first got started. New York City were experimenting with different bus models at the time. And this one was the most successful.

I Remember rinding these RTS buses back in my homestate CA marin county i was born in 93 these buses where around for a while until there where retired in 2014 or 2015 or so i have to say i enjoy riding these buses i well definitely well miss these buses for sure and grate memory as well.

Man.... this was the M102 for me growing up.

Wow the amount of memories taking that particular bus. ✊🏾 #rts

I work out of Quill i saw when they were moving them out. I will miss them because those things are TANKS. I even remember the RTS express buses out of Ulmer Park.

I’m so happy I had the pleasure of driving this bus two years straight..loved it and I’m tall..but it moved in and out of traffic

Oh no my favorite buses are retired so 😔 very sad gonna really miss them

Good old days, I remember when I was a kid and would take the Q50 at whitestone and when I saw a Q25 or Q34 I would tell my mom that I didn't want to take that was I wanted to take a RTS because I thought that they looked really cool.

I was always creeped out by the rts rear door but they were cool anyways #Riprts

These buses might be old but they still look modern today

These nova rts buses sound great while in front sitting you can hear the engine and the Orion v as well

I remember a bunch of the RTS units when I rode them on the M66 from 2005 to 2007 when I went to Preschool.

Damn...this is going back for me. I remember when they were still running the 53102 Flxibles.

Milwaukee County Transit System had 150 GMC RTS buses built in 1980. Still miss them to this day.

This is a part of my childhood. 😢💔

I will sure miss those as well as I did the grumman buses. Those buses had more room and built well compared to these new ones which seems smaller inside with less seating.

I spent 14 long years riding these buses. Man I'll miss them.

these were part of my childhood, along with the orion 7s

Like @MTA Bus Faner says! I grew up with those buses! I can't believe there gone! I hope/am glad that NYCT is saving one or two?

Wait these buses are gone for good now?!?! 😱😱😱 I swear I didn't know this until just now. I'm so sad now. 😭 They had the best view from those window seats. And that uniquely interesting seat by the rear door was my favorite.

Gonna miss the RTS bus :(

Memories of my younger years returned. Sad to see them go.

These were the busses of my childhood, and my favorite too 😪

I'm going to miss those Barrel Buses alot

Im gonna miss Rts r.i.p we will always remmeber you

Thank You

Ahh 😭😭😢😭😢 a great ceremony for the RTS

Always wanted to drive one of these as a city bus operator. Never got a chance too. I drove New Flyer 40ft regular bus & 60ft articulated bus. I drove the gilligs too

M15,B26 and sometimes on staten island 4 me when i grew up and when they were use good memories

I drove these for MaBSTOA and NYCTA between 1986-to around 2010.

Good to know one of them made it

I used to look forward to seeing these

I'm going to miss the RTS buses, my favorites are the very old GMC new look bus also nicknamed the fishbowl because of the large round windshield.

I think I heard the beautiful sound of a Detroit Diesel 2 stroke in there!

Nice video, but nobody seems to have recorded anything resembling a ceremony. Just a display. I waited 55 minutes and left before a 59 minute late bus. At least I have a clear memory of an unplanned ride on RTS demonstrator 200 on the Q17.

At one time when I got on the 5000 type buses & the bus on the RTS and catches fire on the Q24 bus in Queens. I dialed 911 & the FDNY responded within 3 minutes to take out the smoke. Thank goodness everyone got out alive including me. But I missed them already.

All my childhood memories... GONE! 😭😭😭😭

Glad I was able to ride them one last time

Wait.. What about the B44 Line I still see them running in summer 2019

I had no idea they legit did this, and ive seen a rare few still making their way around bowling green.

Dj Hammers, I love RTS it was my last ride on the m57.

Nice and damm unfortunately couldn't make it cuz of school but that's unfortunately life lol

I grew up with those busses now there finally retired after 38 years the long last buses forever nooooooo nooooooo please rebuild them again

Adorei o video! 😀