Good News for Riders & Taxpayers
By Dan Murphy
Westchester residents and commuters without a car who use the Liberty Lines bus service to get to work and to travel around the country got good news when County Executive George Latimer traveled to Liberty Lines headquarters in Yonkers to announced that a new five-year extension has been reached for the bus company to continue to provide the same, high-quality service to the people of Westchester.
The partnership between Liberty Lines and Westchester County government includes multi-million dollars in savings over the next few years.
“The deal we are approving will save Westchester County taxpayers $20 million over a five-year span,” said Latimer. “When my administration took office Jan. 1, we had on the table the willingness to negotiate a new contract. This negotiation back and forth between the county and the company – which both sides were able to agree upon – has a definite benefit. We talk a lot about the deficit we are facing in Westchester County, and the government and taxpayers owe a debt of gratitude to Liberty Lines for their flexibility in being willing to help close that gap.”
Liberty Lines provides 27 million rides every year on 58 routes throughout the county, while also providing express bus service from Westchester to Manhattan. Earlier this year, Liberty Lines was graded “good” or “excellent” by 68 percent of its riders – a positive rating for a public transit system.
The deal, which runs through 2023, was reached with the county paying $13 million less to Liberty Lines and an additional savings of $7 million from insurance costs, by changing insurance providers from AIG to New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal, a not-for-profit entity. There will be no changes to the bus service provided by Liberty Lines and the county, and no cuts to routes or services.
The county and Liberty Lines will also look to find fuel cost savings, according to Latimer.
Board of Legislators Chairman Ben Boykin said: “This is an outstanding day for everyone in Westchester County. Bee-line bus service is an important lifeline for the people of Westchester – taking residents to and from work, the doctor and visiting friends and family. We are very pleased today to be able to stand here and say we negotiated this contact that is fair for the county, Liberty Lines and the people of Westchester.”
“We would like to thank County Executive George Latimer and his staff for working with us through this negotiation,” added Liberty Lines Board of Directors representative Bruce Bernacchia. “Liberty Lines is excited to build on its 53-year legacy of providing high-quality and reliable bus service to Westchester residents. We were pleased to work with County Executive Latimer to identify significant savings for Westchester taxpayers in this contract while maintaining service. We are also grateful for his steadfast support of our 700 employees, most of whom live in Westchester. We look forward to continuing to provide this critical service to Westchester County.”
For those of us who, at one time or another, did not have a car to drive around Westchester, Liberty Lines has been a blessing. For the most part, its buses arrive on time and on schedule, and the drivers are responsible and courteous. Even in difficult weather, the blue county buses take you to your destination. Liberty Lines also helps transport many high school students in Yonkers, Mount Vernon, and elsewhere in the county.
The company is an indispensable part of the middle- and lower-middle-class in Westchester, and Latimer was correct in moving forward and continuing its service to the people who need it on a daily basis. Latimer was also correct when he ended the press conference by reminding Westchester residents that bus service in the county, and the partnership between Liberty Lines and county government, is “an example of working properly.”
