Families in Bronxville, Eastchester and Scarsdale who buy student bus passes face a $12-a-month price hike starting in September if Westchester County approves a proposed change to the Bee-Line student OMNY card. The monthly cost would rise from $58 to $70.
A public hearing on the proposal is Aug. 13 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at 148 Martine Ave., Fifth Floor, Conference Room 527, in White Plains. Written comments must be received by close of business Friday, Aug. 14.
The county's official hearing notice describes a two-part change. Students would gain expanded service: four trips per day, seven days a week, with the card valid for a full 12 months instead of only during the school year. In exchange, the price goes up roughly 21%.
The county frames the $70 monthly rate as a 50% discount based on a four-week month of equivalent standard OMNY fares, though it does not publish the full undiscounted calculation.
The last student fare adjustment was in 2015, making this the first proposed change in more than 11 years. The base Bee-Line fare rose from $2.75 to $3 in January 2026 when the system transitioned from MetroCard to OMNY, but the county treats that as separate from the student card pricing.
Budget backdrop
The fare proposal arrives in a tight fiscal year. County Executive Ken Jenkins signed the $2.5 billion 2026 budget in December 2025, cutting almost every department by 8% and eliminating 180 positions. Joan McDonald, the county's director of operations, said at the December budget signing that the cuts were made "without compromising Westchester County delivery of services."
No fiscal note or cost estimate for the expanded student benefit has been published. It remains unclear how the county plans to fund year-round, seven-day coverage while operating under across-the-board reductions.
Who's affected locally
Student OMNY cards are distributed to school districts that opt in, according to the county's press release. Students buy the cards through their district, and each district can choose to further subsidize the cost. It is not publicly clear which Bronxville, Eastchester or Scarsdale schools currently participate.
County Executive Jenkins said on the county's official Instagram account that the expansion recognizes how students use transit beyond the school commute: "They work, participate in sports and activities, volunteer, and have responsibilities throughout the community."
How to weigh in
The county's X/Twitter announcement of the hearing, posted July 31, had received 160 impressions as of Tuesday, Aug. 11.
Residents can attend in person Thursday evening or join virtually with advance registration through the county's transportation page linked above. Written comments can also be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to the Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation, 148 Martine Ave., Fifth Floor, White Plains, NY. The deadline for written comments is close of business Friday, Aug. 14.
