Bee-Line Real-Time

Bee-Line Real Time is a tool developed with our riders in mind. Its function is to help you determine when your bus is going to arrive at a bus stop based on the current location of the bus and current traffic conditions.  Here are some frequently asked questions that we hope will help you understand and use the app.

How do I access Bee-Line Real-Time?

• Bee-Line Real-Time is available on mobile devices using the Google Maps App.
• It can also be accessed on any Internet browser by going to www.google.com/maps on a desktop or laptop computer.

I don’t know if I have Google Maps on my mobile device. How do I obtain Google Maps?

• Google Maps can be found on your mobile device by locating the icon.
• If you can’t locate the icon, you'll need to download Google Maps using Google Play or Apple’s App Store.

How is Bee-Line Real-Time information displayed for my trip?
There are two ways that Bee-Line Real-Time information can be displayed on Google Maps:

• Arrival times for a specific Bee-Line bus stop
• Arrival times for a specific Bee-Line trip planned by entering starting and ending points

How do I view Bee-Line Real-Time arrival times at a specific Bee-Line bus stop?

• First, be sure to correctly enter your direction.
• In Google Maps, click or tap on the bus stop icon. This will generate the name of the bus stop.
  • On a computer, click “departure board” A list of upcoming trips for all routes serving the stop will be displayed.
  • On a mobile device, tap on the bus stop name to generate a list of the routes that stop at this location.
  • Click on the routes to generate the departure board.

How do I view Bee-Line Real-Time arrival times for a specific Bee-Line trip planned using Google Maps?
Times will be listed in green. Follow the instructions below to generate the  Bee-Line Real-Time arrival for your trip.

• Locate the directions icon (A blue diamond with a white arrow), and click/tap on it.
• Enter your starting point and destination address
• Click/Tap on the transit icon.
• Enter your departure time if you are looking for a trip at a future time
• Click “options” to change your preferred mode to “bus,” and indicate if you prefer the best route, fewer transfers, or less walking.
• View the options for using Bee-Line to make your trip. Trip options may include various route options accessible from different nearby bus stops.
• Don’t forget to take into account the time it takes to walk to the bus stop. Google includes walking time  in the directions.

There are many bus routes that stop at my bus stop. How do I know which bus to board and if it is headed in the correct direction?

• On a computer: Select “Details” to obtain the step-by-step directions, including
  
  • walking directions to/from bus stops for the specific trip being planned
  • the precise destination sign on the front of the corresponding bus you should board
  • the stop ID listed on the Ride Guide at the bus stop.
• On a mobile device:
  • Tap on the preferred trip option.
  • The precise destination sign - on the front of the corresponding bus you should board - will appear next to the route number.

How far in advance of the predicted arrival of a bus should I arrive at a bus stop?

• Due to constantly changing traffic conditions and other factors, the predicted times vary minute to minute.
• It is recommended that passengers arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is indicated to arrive.

How far in advance of a trip can I use Bee-Line Real-Time?

• Bee-Line Real-Time was developed to reflect real-time status for trips 45 minutes into the future.
• The most accurate results will be within 10 minutes of your scheduled trip time.

Why are some trip times displayed in green while others are in black?

• Green indicates that the bus is currently transmitting real-time information.
• Bus activity more than 45 minutes later than the current time automatically defaults to the scheduled trip times.
• Black indicates that the bus is currently not transmitting real-time information and is showing the time the bus is scheduled to arrive.

Is Bee-Line Real-Time a substitute for Bee-Line timetables and Ride Guides?

• Passengers should always consult with a Bee-Line Timetable in addition to using Bee-Line Real-Time.
• As is common with all bus operators who use similar technology, instances will certainly occur wherein buses may not be captured in the Bee-Line Real-Time system or the real-time flow of information is temporarily not being transmitted.

The bus didn’t show up at the time generated by Bee-Line Real-Time. What happened?

• The technology used to generate real-time status is always going to be error-prone to some degree.
• Also, real-time predictions don’t begin to be calculated until after a bus departs from the first stop of its trip, so passengers boarding at or near the beginning of a bus route may see arrival times in Google based on the scheduled arrival rather than a real-time arrival.

Can I use my mobile device’s GPS/Location tools to enhance my Bee-Line Real-Time experience?
Using GPS and location tools on your mobile device will help you locate the bus stop on Google Maps to generate a Departure Board that includes Bee-Line Real-Time data.

Note: The County of Westchester is not responsible or liable for the accuracy of any information provided by Google Maps and does not validate any trip planning or real-time information provided. Refer to the Google Maps/Google Earth Terms and Conditions for the terms under which Google Maps is providing you with map data, traffic, directions and other content.

Always use caution accessing bus stops – neither Google nor Westchester County/the Bee-Line System guarantee that results will be free of errors or provide pedestrian amenities such as sidewalks and crosswalks.