Bee-Line Bus System

Bee-Line Bus System

Bee-Line #212 arrives in Yonkers from the Tuckahoe train station, due south to the county line.
Slogan The Way To Go
Parent Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation
Founded May 1, 1978
Headquarters 100 East 1 Street, 9th Floor
Mt. Vernon, NY 10550
Locale Westchester County, New York
Service area Westchester County, northern Bronx County, New York County, and southeastern Putnam County part of Fairfield County (Route 12)
Service type Local, express, bus-to-rail shuttle buses
Routes 59
Fleet 329 fixed route
91 paratransit
Daily ridership 111,316 (2013) [1]
Fuel type Diesel, Diesel-electric hybrid
Operator
  • Liberty Lines Transit, Inc.
    (all fixed routes except 16, 18, and 31)
  • P.T.L.A. Enterprise, Inc.
    (16, 18 and 31)
  • Suburban Paratransit Service, Inc.
    (paratransit)
Chief executive Jay Pisco, P.E., Commissioner
Website Bee-Line Bus System

The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the county's Department of Public Works and Transportation. It was founded on May 1, 1978, by the then Westchester County Department of Transportation to consolidate the bus system with thirteen private bus companies and has been given control over the buses, fare structure, routes, and services. By the 1980s, the bus system had an identity problem in who was providing the service. On May 19, 1987, WCDOT officially named the bus service "The Bee-Line System" with a 'bee-in-flight' mascot.[2] The Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation currently contracts out to two private bus companies to provide service in Westchester County and the surrounding counties: Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc., the main company that either bought out or obtained franchises from the other twelve bus companies over the years, operates buses on all but three bus routes; and Cortlandt Manor-based P.T.L.A. Enterprise, Inc., a small company that operates buses on routes 16, 18, and 31.

Scope of service

Bus Facility in Valhalla

Within Westchester

The system's 60 routes are mostly concentrated in the more urban southern portion of the county, with more sparse service in the northern part of the county, with service concentrated near its slightly populated areas such as Peekskill, Ossining, or Mount Kisco, with paratransit service only in areas such as eastern Bedford, Lewisboro, North Salem and Pound Ridge. White Plains, the county seat and most centrally located city, is a major transportation hub, with many routes converging on the city's TransCenter. Yonkers, New Rochelle and Mount Vernon, the other major cities of the county (all located at the southern end), are the best served. All but the county's smallest, most rural communities have at least rush hour service.[3]

Outside Westchester

Because Westchester County borders on the New York City borough of the Bronx, many of the Bee-Line's routes operate into the Bronx, offering Westchester residents connections to the New York City Subway system. Every subway service in the Bronx is served by at least one Bee-Line route. The Bee-Line System also operates an express route BxM4C from White Plains, Greenburgh, Hartsdale, Scarsdale and Yonkers along Central Park Avenue to Fifth Avenue in Manhattan (return trips operate on Madison Avenue within Manhattan). Bee-Line operates mostly closed-door service in the Bronx (local service is not provided solely for travel within Bronx; appropriate MTA Regional Bus Operations service must be used instead). The only exceptions are routes 60 and 61 along Boston Road, routes 40, 41, 42 & 43 north of the Wakefield – 241st Street station, route 45 through Pelham Bay Park, and route 54 on Mundy Lane near the Westchester border, since no other bus routes travel entirely through these areas.

In addition, route 12 (Armonk-Purchase-White Plains) briefly enters Greenwich, Connecticut along King Street, in which it makes stops in Greenwich, CT and Rye Brook, CT (along the NY-CT State Border). Route 77 enters Putnam County to serve the US Route 6 corridor between Baldwin Place and Carmel. Route 16 briefly enters Putnam to serve the Mahopac Village Centre.[3]

Fares

All fares require exact change or MetroCard. All transfers are free with payment of fare. Dollar bills are not accepted on any Bee-Line System buses.[4]

Route Full fare Senior/
disabled fare
Transfer
All transfers good for 2 hours
7-day unlimited ride MetroCard 30-day unlimited ride MetroCard
All except BxM4C $2.75 $1.35
  • Cash: Valid on MTA Bus local buses, NYC Transit local, limited stop, and Select Bus Service buses, CT Transit, the Tappan ZEE Express, Orange Westchester Link, or Putnam Transit
  • MetroCard:
    • free to MTA local buses, subways, and other Bee-Line services
    • $3.75 "step-up" charge for transferring to an MTA Bus express route
$31.00
$15.50 with Reduced Fare ID
$116.50
$58.25 with Reduced Fare ID
BxM4C $7.50 $3.75
(Off peak only)
  • No transfers accepted, transfers are issued as follows:
    • Cash: Valid on MTA buses, other Bee-Line buses, Orange Westchester Link or the Tappan ZEE Express.
    • MetroCard: Valid on MTA buses and subways, other Bee-Line buses, Orange Westchester Link or the Tappan ZEE Express.
No Unlimited-Ride MetroCards accepted
Notes:

Fleet

Active fleet

This roster only lists buses and shuttle vans used in fixed route service. Paratransit vehicles are not listed. All buses are wheelchair accessible.

