BEE-LINE BUS SYSTEM

The 'Bee-Line Bus System' is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the county's Department of Transportation and operated, on contract (except for three routes), by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc. The current existence of Bee-Line dates back to the late 1970s when thirteen private providers began running a unified system under the aegis of Westchester County with Liberty Lines either buying out or obtaining franchises for the other twelve. The three routes not run by Liberty Lines, Routes 16, 18, and 78, are run by Peekskill-based Peekskill Transit Incorporated and Route 76 run by Port Chester-Rye Transit. 2003 ridership for Bee-Line buses was 33.7 millionGreater New York mass transit ridership statistics, 2003, accessed January 6, 2007

Contents

Scope of service

Within Westchester

Outside Westchester

2005 Strike

Fares

Retired Fleet

Active Fleet

References

External links

Scope of service

Within Westchester

Main articles: List of bus routes in Westchester County, New York

The system's 64 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 more populated areas such as Peekskill, Ossining, or Mount Kisco. 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 in the county (all located at the southern end), are also well served. All but the county's smallest, most rural communities have at least rush hour service.2005 Bee Line Service Area map

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 line in The Bronx is served by at least one Bee-Line route. The Bee-Line System also operates an express route BxM4C (also known as Route 28Typology of Senior Transportation Services in Westchester County) from White Plains, Greenburgh and Yonkers along Central Park Avenue to Fifth Avenue in Manhattan (return trips operate on Madison Avenue within Manhattan).
While Bee-Line service is largely used by Westchester residents, passengers are allowed to use buses for trips wholly within The Bronx as well. In addition, route 12 (Yorktown-Purchase-White Plains) briefly enters Connecticut, and follows the same practices.2005 Bee Line Service Area map The entire fleet has been equipped with fareboxes accepting MetroCards. The BxM4C (Route 28) fare decreased to US$5.00, on par with other MTA express buses. ^[1] MetroCard has been accepted on Bee-Line since April 1.MetroCard coming to Bee Line

2005 Strike

On March 3 2005, employees of Liberty Lines went on strike three days after their contract with their union, the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) expired; the breaking point of the strike was employee demands regarding retirement age and benefits (Liberty Lines did provide a compromise on the former, albeit in trade for other benefit givebacks that the union did not accept). Service was suspended on all Bee-Line routes except for the non-Liberty 16, 18, and 78 as well as ParaTransit (a Bee Line service for the handicapped). The strike went for over a month.
On April 19, a tentative agreement was reached between Liberty Lines and the union; the next day, the striking union members met at the Portuguese-American Community Center in Yonkers and approved the settlement by a margin of 3 to 1. Bus service resumed Saturday April 23 with fares being waived for all riders through the end of May and March "Passports" being honored through the month of June. Ridership saw a near-doubling versus the prior year in the month of May and for the most part has had a noticeable increase since then^[1]

Fares

These are the fares for the Bee Line bus system.Bee Line System fares

Route	Fare No dollar bills accepted	Senior/disabled fare	Transfer All transfers good for 2 hours	7-day unlimited ride MetroCard	30-day unlimited ride MetroCard
'All except Route 28 (aka BxM4C) '	$1.75 (cash) $2.00 (MetroCard)	$0.85 (cash) $1.00 (Reduced fare Metro-Card)	'CASH':25¢ (10¢ for seniors and disabled) Transfers valid on MTA Bus, NYCTA, CT Transit, Tappan ZEExpress, or PART ---- 'METROCARD': Free, valid on Bee Line and MTA $3.00 to an MTA express bus or Route 28 (BxM4C)	$24.00 $12.00 with Reduced Fare ID	$76.00 $38.00 with Reduced Fare ID
'Route 28 (BxM4C) '	$5.00	$2.50	'CASH':No transfers available ----- 'METROCARD':Valid on MTA, Bee-Line, or Atlantic Express	$41.00 Reduced fare not available	Not available

★ NOTE: MetroCard customers wishing to transfer to CT Transit or Transport of Rockland services must ask for a paper transfer.

