Last Updated on Friday, 03 February 2012 18:27

The Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) passed a resolution yesterday protesting the application of Liberty Lines Transit, Inc., for service modifications of the Route 13 bus line during a meeting of the BOL’s Government Operations Committee.

The committee vote was 6-1, with Legislator Michael Smith (R-Valhalla) being the lone nay.

The approved resolution focuses on County Executive Rob Astorino’s abrupt cancellation of the Route 76 bus line service between Port Chester and Milton Point in Rye on December 27, 2011, during a week when many were taking a winter vacation between Christmas and New Year’s.

There were no public hearings held on the subject.

County Executive Astorino has decided circumvent two recent BOL veto overrides through actions that are in complete disregard of the laws of the County Charter.

On December 22, just days before Astorino summarily axed the bus line service, the BOL had voted to override the County Executive’s veto of $243,436 of spending in the 2012 County Budget for the Route 76 line. Yesterday, the County Executive announced that “emergency actions” were needed to increase family share percentages of child care subsidy costs, even though the BOL appropriated the funding requested by the County Department of Social Services.

Spending on both the bus route and child care subsidies did not increase the County tax levy.

“Since its inception in 1969, the mass transit system for passenger bus service with Westchester County has received strong support from the Board of Legislators, and we’re not backing down on this important commitment to our residents,” said Ken Jenkins (D-Yonkers). “People need the buses to go to work, shop and travel to doctor appointments. Mass transportation is safe and economical. In a county-wide system, busier routes help support and pay for the routes with fewer riders.

Last month, a number of concerned residents joined Westchester County Legislator Judy Myers (D-Larchmont) to call for immediate restoration of the Route 76 bus line service.

The new Route 13 bus line, with its modifications, is already being operated, contrary to laws in the County Charter that require bus route franchise modifications to be approved by the BOL. The modifications, however, do not meet the needs of many residents, businesses, employees, and senior citizens in Rye, Port Chester, and elsewhere who depend on the bus service on a daily basis.

The newly approved resolution being taken up by the BOL tomorrow stands as a formal protest to Liberty Lines’ application to the New York State Department of Transportation for new service and deviation of the Route 13 bus line and seeks the BOL’s participation in the case. The resolution will come up for full BOL approval at its next regular meeting on Monday, February 13.