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  Westchester County launches extensive study of its transit operations.
  
  

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Westchester County Launches Bee-Line Study

The Westchester County Department of Transportation has begun a thorough study of its entire transit operation and of every Bee-Line route. The County hopes the study will identify opportunities for saving money while increasing ridership and providing more service. The study comes in the midst of concerns about tighter funds from federal, state, and local sources. Federal operating subsidies have been eliminated, while New York State and Westchester County budgets have more competitors vying for pieces of the pie.

A drop in available dollars has put pressure on the Bee-Line to maximize its operating efficiencies and look closely at how it serves the needs of the County's 875,000 citizens. Bee-Line covers a 450 square mile area with 361 vehicles, ranging from standard transit buses to articulated high capacity buses, commuter coaches, and 18-passenger vans.

The County also operates a 54-vehicle paratransit system. While that program will not be studied directly as part of this effort, the County does want to identify the operating and financial implications for the paratransit system of any recommended Bee-Line System changes that emerge from the study.

The study will analyze data collected during May and June of 1998 by a consulting firm hired by the County's Department of Transportation. At that time, the firm took "on/off" counts for every stop, every trip, and every route in the Bee-Line System. In addition to the counts, the firm conducted an on-board survey of 6,000 Bee-Line passengers to assess customer satisfaction, preferences, attitudes, and demographics for each route.

The study will also look at how the Bee-Line System, New York's largest independent transit operation, fits into the regional transit system. It will look at options for additional regional cooperation both with MTA and other independent operators.

"Bee-Line buses carry more than 100,000 riders a day and have become an essential part of the economic and social infrastructure of Westchester," said County Executive Andy Spano recently. "We need to make sure that we provide the best possible service in the most efficient practical manner for those who depend on it, those who benefit from it and those who pay for it."

The County has hired the consultant team of SG Associates, Abrams-Cherwony & Assoicates, Mundle & Associates, Inc., and Oram Associates to undertake the analysis. A final report is expected by the end of the year.

For more information, contact John Murray at Westchester DOT at (914) 285-4863.