http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit/2016/08/01/westchester-new-bee-line-buses/87924304/
Westchester legislators OK new Bee-Line buses
Matt Coyne, mcoyne@lohud.com 5:17 p.m. EDT August 1, 2016
The $9.98 million bond act pays for approximately 33 new, articulated hybrid buses to serve Central Avenue routes
(Photo: JOURNAL NEWS FILE PHOTO)
It took two recesses and some squabbling over punctuation, but the Bee-Line's Central Avenue routes are going to be getting new buses. Two measures at the Westchester County Board of Legislators related to a $9.98 million bond act that would see the county spring for approximately 33 new, articulated hybrid buses to serve the system's busiest routes passed unanimously Monday. But they did so only after legislators worked out exactly how to structure a sentence in the bond act that would mandate the new buses to have driver safety shields.
Legislator and infrastructure committee Chairwoman Mary Jane Shimsky, a Hastings-on-Hudson Democrat, initially moved to add language to the bond act that would read "including driver safety shields and external bicycle racks, where practicable." But Catherine Parker, D-Rye City, and Ken Jenkins, D-Yonkers, questioned the "where practicable" part, with Parker suggesting the driver safety shields — clear barriers separating drivers from would-be assailants — be mandatory and that the amended language be rewritten to reflect that. After going into two brief recesses, and a discussion on where the "where practicable" clause should be placed, legislators eventually settled on "shall include driver safety shields; and where practicable given existing safety concerns, bicycle racks."
The spending includes $2.4 million in federal funding for the new buses, which will replace the 14-year-old diesel buses that currently carry more than two-thirds of all Bee-Line riders. The federal government will also foot the bill for battery replacement. Last year, the county approved an $8.2 million bond to replace between 35 and 40 articulated buses, those with the accordion-like connectors, on non-Central Avenue bus lines.
This county had explored the idea of fully electric buses, but driving range was a concern.
“Hybrids certainly are (doable). The technology is good. We’re going to move forward with those," Shimsky said at Monday's meeting. “This is part of a regularized replacement to make sure that our transit system on one of our busiest routes is functioning properly.”