Bee-Line Bus System

Bus system in Westchester County, New York

Westchester County Bee-Line System

New Flyer XDE60 #364 operates on Route 21 limited stops towards Bedford Park.

Parent| Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation
Founded| May 1, 1978
Headquarters| 100 East First Street, 9th Floor
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
Locale| Westchester County, New York
Service area| Westchester County, New York and Putnam County, New York; The Bronx and Manhattan in New York City; and Greenwich, Connecticut
Service type| Local, Limited, express, shuttle buses
Routes| 64
Fleet| 327 fixed route
91 paratransit
Daily ridership| 72,350 (2023)[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
(Mobico Group subsidiary)
(paratransit)

Chief executive| Hugh J. Greechan, Jr., P.E., Commissioner
Website| Bee-Line Bus System

The Westchester County Bee-Line 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.

## History

[edit]

The system 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 drawn by cartoonist Jack Davis.[2][3]

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

[edit]

The Cerrato Satellite Bus Facility in Valhalla

Most Bee-Line routes operate seven days a week. Before 2025, there was no service county-wide on two days of the calendar year, Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November), and Christmas (December 25).[4]

### Within Westchester

[edit]

Main article: List of bus routes in Westchester County

The system's 64 routes are mostly concentrated in the more urban southern portion of the county, with the cities of Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, and Yonkers receiving a high frequency of service. White Plains, the county seat and most centrally located city, is a major transportation hub with many routes converging on the city's TransCenter.

Service in the northern portion of Westchester is sparse and is concentrated near slightly populated areas such as Mount Kisco, Ossining, or Peekskill. Areas such as Lewisboro, North Salem, and Pound Ridge receive paratransit service only. During the school year, special bus routes also operate. All but the county's smallest, most rural communities have at least rush hour service.[5]

### Outside Westchester

[edit]

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 MTA New York City Transit buses and subways; at least one Bee-Line route connects to each subway route serving the Bronx. The Bee-Line System also operates an express route, the 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 the Bronx; appropriate MTA Regional Bus Operations service must be used instead). The only exceptions are:

* Routes 40, 41, 42 and 43, which run along White Plains Road north of the Wakefield – 241st Street subway terminal;
* Route 45, which serves the Pelham Bay Park subway terminal, the Pelham Bay and Split Rock Golf Course, and the Bartow-Pell Mansion;
* Route 54, which runs on Mundy Lane along the Bronx/Mount Vernon border, since no other bus routes travel entirely through these areas;
* Routes 60 and 61, which run along US Route 1 (East Fordham and Boston roads in the Bronx).

In addition, Route 12 briefly enters Greenwich, Connecticut along King Street, in which it makes stops in Greenwich and Rye Brook, New York along the New York/Connecticut border; Route 16 briefly enters Putnam County to serve the Mahopac Village Centre; and Route 77 enters Putnam County to serve the US Route 6 corridor between Mahopac and Carmel.[5]

## Fares

[edit]

See also: New York City transit 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.[6]

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, 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

| $34
$17 with Reduced Fare ID | $132
$66 with Reduced Fare ID
BxM4C | $7.50  | $3.75
(Off peak only) |

* No transfers accepted or issued

| No Unlimited-Ride MetroCards accepted
Notes:

* All customers transferring to Hudson Link, CT Transit's 971 or Route 311/311B, or Putnam Transit must use a paper transfer.
* There is a $1.25 "step-up" charge for customers transferring from CT Transit Route 311/311B to Bee-Line buses in Port Chester.
* For the BxM4C, off-peak is:
* first two and last two departures to Manhattan
* First departure and last four departures from Manhattan

Bee-Line Bus started accepting MetroCard on April 1, 2007.[7] The fare for the BxM4C went down from $7 to $5. The regular fare was $2 for MetroCard, and $1.75 if paid in cash. Dollar bills, passports, and ticket books were no longer accepted for fare payment after this date.[8] MetroCard Vans made stops on heavily used routes to help people get ready for the MetroCard.[9] On July 23, 2019, it was announced that the Bee-Line bus fare system on all buses would be upgraded to the OMNY fare system in 2021–2022, replacing the MetroCard. The Westchester County Department of Transportation states that "OMNY is targeted for introduction on the Bee-Line Bus System beginning in 2022 at the earliest." OMNY hasn't been installed as of May 2025[update], but is expected to be installed in 2025 to 2026. MetroCard will continue to be accepted by New York City Transit subways and buses and Bee-Line service until 2026, enabling Bee-Line passengers to have the option of using MetroCard or OMNY during the transition phase. By 2026, MetroCard will be discontinued and all Bee-Line passengers will then use OMNY. The Reduced-Fare MetroCard Program will also be converted over to OMNY.[10]

For certain periods during the summer and winter of 2022, the buses were fare-free.[11] During the summers of 2023 and 2024, buses were fare free until Labor Day.

