Short Line (bus company) explained

Short Line Bus
Parent:Coach USA
Founded:1922
Headquarters:66 Tetz Road, Chester, NY 10918
Locale:New York
Service Area:Greater New York, Southern Tier, Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes
Service Type:Local, intercity, contract, and charter bus service
Alliance:Trailways
(Route 96 only)
Routes:29
Hubs:PABT, Middletown, Monticello, Newburgh, and Binghamton
Stations:GWB Bus Terminal, PABT
Fleet:233 [1] [2] [3]

Short Line is a brand name for three different Coach USA companies, Hudson Transit Lines, Hudson Transit Corporation, and Chenango Valley Bus Lines that provide local, commuter and intercity bus service in lower New York State, primarily along the Route 17 and Southern Tier corridor. Coach USA acquired the companies in 1998.[4]

In June 2024, Coach USA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, blaming corporate impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has plans to sell its assets, and has planning to sell its Megabus and Avalon Transportation subsidiaries to Bus Company Holdings, a unit of the Renco Group.[5]

Service types

Short Line's service can be defined in several categories:

Local bus service

Short Line, under contract to Orange County, provides local bus service along the former Erie Main Line corridor along Route 17M.[6] ShortLine also owns local routes traveling along Routes 17K and 32 in Orange County, as well as local routes traveling onward from Middletown onward to Route 209, and to other towns along Route 17.

Commuter bus service

Within the New York metropolitan area, ShortLine operates commuter services along the Route 17 corridor, Interstate 84, Routes 208 and 32, and Rockland and Bergen (NJ Route 17) counties to New York City.

In addition, under contract to the New York State Department of Transportation and Rockland County Department of Public Transportation, ShortLine provides commuter bus service from Orange and Rockland Counties to White Plains and Tarrytown.[7]

Intercity bus service

Within and beyond the New York metropolitan area, ShortLine provides scheduled service to and from Long Island to the Southern Tier (via Middletown and Monticello) and service to and from major colleges and universities in the region, such as Cornell University, SUNY Alfred, Binghamton University, Ithaca College, and SUNY Albany, and intermediate points. The central hub for all of these routes is Binghamton, via Routes X178 and 495.

Route detail

Short Line provides service along 29 routes. Details are listed below for the full route only. Some schedules may serve only portions of the line, skip some stops, or may service multiple routes.

Unless noted, all service is provided using Coach USA-branded vehicles.

Bergen, Rockland, and Westchester County routes

RouteOutbound terminalViaInbound terminalNotes

Northern District-Nanuet (W59)

Nanuet
Exit 14 P/R and Hamlets
ExpressNew York
Midtown or Wall Street
  • Peak service only; route subsidized by Rockland County.

Northern District-Bergen County

Mahwah
Ramapo College
Route 208, Wyckoff, OaklandPort Authority Bus Terminal
  • Peak service only.
  • Local passengers in New Jersey are not carried on this line.

17G

RamseyWyckoff Avenue, Franklin Turnpike
  • Peak service only.

17RG

Mahwah
Ridge Gardens
Franklin Turnpike (Ho-Ho-Kus to Mahwah)
  • Peak service only

17SF/WY

SuffernRoute 17 to Mahwah
Orange Avenue to Suffern
  • WY trips via Ramapo College.
  • Select trips continue to/from 17M/MD service from Central Valley and Middletown.

17US

RamseyUpper Saddle River
  • Peak service only

Orange, Dutchess, Ulster and Pike County routes

These routes service the outer regions of the New York metropolitan area.

RouteTerminal AViaTerminal BNotes

Main Line
Trolley

MiddletownRoute 17MWoodbury Common Premium Outlets
  • Route owned by Orange County DOT.
  • Weekend trips extended to Harriman.
  • Service on this line uses TransitOrange vehicles.
  • Does not operate on major holidays.

17M/MD

Monroe, Goshen, Chester, Central Valley, Harriman, Tuxedo, Sloatsburg, SuffernPort Authority Bus Terminal
  • This route has a number of peak-service and short-turn variants:
  • 17C for service to Chester.
  • 17G for service terminating in Goshen.
  • In addition, most local trips continue to/from 17SF/WY in Bergen County.

X32N

RhinebeckPoughkeepsie, Newburgh, Woodbury Common

XPA84

HawleyHonesdale (PA), Port Jervis (NY), Middletown
  • Off-peak service extended to Honesdale.

