Semi-formal
New York has many forms of semi-formal public transportation, including "dollar vans", or "jitneys." Dollar vans serve major corridors in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx that lack adequate subway service. In 2006, the New York City Council began debate on greater industry regulation, including requiring all dollar vans to be painted in a specific color to make them easier to recognize, similar to the public light buses in Hong Kong. The vans pick up and drop off anywhere along a route, and payment is made at the end of a trip.
Similar to dollar vans, Chinese vans serve predominantly Chinese communities in Chinatown, Manhattan, Chinatown, Flushing, Sunset Park, Brooklyn, Elmhurst, Queens and Homecrest, Brooklyn.
Jitney buses also provide frequent, essential transportation to parts of Hudson and Bergen Counties in New Jersey. Of particular note is the frequent Interstate express service offered along NJ Route 4 between the George Washington Bridge Terminal and Paterson, NJ --- a level and speed of express service along that route unmatched by NJ Transit.
Highly competitive Chinatown bus lines operate routes from New York City's Chinatowns to other Chinatowns in the Northeast, with frequent service to major cities like Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. These companies use full-size coaches and offer fares much lower than traditional carriers like Greyhound and Coach USA, who in turn have gone after the Chinatown carriers by offering online fares as low as $1 on BoltBus, NeOn, and Megabus services.
Other services in the city include Rightrides, a free late night ride home service to shuttle women and LGBTQ individuals home on Friday and Saturday.
Read more about this topic: Expressways In New York City