Varsity Bus Company

Varsity Bus Company

Varsity Bus Company #1099 deadheads through Brooklyn.
Headquarters	626 Wortman Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11208
Locale	New York City
Service type	School bus service
Chief executive	Andrew Brettschneider
Web site	Varsity Bus

Varsity Bus Company is a school bus operator in New York City, currently providing yellow school bus service. This company was established in 2003 when it acquired some of the school bus routes that had been operated by Varsity Transit (other school bus companies acquired the remaining school bus routes, and Varsity Transit thereafter ceased operations). From 1979 until 2005, Varsity Transit affiliate Command Bus Company operated two local and seven express transit bus routes, routes that are now operated by MTA Bus Company.

Command Bus

Command Bus traces its history to Pioneer Bus Corporation, established in 1954 by three small school bus and charter bus operators. Until 1960, when it obtained a franchise for the current B100, it only operated school, charter, and racetrack buses. Several express buses were implemented in 1972. Command Bus Company was incorporated October 22, 1979 following a long strike at Pioneer.

Like sister companies Green Bus Lines, Jamaica Buses, and Triboro Coach Corporation, Jerome Cooper was the chairman of the board. Originally co-housed with Varsity Transit, the operations of Command were eventually moved into a new NYCDOT facility at 12755 Flatlands Avenue in Brooklyn (this garage is now leased by MTA Bus following the transfer of Command Bus Company routes to MTA Bus in 2005).

Command routes

A Command Bus bus before takeover by MTA Bus. This bus is now MTA Bus #744.

See also: List of bus routes in Brooklyn#MTA Bus routes

See also: List of local and express multi-borough bus routes in New York City#Manhattan to Brooklyn

Command operated the following routes, which after the MTA takeover continued to be operated out of the Spring Creek Bus Depot:

Brooklyn local

• B100 Fillmore
• B103 Canarsie Limited

Express

• BM1 Mill Basin
• BM2 Canarsie
• BM3 Sheepshead Bay
• BM4 Gerritsen Beach
• BM5 (formerly BQM1) Starrett City

In the mid-1990s, Command operated "Gotham Flyer" service, using unfilled buses to carry express passengers between Midtown and Wall Street.

External links

• All Franchise Private Bus Lines Now Operated by MTA