Year Builder and
model name
Photo Length Width Powertrain
(Engine and transmission or propulsion)
Numbers Notes
2001-
2002
Neoplan USA
AN460 (articulated)
60 ft (18.29 m) 102 in (2.59 m) 501-578
  • Used on heavier-use routes in southern and central Westchester County.
  • Replaced the MAN SG310 fleet.
2005 DaimlerChrysler
Orion 05.505
32 ft (9.75 m) 96 in (2.44 m) 116-136
  • Used on Shuttle Loop routes, bus-to-rail shuttles, and lower-use routes.
  • Replaced older shuttle vans.
2006 DaimlerChrysler
Orion 05.501
40 ft (12.19 m) 102 in (2.59 m) 601-704
  • Used county-wide.
  • Replaced the 1989 Flxible Metro-B stock.
2006 DaimlerChrysler
Orion 07.501 (semi low floor electric hybrid)
40 ft (12.19 m) 102 in (2.59 m) 201-204
  • Used county-wide.
2008 Daimler Buses North America
Orion 05.501 (single-door,
commuter coach)
40 ft (12.19 m) 102 in (2.59 m) 801-830
  • Used on Shuttle Loop routes, bus-to-rail shuttles, BxM4C, 11, 17, 43, and 77.
  • Replaced the MCI 102A2s.
  • Last diesel Orion V buses produced.
  • 828-830 retired from service in 2012 due to budget cuts in maintaining the fleet. These buses were sold to ShuttleBus-Zoom and Downeast Transportation.[5]
2009 North American Bus Industries
40LFW (semi low floor
electric hybrid)
40 ft (12.19 m) 102 in (2.59 m)
  • Cummins ISL
  • Allison EP-40 Hybrid
205-299
  • Used county-wide.
  • Replaced the 1995-1996 Orion Vs, with 7 buses for service increases.

Past fleet

Year Builder and
model name
Length
(feet)
Width
(inches)
Engine Numbers Retired Notes
1978 General Motors Corporation
RTS-03 TH-7603
35 96 Detroit Diesel 8V71N 101-106,
189-190,
194-205
1996
  • Originally ordered for 11 operators and buses were delivered with wheelchair lifts.
  • Only 35' 96" foot buses ordered by the Westchester County Department of Transportation.
1978 General Motors Corporation
RTS-03 TH-8603
40 96 Detroit Diesel 8V71N 107-188,
191-193
1996
  • Originally ordered for 6 operators and buses were delivered with wheelchair lifts.
  • Only 40' 96" buses ordered by the Westchester County Department of Transportation.
1983 MAN
SG-310-16.5-2A
(articulated)
60 102 MAN D2566 MLUM 600-661 2002
  • These were Bee Line's first articulated buses and were used throughout southern Westchester County.
  • 661 was originally NYCTA demonstrator bus 8990.
1986-
1987
Motor Coach Industries
102A2
40 102 Detroit Diesel 6V92TA 901-936 2009 Last non-accessible Bee-Line buses on the active roster.
1989 Flxible
Metro-B 40102-6T
40 102 Detroit Diesel 6V92TA 760-874 2007 These were Bee Line's last buses without wheelchair lifts.
1989 Flxible
Metro-B 40102-6C
40 102 Cummins L10 875-879 2001 These were Bee Line's first buses with four-cycle engines.
1994 Startrans Supreme
Senator
25 96 Navistar T444E 301-310 1999
  • These buses were the first rail-to-bus commuter shuttles.
  • These were also Bee Line's first buses to have wheelchair accessibility for the duration of their lives.
1994 Orion Bus Industries
02.501
25.92 96 Navistar T444E 311 2000 This bus would be the only Orion 2 ever ordered. It was used on bus-to-rail shuttles.
1995 Advanced Vehicle Systems
AVS22
22 102 Solectria AC55 312 Unknown This was Bee-Line's only electric-powered bus. It was used for the Shoppers Shuttle service within White Plains.
1995-
1996
Orion Bus Industries
05.501
40 102 Detroit Diesel series 50 401-484 2009
  • Replacements for 1978 RTS stock.
  • Sold to the MTA in 2009.
  • Replaced by North American Bus Industries 40LFW (semi low floor electric hybrid) buses.
1997 Startrans Supreme
Senator
25 96 Navistar T444E 313-332 2004 These buses expanded the shuttle fleet.
1999 Startrans Supreme
Senator
25 96 Navistar T444E 333-361 2005 These buses expanded the shuttle fleet, and were replacements for the first 11 shuttle vans.
2002 DaimlerChrysler
Orion 05.505
32 96 Detroit Diesel series 50 101-115 2012
2005 Coach and Equipment
Phoenix
25 91 Navistar VT365 301-318 2010
  • Replacements for the Startrans vans.
  • Retired without replacement with 2010 service cuts.
2007 Coach and Equipment
Phoenix
25 91 MaxxForce 7 319-320 2010 Retired without replacement with 2010 service cuts.

Historical Honors on Fleet

In October 2004, then-Westchester County Executive Andrew J. Spano launched a month-long celebration of local history by unveiling the top 15 winning names, which were applied on all of the 2002 Orion 05.505 buses. From 2005 to January 2012, these buses each bore the name of a person, place, or thing that played a role in the development of Westchester County.

Bus Number Named after
101 The Toonerville Trolley
102 Rosa Parks
103 Amelia Earhart
104 Ella Fitzgerald
105 Horace Greeley
106 John Jay
107 Old Bet
108 The Spy Catchers
109 Eliza A. Horton
110 General "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell
111 Michael Schwerner
112 Washington Irving
113 Chief Gramatan
114 The Dragon Coaster
115 Elisha Graves Otis

References

External links

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