## Fleet

[edit]

### Active fleet

[edit]

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

Fleet numbers  | Year  | Photo  | Manufacturer  | Model  | Length  | Width  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

116–136

(20 total)
(5 active) retiring

| 2005  |  | Orion Bus Industries | Orion V 05.505 | 32 ft (9.8 m)  | 96 in (2.4 m)  |

* Detroit Diesel Series 50 EGR
* Allison B400R

801–830

(30 total)
(19 active) retiring

| 2008  |  | Orion Bus Industries | Orion V 05.501 | 40 ft (12 m)  | 102 in (2.6 m)  |

* Cummins ISL
* Allison B400R

* Suburban-spec buses
* Last diesel Orion V buses produced.
* 102 in (2.6 m)

828–830 were retired in January 2012 and sent to Downeast Transportation & Shuttle-Bus Zoom in Maine, 829 went to Downeast Transportation as a parts bus

205–299

(95 total)
(all active)

| 2009  |  | North American Bus Industries | NABI 40-LFW HEV |

* Cummins ISL
* Allison EP40 Hybrid System

301–378

(78 total)
(all active)

| 2018–2020  |  | New Flyer Industries | Xcelsior XDE60 articulated | 60 ft (18 m)  |

* Cummins L9
* BAE Systems Hybridrive HDS300

* Replaced 2000–03 AN460.
* First Hybrid articulated buses in the fleet.

100–106  | 2023  |  | New Flyer Industries | Xcelsior XDE35 | 35 ft (11 m)  |

* Cummins B6.7
* BAE Systems Hybridrive HDS200

141–144

(4 total)
(all active)

| 2021–2022  |

| New Flyer Industries | Xcelsior XE35 | 35 ft (11 m)  |

* Siemens HV1DB2016
* Siemens ELFA2

* First electric buses in the fleet

145–146

(2 total)
(all active)

| 2021  |

| New Flyer Industries | Xcelsior XE40 | 40 ft (12 m)  |

* Siemens HV1DB2016
* Siemens ELFA2

398–503

(106 total)
(all active)

| 2021–2022  |  | New Flyer Industries | Xcelsior XDE40 |

* Cummins L9
* BAE Systems Hybridrive HDS200

504–515  | 2023–2024  |  | New Flyer Industries | Xcelsior XDE40 |

* Cummins L9
* BAE Systems Hybridrive HDS200

* Retired some 2008 Orion V Suburbans

### Past fleet

[edit]

Year  | Builder and
model name  | Length
(feet) | Width
(inches) |  | Numbers  | Year Last Retired  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1978  | General Motors Corporation
RTS-03 TH-7603  | 35  | 96  |  | 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  | 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  | 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.
* Replaced with 2000–03 AN460

1986–
1987  | Motor Coach Industries
102A2  | 40  | 102  | 901–936  | 2009  |

* Last non-accessible Bee-Line buses on the active roster.

1990  | Flxible
Metro-B 40102-6T  | 40  | 102  | 760–874  | 2007  |

* These were Bee Line's last buses without wheelchair lifts.

1990  | Flxible
Metro-B 40102-6C  | 40  | 102  | 875–879  | 2001  |
1994  | Startrans Supreme
Senator  | 25  | 96  |  | 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  | 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  | 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  | 401–484  | 2009  |

* Replacements for 1978 RTS stock.
* Replaced by North American Bus Industries 40LFW buses in 2009.
* Sold to the MTA.

1997  | Startrans Supreme
Senator  | 25  | 96  | 313–332  | 2004  |

* These buses expanded the shuttle fleet.

1999  | Startrans Supreme
Senator  | 25  | 96  | 333–361  | 2005  |

* These buses expanded the shuttle fleet, and were replacements for the first 11 shuttle vans.