Retired Fleet

Year	Builder	Model	Length (ft)	Width (in)	Seating		Engine	Numbers	Retired	Notes
1978	'GMC'	RTS-03 TH-7603	35	96	Transit	(originally had lifts)	Detroit Diesel 6V71N	101-106 189-190 194-205	1996	Originally ordered for 11 operators. These buses were delivered with wheelchair lifts, but they were later removed.
1978	'GMC'	RTS-03 TH-8603	40	96	Transit	(originally had lifts)	Detroit Diesel 6V71N	107-188 191-193	1996	Originally ordered for 6 operators. These buses were delivered with wheelchair lifts, but they were later removed.
1983	'MAN'	SG-310	60	102	Transit		MAN	601-661	2002	These were Bee Line's first articulated buses and were used throughout southern Westchester County.
1989	'Flxible'	Metro-B 40102-6T	40	102	Transit		Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	760-874	2007	These were Bee Line's last buses without wheelchair lifts. This fleet fully retired in July 2007.
1989	'Flxible'	Metro-B 40102-6C	40	102	Transit		Cummins L10	875-879	2001	These were Bee Line's first buses with four-cycle engines.
1994	'Startrans Supreme'	Senator	25	96	Transit		Navistar T444E	301-310	1999	These buses were the first buses for rail-to-bus commuter shuttle loop routes. These were also Bee Line's first buses to have wheelchair accessibility for the duration of their lives.
1994	'Orion'	02.501	26	96	Transit		Navistar T444E	311	2000	This bus would be the only Orion 2 ever ordered. It was used on bus-to-rail shuttles.
1997	'Startrans Supreme'	Senator	25	96	Transit		Navistar T444E	313-332	2004	These buses expanded the shuttle fleet.
1999	'Startrans Supreme'	Senator	25	96	Transit		Navistar T444E	333-355	2005	These buses expanded the shuttle fleet, and were replacements for the first 11 shuttle vans.

Active Fleet

Year	Builder	Model	Length (ft)	Width (in)	Seating		Engine	Numbers	Notes
1986	'MCI'	102A2	40	102	Suburban		Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	901-928	These buses are primarily for the 17, 28[BxM4C], and 77 routes, and were Bee Line's first 102-inch wide buses. These buses will fully retire in the Winter of 2008.
1987	'MCI'	102A2	40	102	Suburban		Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	929-936	These buses are primarily for the 17, 28[BxM4C], and 77 routes. These buses will fully retire during the Winter of 2008.
1995	'Orion'	05.501	40	102	Transit		Detroit Diesel series 50	401-450	These buses are used throughout the county. Replacements for the RTS buses.
1996	'Orion'	05.501	40	102	Transit		Detroit Diesel series 50	451-484	Replacements for the RTS buses.
2002	'Neoplan'	AN460	60	102	Transit		Detroit Diesel series 60	501-578	These buses replaced the MAN artics, and expanded the articulated bus fleet.
2002	'Orion'	05.505	32	96	Transit		Detroit Diesel series 50	101-115	These buses replaced the 1997 Startrans Supreme vans. These buses also run later service on the 12 and 19 lines, and provide the bulk of service on Routes 9, 23, 66 and 78. These are also shuttle buses.
2005	'Orion'	05.505	32	96	Transit		Detroit Diesel series 50	116-136	These buses expanded the shuttle fleet, and replaced the 1999 Startrans Supreme fleet. These buses also run on Routes 12, 16, and 19.
2005	'Coach & Equipment'	Phoenix	25	96	Transit		Navistar VT365	301-318	These buses helped to expand the shuttle fleet, and also run on Routes 18 and 76. 301-304 are equipped with luggage racks for use on the 79 Airlink route.
2006	'Orion'	05.501	40	102	Transit		Cummins ISM	601-704	These buses are the replacements for the Flxible Metro-Bs.
2006	'Orion'	07.501	40	102	Transit		Cummins ISB BAE HybriDrive	201-204	These buses are Bee Line's very first low floor buses, and first ever diesel-electric hybrid buses, used in southern Westchester County.
2007	'Orion'	07.501	40	102	Transit		Cummins ISB BAE HybriDrive	205-250 (Delivery expected for Fall 2007)	These buses are similar to the 2006 low floor hybrid electric buses and will be used to expand the Orion Fleet. Expect for delivery for late Fall 2007 to early winter 2008 replacing the Flxible and some 1996 Orion 5.501 fleet.
2007	'MCI'	D4000CL	40	102	Suburban		Caterpillar C13Bee Line D4000 specs	351-388 (Delivery expected for Fall 2007)	These buses will replace the MCI 102A2s.

References

1. Ridership increases post-strike

External links

★ Bee-Line Bus System

★ Liberty Lines

★ Bee-Line Roster as of 2002

★ Westchester Bus and Bee-Line Yahoo Discussion Group