M60 SBS hits 125th Street for $2.90 from all LGA terminals
The MTA M60 Select Bus Service runs from LaGuardia’s Terminals A, B, and C straight to 125th Street in Manhattan for the standard $2.90 fare. It’s the budget move if you’re staying around Harlem, Columbia University, or along 125th and don’t mind city traffic. Expect about 40–60+ minutes from LGA to 125th Street in normal conditions, with longer runs when traffic on Astoria Boulevard or Harlem backs up.
Buses show up roughly every 8–12 minutes during daytime, and less often late at night, so this isn’t a once-an-hour gamble. The M60 is full SBS: off-board fare payment at machines by the stop and all-door boarding. Keep the paper receipt they print for the inspectors; the fine for not having proof of payment is way more than the $2.90 you saved skipping a cab.
The line runs across Astoria in Queens and then along 125th Street, where you can connect to multiple subway lines: 2/3 at Lenox, 4/5/6 at Lexington, and A/B/C/D at St. Nicholas. Those transfers often mean crossing big intersections with luggage, especially at 125th and Lexington or 125th and St. Nicholas, so build a few extra minutes if you’re wrangling two suitcases or a stroller.
Regulars on r/nyc call the M60 the “poor man’s airport train” and they’re not wrong about the tradeoff: it’s cheap and direct to 125th, but slower and more stop-heavy than the Q70 to Jackson Heights. Local riders use it for everyday trips, so crowding is normal, and it can feel cramped during rush hours around 8–10 a.m. and 4–7 p.m. on weekdays, especially near 125th and Broadway by Columbia.
Watch out for the slog along 125th Street: traffic lights, double-parked trucks, and constant boarding can easily push a 40-minute run past the hour mark. Locals heading to Midtown usually skip M60 entirely and do Q70 + subway instead, saving M60 for when their bed is within a few blocks of 125th. Rule of thumb: if your destination is below 96th Street, think twice before staying on the bus all the way.
Step-by-step from LaGuardia on the M60 SBS
- 1. From Terminals A, B, or C, follow “Bus” signs to the M60 SBS stop; look for the blue-and-white SBS pole and digital arrival board.
- 2. At the stop, use the MTA ticket machine to pay the $2.90 fare with OMNY tap, MetroCard, or coins, then grab the printed proof-of-payment receipt.
- 3. When the M60 arrives, board through any door, keep your luggage close to you, and avoid blocking the center doors if the bus is already crowded.
- 4. Watch the on-board stop display for your subway or street stop along 125th (Lenox for 2/3, Lexington for 4/5/6, St. Nicholas for A/B/C/D, or Broadway for Columbia).
- 5. Exit at your stop, cross to the correct subway entrance or avenue, and use your free transfer (within two hours on the same OMNY card or MetroCard) to continue your trip.
One tip: if it’s rush hour and you’re not sleeping right off 125th, bail at the first subway that serves your direction instead of riding the bus across the entire street.