Bee-Line Bus System

The Westchester County Bee-Line System, often called the bee-line System, is a bus service that helps people travel around Westchester County, New York. It is owned by the county’s Department of Public Works and Transportation. This means the local government takes care of it.

This bus system is very important because it gives people an easy way to get around without needing a car. Many people use it every day to go to work, school, or visit friends and family.

Buses with the Bee-Line logo can be seen all over the county, making it simple for everyone to find their way. The system works hard to make sure people can travel safely and comfortably.

History

The Bee-Line Bus System started on May 1, 1978. It was created when the Westchester County Department of Transportation brought together thirteen private bus companies. They took control of the buses, fares, routes, and services. By the 1980s, people were unsure who was running the buses. On May 19, 1987, the bus service was officially named "The Bee-Line System" and got a fun 'bee-in-flight' mascot drawn by cartoonist Jack Davis.

Today, the Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation works with two private bus companies to run the buses. Liberty Lines Transit, Inc., based in Yonkers, is the main company and runs most of the bus routes. A smaller company, P.T.L.A. Enterprise, Inc. from Cortlandt Manor, runs buses on routes 16, 18, and 31.

Scope of service

Most Bee-Line buses run every day of the year. Before 2024, they did not run on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Starting in 2025, they will run limited service on these holidays.

Within Westchester

Main article: List of bus routes in Westchester County

The Bee-Line has 64 routes, mostly in the southern part of Westchester County. Cities like Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, and Yonkers have many buses. White Plains is a central hub where many routes meet at the TransCenter.

In northern Westchester, there are fewer buses, mostly near places like Mount Kisco, Ossining, and Peekskill. Some areas like Lewisboro, North Salem, and Pound Ridge only have special buses for people who can't drive. During school, there are extra buses for students. Almost all parts of Westchester have service during busy times of the day.

Outside Westchester

Because Westchester touches the Bronx in New York City, many Bee-Line buses go into the Bronx. They connect Westchester residents to MTA New York City Transit buses and subways. There is even a special fast bus, the BxM4C, that goes from White Plains, Greenburgh, Hartsdale, Scarsdale, and Yonkers to Manhattan.

Bee-Line buses mostly only pick up and drop off passengers in the Bronx, not for travel only within the Bronx. Some routes, like Routes 40, 41, 42, and 43, run along White Plains Road north of the Wakefield – 241st Street subway stop. Route 45 serves Pelham Bay Park, Pelham Bay and Split Rock Golf Course, and the Bartow-Pell Mansion. Route 54 runs on Mundy Lane near the border of the Bronx and Mount Vernon. Routes 60 and 61 travel along US Route 1 in the Bronx.

Route 12 goes into Greenwich, Connecticut, stopping in Greenwich and Rye Brook, New York. Route 16 goes into Putnam County to serve Mahopac Village Centre. Route 77 also goes into Putnam County along US Route 6 between Mahopac and Carmel.

Fares

See also: New York City transit fares

All fares require exact change, OMNY, or MetroCard. Transfers are free when you pay the fare. Dollar bills are not accepted on any Bee-Line System buses.

Bee-Line Bus started accepting MetroCard in 2007. The fare for one bus route changed from $7 to $5. The regular fare was $2 for MetroCard, and $1.75 if paid in cash. After this, dollar bills, passports, and ticket books were no longer accepted for fare payment. In 2019, it was announced that the Bee-Line bus fare system would be updated to the OMNY fare system between 2021 and 2022, replacing MetroCard. OMNY has not been installed as of May 2025, but it is expected to be installed between 2025 and 2026. MetroCard continued to be used until 2026. Even though MetroCard sales stopped on December 31, 2025, OMNY fare payments on the Bee-Line system only started on January 4, 2026. During this time, passengers used cash or their remaining MetroCard balance for fare payment. The Reduced-Fare MetroCard Program will also change over to OMNY.

For certain times during the summer and winter of 2022, the buses did not require fares. During the summers of 2023 and 2024, buses did not require fares until Labor Day.

Fleet

As of 2025, the Bee-Line System had 325 buses. These include diesel, hybrid, and electric buses. All buses can be used by people in wheelchairs. Paratransit vehicles are not included.

In February 2020, plans were announced to add more buses. This included hybrid-electric buses and smaller hybrid buses, plus electric buses. The goal was to have all buses running on electric or hybrid technology by 2025. More electric buses are planned to be added between 2021 and 2025.

Fleet numbers	Year	Photo	Manufacturer	Model	Length	Width	Engines	Transmission
116–136	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	2008			Orion V 05.501	40 ft (12 m)	102 in (2.6 m)	Cummins ISL
205-299	2009		North American Bus Industries	NABI 40-LFW HEV			Cummins ISL9	Allison EP40 Hybrid System
301–378	2018–2020		New Flyer Industries	Xcelsior XDE60 articulated	60 ft (18 m)		Cummins L9	BAE Systems HDS300 hybrid system
100–106	2023			Xcelsior XDE35	35 ft (11 m)		Cummins B6.7	BAE Systems HDS200 hybrid system
141–144	2021			Xcelsior XE35			Siemens HV1DB2016	Siemens ELFA2
145–146	2021			Xcelsior XE40	40 ft (12 m)
398–503	2021–2022			Xcelsior XDE40			Cummins L9	BAE Systems HDS200 hybrid system
504–515	2023–2024