Officials Urge MTA to Consider Freshkills Bus Depot

Staten Island leaders want the MTA to weigh Freshkills Park as a site for a fourth borough bus depot after the Meredith Avenue Depot closed.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Isometric editorial illustration of an empty concrete bus storage yard beside a rounded green hillside, evoking the search for a new depot site. — Staten Island officials on Tuesday urged the MTA to consider Freshkills Park as a site for a fourth borough bus depot after the Meredith Avenue Depot closed. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Borough President Vito Fossella and other Staten Island officials called on the MTA to consider building a bus depot at Freshkills Park during a press conference near the South Shore park. The MTA did not renew its lease of the temporary Meredith Avenue facility in January 2025.

Why it matters

The Meredith Depot, which housed approximately 80 buses and served most of the borough's express bus routes, was closed as a money-saving decision. Officials argue a new depot could ease operations at the borough's remaining facilities in New York City.

The closed Meredith Avenue Depot housed approximately 80 buses, while Freshkills Park spans 2,200 acres of former landfill land. Whether the site's soil poses contamination concerns for a depot has not been determined.

The players

Vito Fossella

Vito Fossella is the Staten Island Borough President who hosted the press conference urging the MTA to consider Freshkills Park.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the state agency that operates New York City's subways and buses and manages the borough's bus depots.

The details

Officials pointed to Freshkills Park, a 2,200-acre former landfill that already contains open green space, as a possible location. Express bus rider advocate Filippa Grisafi questioned the site because of potentially contaminated soil, and the NYC Department of Sanitation has already built a truck garage on part of the park's green space.

January 2025: The MTA declined to renew the lease on the temporary Meredith Avenue depot.
November 2, 2026: Officials called for a Freshkills Park bus depot at a press conference.

Market Landscape

The Meredith Depot closure followed the MTA's decision to treat it as a temporary overflow satellite, and the agency is now considering a fourth Staten Island depot to replace that capacity. Proposals like Freshkills Park reflect ongoing competition for limited land to house the city's bus fleet.

If a new depot is built at Freshkills Park, Staten Island express bus riders could see changes in routes and service levels. Nearby residents may also benefit if the Castleton Avenue depot is closed, easing traffic congestion.

The takeaway

The proposal highlights how limited depot land forces transit agencies to weigh environmental concerns against capacity needs. Readers following the debate should watch whether the MTA formally studies Freshkills Park or rules it out.