Report Blasts County's 'Cozy' Arrangement With Bee-Line Contractor

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — The Bee-Line bus system has its share of detractors, but a public transit watchdog group sheds some light on why in a new report critical of the very foundation of Westchester County's public transportation system.

Tri-State Transportation Campaign’s report brings together the latest available data on the Bee-Line Bus System’s performance, highlights industry best practices and recommends how to deliver better service for Westchester County bus riders.

This week, at the White Plains TransCenter, members of Tri-State Transportation Campaign, standing alongside Bee-Line bus riders, and representatives from TransitCenter and the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, unveiled the group’s latest report, "Bidding for a Better Bee-Line: Bringing Westchester’s Bus System into the Future."

Bus riders, community organizations and elected officials spoke about the Bee-Line in terms of infrequent, unreliable and inaccessible service. The advocates called on Westchester County to do more for bus riders.

The service provider, Liberty Lines Transit, must be held accountable before their contract is renewed in December 2023, according to the report.

"One truth that remains constant is that public funds must be used appropriately and efficiently," said Talia Crawford, report co-author, and Campaign Organizer for Tri-State Transportation Campaign. "As outlined in our report, the changes to the procedural framework of contracting, bidding, and oversight can result in a better Bee-Line for Westchester County’s nearly one million residents."

Following the expiration of Liberty Lines Transit’s contract with Westchester County in December 2023, TSTC predicts three potential outcomes:

• Westchester County keeps Liberty Lines as its primary bus service operator with no changes to the contract, and Liberty Lines continues providing mediocre service for another five years;
• Westchester County pursues a competitive bidding process, which forces Liberty’s pricing and efficiency to compete with the open market, but still ultimately awards Liberty Lines with a new contract because they objectively offer the best bid. However, there are new stipulations in the contract, including new performance measures and penalties, keeping Liberty Lines more accountable for the service they are providing;
• Westchester County pursues a competitive bidding process and awards a new contract, with new performance measures and penalties, to an operating company other than Liberty Lines Transit.

According to the report's authors, the lack of substantial incentives and disincentives for the contractor, is not only an inconvenience for commuters who rely on the Bee-Line, but for those with disabilities, the current system can too often leave those with special transportation needs out in the cold.

"People With Disabilities are too often not part of the decisions made for them, they are not invited to the table — this applies to housing, employment, transportation, and decisions that affect their quality of life," Director of Westchester Disabled On The Move Maria Samuels explained. "This transportation study might be a big step forward for our County’s nondisabled, but we must add the voice of the disability community into the conversation. We, too, need to get to work on time, to church, to shop, to medical appointments, to go to restaurants, and many of us fully rely on public transportation, including paratransit, to get around. And our transportation needs often differ from the rest of the population. I hope we still have an opportunity to become part of the decision and not just be affected by it."

The report finds that fixing Bee-Line's issues could go a long way towards making other public transpiration options in the region more accessible, including the Westchester County Aiport and Metro-North Railroad.

"Metro-North riders around Westchester and beyond depend on Bee-Line buses to travel around the region. Bee-Line provides crucial first- and last-mile connections to Metro-North stations around Westchester, helping tens of thousands of riders get where they need to go every day without driving," MTA Board Member, and Chair of the Metro-North Railroad Commuter Council said. "Better Bee-Line service would mean faster, more equitable, and more reliable transit for riders around the region — including by making Metro-North a more accessible option for Westchester residents who live farther from Metro-North stations. Riders deserve a bus network they can depend on with seamless connections, more frequent service, and better reliability, and TSTC's recommendations will help make 'a better Bee-Line' a reality."

The report offered a series of recommendations for making Bee-Line’s operators more accountable to tax payers and all of its bus riders.

• Review the Westchester County Mobility and Transit Plan to improve service and make the most out of the budget allocated toward its operations, and provide further details to clarify how the micro-transit zones and fare reciprocity program would work.
• Open up the RFP and create a more competitive bidding process for the 2024 BeeLine Operations contract.
• Write a new contract that is fair and protects the county by adding in key performance indicators to ensure the quality of service being delivered is up to standard, while removing several concerning stipulations that favor Liberty Lines.
• Create a stronger oversight body with sufficient staff such as experts and auditors to ensure that the operator is meeting their contract standards and meeting the needs of riders.
• Require more transparency and data behind the contract and operations of Liberty Lines, such as publishing key performance indicators.

"Westchester County residents suffer from inadequate bus service primarily because of the county government’s non-competitive, unaccountable contract with Liberty Lines," said David Bragdon, Executive Director of TransitCenter, a national research organization that has studied transit contracting. "Passively giving one private company a perpetual monopoly at public expense, with no meaningful oversight or performance measures, is totally contrary to national best practice in the transit industry. This cozy, unusual arrangement has saddled riders and taxpayers with an inefficient, stagnant bus service that fails to meet the needs of the public."

The transit advocates aren't without support within Westchester County government. While Liberty Lines has mostly been applauded by county officials, some elected representatives see an urgent need for more transparency.

"Mass transit could not be more important to this County than it is today," District 12 Representative for the Westchester County Board of Legislators MaryJane Shimsky said. "With a burning planet and an affordability crisis for housing and nearly everything else, Westchester County needs a transit system that will make commuting, shopping, participating in community activities and enjoying life convenient, affordable and time-efficient for its residents. The increased use of the Bee-Line buses during this year’s fare-free summer demonstrates that demand for mass transit exists in Westchester. Tri-State Transportation Campaign has been a staunch advocate for our mass transit users; and I look forward to incorporating their input into plans for improving our County’s mass transit system."