Westchester officials are cautiously optimistic that they may get the needed funding to implement free transfers between Westchester Bee Line buses and New York City subways.

If the funds are found, bus officials say they could have the free transfers operating by 2005.

That would likely prove a winner for Bee Line. Long Island Bus in Nassau County has seen steady ridership growth since the mid to late 1990s, and free transfers with subways in Queens has been an important part of the system’s attractiveness.

Indeed, Westchester County has about 50% morehouseholds without access to a motor vehicle than does Nassau, but only the same number of daily bus that Long Island Bus sees. Higher quality bus service and key features like free subway transfers could start to drive Westchester ridership up and promote a healthier system with more passengers, more fare revenue and more frequent service. A Journal News editorial that was skeptical about the plan did not consider these factors.

28% of Bee Line riders take the buses to Bronx subway stations. Those riders would see a one-way fare reduction from $3.75 ($1.75 Bee Line fare plus $2 NYC Transit fare) to $2. Such significant savings would more than likely bring a flood of new riders onto those routes, which is something Westchester and NYC Transit operations planners should consider if the MetroCard transfer goes forward.

To get Westchester fares in sync with NYC transit prices, single-ride Bee Line fares would rise 25-cents to $2, whether or not the rider is switching to a city subway. Westchester transportation boss Larry Salley told the Journal News he would reduce the monthly pass price from $75 to $70 as partial compensation. Westchester would also eliminate the 25-cent fare it charges from switching from one Bee Line bus to another.

To pay for the improvements and changes in fares, Salley says the county will need an additional $2.8 to $3 million a year to pay for the MetroCard service. State legislators from Westchester have been pushing Albany for an additional $9 to $10.3 million for the entire bus system, to bring the Westchester buses up to the funding level of Long Island bus. v