Bee-Line Bus System

Bee-Line Bus System

File:Bee-Line System Logo.png
#613, a 2006 Orion V 05.501, operates on the #13 line in Port Chester.
Parent	Westchester County Department of Transportation
Founded	1978
Headquarters	100 East 1 Street Mt. Vernon, NY 10550
Locale	Westchester County, New York
Service area	Westchester County and the northern Bronx County
Service type	Local, express, bus-to-rail shuttle buses
Routes	63
Fleet	362
Daily ridership	55,000
Operator	Liberty Lines Transit, Inc. (all except 16, 18, and 76) P T L A Enterprise (16 and 18) County Coach Corporation (Route 76)
Chief executive	Lawrence Salley
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 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 and 18 are run by Peekskill-based P T L A Enterprise and Route 76 run by County Coach Corporation in Rye. 2003 ridership for Bee-Line buses was 33.7 million.

Scope of service

Within Westchester

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

The system's 63 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 Hills 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 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.

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 ) from White Plains, Greenburgh and Yonkers along Central Park Avenue to Fifth Avenue in Manhattan (return trips operate on Madison Avenue within Manhattan).

Although Bee-Line does not identify their routes with a "W" prefix (eg. "W45"), a practice in line with MTA routes in New York City and Nassau County, riders may sometimes refer to routes in this fashion, especially in The Bronx. At one point, Bee-Line routes were identified in this fashion in prints of the Bronx Bus Map. [2] Current prints of the map now use "B-L" as a prefix, but bus stop signs in The Bronx continue to sign Westchester routes using the W. The MTA also continues to use the format, albeit sparingly.

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, the #12 line (Yorktown-Purchase-White Plains) briefly enters Connecticut along King Street, and follows the same practices. The entire fleet has been equipped with fareboxes accepting MetroCards. The BxM4C fare decreased to US$5.00, on par with other MTA express buses. ^[3] MetroCard has been accepted on Bee-Line since April 1 2007.

Fares

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.

Route	Full fare	Senior/disabled fare	Transfer All transfers good for 2 hours	7-day unlimited ride MetroCard	14-day unlimited ride MetroCard	30-day unlimited ride MetroCard
All except BxM4C	$2.00	$1.00	Cash: Valid on MTA Bus local buses, NYCTA local, limited stop, and SBS buses, CT Transit, Tappan ZEExpress, or PART MetroCard: Free to other NYCTA, MTA Bus, or Bee-Line routes $3.00 for transferring to an MTA Bus express route or the BxM4C	$25.00 $12.50 with Reduced Fare ID	$47.00 $23.50 with Reduced Fare ID	$81.00 $40.50 with Reduced Fare ID
BxM4C	$5.00	$2.50 (Off peak only)	Cash: No transfers available MetroCard: Valid on MTA, Bee-Line, or Atlantic Express	$41.00 Reduced fare not available	Not available	Not available
Note: Customers wishing to transfer to Tappan ZEExpress, CT Transit, I-Bus and Putnam Area Rapid Transit must ask for a paper transfer, even if paying with MetroCard.

Fleet

Active Fleet

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

Year	Make & model	Seating	Photo	Length & Width (feet x inches)		Powertrain (Engine & transmission or propulsion)	Numbers	Notes
1986	Motor Coach Industries 102A2	Suburban		40 x 102		Detroit Diesel 6V92TA and Allison HTB-748	901-928	Used on the BxM4C, 43, and 77 only.
1987	Motor Coach Industries 102A2	Suburban		40 x 102		Detroit Diesel 6V92TA and Allison HTB-748	929-936	Used on the BxM4C, 43, and 77 only.
1995	Orion Bus Industries 05.501	Transit		40 x 102		Detroit Diesel series 50 and Allison B-400R	401-450	Used county-wide.
1996	Orion Bus Industries 05.501	Transit		40 x 102		Detroit Diesel series 50 and Allison B-400R	451-484	Used county-wide.
2002	Neoplan USA AN460	Transit		60 x 102		Detroit Diesel series 60 and Allison B-500R	501-578	Used on heavier-use routes in southern and central Westchester County.
2002	Orion Bus Industries 05.505	101-107: Transit 108-115: Commuter		32 x 96		Detroit Diesel series 50 and Allison B-400R	101-115	Used on Shuttle Loop routes, bus-to-rail shuttles, and lower-use routes.
2005	Orion Bus Industries 05.505	116-132: Commuter 133-136: Transit		32 x 96		Detroit Diesel series 50 and Allison B-400R	116-136	Used on Shuttle Loop routes, bus-to-rail shuttles, and lower-use routes.
2005	Coach & Equipment Phoenix with Ford chassis	Commuter		25 x 91		Navistar VT365 and Allison 2000	301-318	Used on Shuttle Loop routes, bus-to-rail shuttles, and Routes 18 and 76. 302-304 modified with luggage racks for use on the Airlink Express.
2006	Orion Bus Indstries 05.501	Transit		40 x 102		Cummins ISM and Allison B-400R	601-704	Used county-wide.
2006	Orion Bus Industries 07.501 (semi low floor electric hybrid)	Transit		40 x 102		Cummins ISB and BAE HybriDrive	201-204	Used in southern Westchester County.
2007	Coach & Equipment Phoenix with Ford chassis	Commuter		25 x 91		MaxxForce 7 and Allison 2000	319-320	Used on Shuttle Loop routes and bus-to-rail shuttles.
Total fleet of fixed-route and shuttle buses:							362

Past fleet

Year	Builder and model name	Length and Width (feet x inches)		Engine	Numbers	Retired	Notes
1978	GMC RTS-03 TH-7603	35 x 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 foot buses ordered by the Westchester County Department of Transportation.
1978	GMC RTS-03 TH-8603	40 x 96		Detroit Diesel 8V71N	107-188, 191-193	1996	Originally ordered for 6 operators and buses were delivered with wheelchair lifts. Only 40 foot buses ordered by the Westchester County Department of Transportation.
1983	MAN SG-310	60 x 102		MAN D2566 MLUM	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 x 102		Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	760-874	2007	These were Bee Line's last buses without wheelchair lifts.
1989	Flxible Metro-B 40102-6C	40 x 102		Cummins L10	875-879	2001	These were Bee Line's first buses with four-cycle engines.
1994	Startrans Supreme Senator	25 x 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 x 96		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 x 96		Navistar T444E	313-332	2004	These buses expanded the shuttle fleet.
1999	Startrans Supreme Senator	25 x 96		Navistar T444E	333-355	2005	These buses expanded the shuttle fleet, and were replacements for the first 11 shuttle vans.

Future Fleet

Year	Builder	Model	Length (ft)	Width (in)	Seating		Engine	Numbers	Notes
2008	Orion Bus Industries	05.501	40	102	Suburban		Caterpillar C9	Unknown	Replacements for the MCI 102A2s.
2009-2010	Unknown	Unknown	40	102	Transit		Caterpillar with diesel hybrid propulsion system	Unknown (95 buses ordered expected for year 2008-2009)	These buses would replace the 400 series buses currently on the roster.

External links

• Bee-Line Bus System
• Liberty Lines
• Bee-Line Roster as of 2002
• Westchester Bus and Bee-Line Yahoo Discussion Group