2000–2003  | Neoplan USA
AN460 "Transliner" articulated  | 60  | 102  | 501–578  | 2020  |

* 501 was a 2000 model
* Replaced all Man SG310 buses
* Replaced by New Flyer XDE60 buses[12] between 2018 and 2020.
* 577 as the last unit
* 14 units sold to Virginia Alexandria Transit Company's DASH for use on the WMATA Yellow/Blue line shuttle bus service.[13]
* Option to order AN440 buses there 40 ft versions 601/602 test units until Neoplan announced a shutdown.

2002  | DaimlerChrysler
Orion 05.505  | 32  | 96  | 101–115  | 2012  |

* Replaced older shuttle vans.
* Retired without replacement with 2012 budget cuts in maintaining the fleet and were sold to the following transit agencies:
* 4 units were sold to Biddeford Saco Old Orchard Beach Transit.[14]
* 5 units were sold to Community Connector.[14]
* 2 units were sold to South Portland Bus Service.[14]
* 4 units were sold to Housatonic Area Regional Transit.[15]

2005  | Coach and Equipment
Phoenix  | 25  | 91  | 301–318  | 2010  |

* Replacements for the Startrans vans.
* Retired without replacement with 2010 service cuts.

2006  | Orion Bus Industries

07.501 (hev)

| 40  | 102  | 201–204  | 2022  |

* Replaced with XDE40's and XE40ng
* First hybrid buses

2006  | Orion Bus

Industries

05.501

| 40  | 102  | 601–704  | 2023  |

* Order was originally for 2005 AN440(oh) until Neoplan went bankrupt
* Replaced 1990 Flexible Metro B
* Replaced by XDE40 and XE40ng

2007  | Coach and Equipment
Phoenix  | 25  | 91  | 319–320  | 2010  |

* Retired without replacement with 2010 service cuts.

### Future fleet

[edit]

In February 2020, it was announced that Westchester County's Bee-Line Bus fleet would be expanding with 78 hybrid-electric 60-foot buses (all delivered by summer 2020), 106 hybrid-electric 40-foot buses and two 40-foot battery-electric buses – all built by New Flyer Industries – under a plan to have the entire transit bus fleet running on either fully electric or diesel-electric hybrid technology by 2025. As of July 2020, 106 40-foot diesel-electric buses and two 40-foot battery-electric are planned to be delivered between 2021 and 2025. Four 35-foot battery-electric buses are also planned to be delivered, totaling 6 battery-electric buses by 2025.[16][17][18]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Bee Line Bus System 2023 Annual Agency Profile" (PDF). Federal Transit Administration.
2. ^ "Variable Fares for Elderly & Handicapped Transit Riders: An Analysis of Westchester County" (PDF).
3. ^ Kriss, Gary (May 24, 1987). "Bus System Gets a Name And a Logo". The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
4. ^ "2025 Holiday Schedules" (PDF). transportation.westchestergov.com. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
5. ^ a b "Bee-Line System Map" (PDF). transportation.westchestergov.com. March 2025. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
6. ^ Fares and MetroCard
7. ^ "MTA NYC Transit MetroCard – Westchester Bee-Line Buses". mta.info. April 2007. Archived from the original on May 28, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2017.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
8. ^ "All About MetroCard in Westchester". westchestergov.com. April 2007. Archived from the original on August 31, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2017.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
9. ^ "MetroCard Van Schedule". westchestergov.com. April 2007. Archived from the original on September 1, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2017.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
10. ^ "OMNY/Bee-line". transportation.westchestergov.com. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
11. ^ "County Executive George Latimer Announces Free Rides on the Bee-Line Bus for the Holiday Season" (Press release). Westchester County. November 16, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
12. ^ Coyne, Matt (August 1, 2016). "Westchester Legislators OK New Bee-Line Buses". Lohud.
13. ^ Malouff, Dan (July 8, 2019). "DASH Is Running the First non-WMATA Articulated Buses in Washington Area Transit". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
14. ^ a b c "Community Buses Roll Into Maine". MaineDOT. January 24, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
15. ^ "Connecticut Public Transportation Commission" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 13, 2013. (97.9 KB)
16. ^ "Westchester Awarded $3M For Hybrid-Electric Buses From New York State". westchestergov.com (Press release). February 4, 2020.
17. ^ "Westchester County to Expand Its Electric Vehicle Fleet with $1.5M Grant from the US Department of Transportation". westchestergov.com (Press release). June 5, 2020.
18. ^ "Going Green: County Approves Nearly $4.5M Bond For Electric Buses". westchestergov.com (Press release). July 21, 2020.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bee-Line Bus System.

* Bee-Line Bus System
* Bee-Line Roster as of 2002

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