The 4900-series TMC RTS buses were similar in appearance to the 4400-series, but were 5-inches narrow. These narrower buses were needed for the now-defunct #16 Lake Street Route and replaced the 3700-series Flxible New Look buses.

When the #16 Lake Street Route was eliminated in 1996, the buses were then used for University of Chicago routes.

Unlike the 4400-series, the 4900-series were not accessible and did not undergo any rehab. For this reason, the buses were retired in 2005 and replaced with used Orion I buses from Pace, Chicago’s suburban bus system.