X87M

MiddletownRoute 17/Thruway Express
  • Rush-hour only nonstop service.
700Newburgh or West PointThruway Express
  • Rush-hour only nonstop service.
Cornwall, West Point, Stony Point, Haverstraw, Suffern, Bergen County
Woodbury Common

208-GWB Eastside Commuter

MontgomeryWashingtonville, Monroe, Central ValleyNew York
George Washington Bridge, Harlem, and East Side
  • Route owned by the New York State DOT.
  • Does not serve Port Authority Bus Terminal.
  • Peak service only.

209

KerhonksonEllenville, Wurtsboro, Middletown, MonroePort Authority Bus Terminal

287
(Orange-Westchester Link)

MiddletownGoshen, Monroe, Central Valley White Plains
Platinum Mile
  • Route owned by the New York State DOT; fare is between $4.00 and $5.55 depending on distance.
  • Peak service only; alternate service available on Route 495.

L-9

NewburghCornwall, West Point, Highland Falls, Bear Mountain, SuffernPort Authority Bus Terminal

L-211

Routes 17K and 211Middletown
  • Local Orange County service

Beyond the New York metro area

These routes run primarily from the New York Metro area to points in the Southern Tier (Sullivan County and beyond), or service the Southern Tier of New York State exclusively.

RouteTerminal AViaTerminal BNotes

40

MonticelloPort Authority Bus TerminalBrooklyn
Midwood

52

MonticelloSouth Fallsburg, Woodbourne, Sullivan County Community CollegeLiberty

56

MonticelloMonticello Gaming & Raceway, White Lake, Bethel Woods Center for the ArtsVilla Roma
  • Operates mid-May thru mid-October.
  • No service Sunday & Monday.
  • Special Concert Excursions to Bethel Woods from New York City and other points available.

79

OleanAlfred State CollegeBinghamton

88

BinghamtonInterstate 88 corridorAlbany

L178

MonticelloWurtsboro, MiddletownPort Authority Bus Terminal

X178

Alfred State College or
Ithaca City Bus Terminal or
Cornell University
Binghamton, Monticello
  • Services from either Western New York end point may require a transfer in Binghamton.

179

BinghamtonDeposit, Hancock, Roscoe, Liberty, Monticello Gaming & RacewayMonticello

495

MonticelloMiddletown, Woodbury Common, Nanuet, White Plains, Queens Village, HempsteadPatchogue
  • Transfer to/from Southern Tier buses in Monticello.
  • Stops in Middletown for transfers to buses to Pike County, Route 17, Ellenville, and Kerkhonson.
  • Stops at Woodbury Common for transfers to Newburgh buses.
  • Express service for the Main Line route.

L-12

UticaColgate University, SUNY Morrisville, NorwichBinghamton
  • Feeder line into Route X178.

Incidents

On June 12, 2017, in New York City, a Hudson Transit Lines bus was involved in a crash in which driver Dave Lewis ran over and killed bicyclist Dan Hanegby, an Israeli-American athlete and cycling enthusiast.[8] The bus driver was arrested due to this incident, on a misdemeanor charge.[9]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.safersys.org/query.asp?searchtype=ANY&query_type=queryCarrierSnapshot&query_param=USDOT&original_query_param=NAME&query_string=13944&original_query_string=SHORTLINE%20BUS%20LINES SAFERSYS Hudson Transit Lines statistics
  2. http://www.safersys.org/query.asp?searchtype=ANY&query_type=queryCarrierSnapshot&query_param=USDOT&original_query_param=NAME&query_string=200615&original_query_string=HUDSON%20TRANSIT%20CORPORATION SAFERSYS Hudson Transit Corporation statistics
  3. http://www.safersys.org/query.asp?searchtype=ANY&query_type=queryCarrierSnapshot&query_param=USDOT&original_query_param=NAME&query_string=154670&original_query_string=CHENANGO%20VALLEY%20BUSLINES%20INC SAFERSYS Chenango Valley statistics
  4. Web site: 29504 - Decision. 2018-10-21.
  5. Web site: Coach USA files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. June 11, 2024. June 11, 2024. Bloomberg Law. en.
  6. http://www.coachusa.com/CoachUsaAssets/files/98/mainline.pdf Short Line: Orange County Main Line
  7. http://www.coachusa.com/CoachUsaAssets/files/98/owl.pdf Short Line: Orange-Westchester Link to Tarrytown & White Plains
  8. News: Chelsea Residents Warned City About Buses Using Side Streets Near Citi Bike Death. Gothamist. 2017-06-16. Whitford. Emma. 2017-06-16. en-US. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170617020124/http://gothamist.com/2017/06/16/hanegby_chelsea_citi_bike.php. 2017-06-17.
  9. News: Bus driver charged in first Citi Bike fatality. 2017-10-31. Rosenberg. Rebecca. New York Post. 2018-08-26. en-US.