Depot is Home to 15 Zero Emissions Buses and 16 Electric Bus Chargers 

Announcement Comes in Time for St. Patrick’s Day; Iconic TWU Leader and Michael J. Quill Depot Namesake has Roots in County Kerry, Ireland 

See Photos of the Michael J. Quill Depot's Zero Emissions Fleet 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced it received a $12 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to repair the roof at the Michael J. Quill Bus Depot in Manhattan. The grant comes from the FTA’s 2021 Fiscal Year Bus and Bus Facilities Discretionary Program. 

These funds will support a comprehensive repair after heavy rains exacerbated the roof’s poor condition, with Hurricane Ida further contributing to the crumbling of the roof deck surface. That highlighted the severity of water infiltration occurring from heavy precipitation. 

“This grant from the FTA is great news for the MTA, our customers, and depot workers,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “It will help the MTA modernize its infrastructure and reinforce the Authority as a leader in fighting the effects of climate change. I want to thank Senator Schumer and the New York delegation for their consistent support of mass transit in New York and across the country.” 

“Not only will this grant fund much-needed repairs at the Michael J. Quill Depot, but it will help the MTA deliver on the promise of a zero-emissions fleet by 2040,” said NYC Transit Interim President Craig Cipriano. “A big thank you to the FTA for investing in the largest bus fleet in the nation.” 

“Excellent news, especially on St. Patrick’s Day at the depot honoring the union’s Irish roots and its Irish immigrant founder Michael J. Quill,” said TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano. “We are happy that the MTA has prioritized the use of federal money to fix this potential work hazard for our bus operators and maintainers at the Quill Depot.” 

Michael J. Quill bus depot currently houses 16 electric bus chargers and 15 zero emissions buses that operate on the M14 SBS and M60 SBS bus routes. The depot houses approximately 270 buses total. All NYC Transit bus depots will be converted to serve zero emissions buses by 2040. The next purchase of 500 electric buses is part of the MTA 2020-2024 Capital Plan, which includes $1.1 billion in funding. 

The MTA operates more than 5,800 buses that run across 329 routes, carries 16% of the nation’s bus riders and represents the largest municipal fleet in the nation. In 2019, New York City buses carried more passengers than Los Angeles Metro, Chicago CTA and San Francisco SFMTA combined. 

About Michael J. Quill 

Michael J. Quill was born in Kilgarvan, County Kerry, Ireland in 1905. Quill immigrated to the United States in 1926, settling in New York City with his uncle Patrick Quill, a subway conductor, in Harlem. Quill’s uncle arranged a job for him working with the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, which would later be merged into New York City Transit. Quill started as a night gateman, and then a clerk which allowed Quill to travel throughout the system and meet a large number of IRT employees. Quill would found the Transport Workers Union in 1934 with Thomas O’Shea, organizing transit workers throughout New York City, and served as the union’s first International President as TWU expanded its imprint beyond New York City. On July 13, 2000, the MTA renamed its bus depot in Midtown Manhattan after Quill, which is now home to the Authority’s central location for its electric bus fleet.