Bee Line bus service...? (Albany, Pelham: buying a home, neighborhood, buying)

[BeccaG]

My husband and I are considering buying a home in Wykagyl. We are both commuters, and would love to avoid the hassle of driving to the train station. Can anyone provide insight on how the Bee Line service rates? Also - it seems that there are bus stops every block or 2. Are the rides painfully long with so many stops, or is it a reasonable ride?

Thanks!

[mijv]

I ride the Bee-Line buses as I am a non-driver (grew up in Brooklyn) and having taken public transportation when I lived upstate in Albany (very car-oriented), Bee-line really needs to improve. My main gripe is that the buses run so infrequently, even during rush hour so that if you miss your bus, expect to wait at least 30 minutes, if not closer to 45 min. for the next bus.

That said, once I am on the bus, its pretty much a smooth ride. The bus doesn't stop at every designated bus stop, only if someone is waiting there or someone presses the bell to get off.

If they ran more frequently during peak hours, I would be much happier with the service

[checkmatechamp13]

Originally Posted by BeccaG

My husband and I are considering buying a home in Wykagyl. We are both commuters, and would love to avoid the hassle of driving to the train station. Can anyone provide insight on how the Bee Line service rates? Also - it seems that there are bus stops every block or 2. Are the rides painfully long with so many stops, or is it a reasonable ride?

Thanks!

Here's a Bee-Line bus map.

Wykagyl is by the #45/45Q routes. If you're in the southern portion of the neighborhood, you may be able to walk from the #30 route.

The #45/45Q generally run every 30 minutes for most of the day (every 60 minutes on the weekends). The 45Q just has a couple of trips during rush hour, though. The 45 is the main route. See here

The #30 schedule is here. Service is also generally every 30 minutes on the weekdays, 60 minutes on the weekends (though this route doesn't run Sundays)

The #45 will probably be your primary route. For what it's worth, it continues on to Pelham Bay Park, where you can connect to the (6) train (which is cheaper than Metro-North), but you probably wouldn't want to do that commute every day.

Basically, you just have to try and time yourself for a specific bus. From what I've heard, the Bee Line buses are generally fairly reliable, but the problem is that if you miss one, you'll probably be waiting a good 30 minutes for the next one.

The fare is $2.25 (it'll be $2.50 in March, though). A UniTicket with the Metro-North costs something like $52 (so it's $52 plus the Metro-North price).