Big Blue Bus
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Big Blue Bus (stylized in lowercase) is a municipal bus service primarily serving the city of Santa Monica and the greater Westside region of Los Angeles County, California. The service, operated by the city of Santa Monica, was founded on April 14, 1928 and throughout its existence has used a blue color scheme for its buses, leading to the Big Blue Bus nickname that would later become the official name of the agency. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 7,119,600, or about 26,500 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2023. Big Blue Bus receives funding from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and offers connections to its Metro Bus and Metro Rail systems, but is operated independently from Metro.
Big Blue Bus at UCLA Hilgard Terminal | |
| Parent | City of Santa Monica, Department of Transportation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1928 (as Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines) |
| Headquarters | Santa Monica, California |
| Locale | Santa Monica, Westwood, and Venice, California |
| Service area | United States |
| Service type | Transit Bus |
| Routes | 20[1] |
| Fleet | 195 |
| Daily ridership | 26,500 (weekdays, Q3 2023)[2] |
| Annual ridership | 7,119,600 (2022)[3] |
| Fuel type | CNG, Electric |
| Operator | City of Santa Monica |
| Chief executive | Anuj Gupta (Interim) |
| Website | bigbluebus.com |
History edit
The agency was founded on April 14, 1928 as the Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines and the agency picked a unique blue color scheme for its buses, later leading to the Big Blue Bus nickname.[4] It holds the distinction of being the second oldest public transit bus system still operating in Los Angeles County; only the neighboring Culver CityBus (founded March 4, 1928) is older.[5]
Santa Monica established the bus line in response to a fare increase on the Pacific Electric interurban trains between Santa Monica and Los Angeles.[6]
While independent from other agencies in the Los Angeles area, the Big Blue Bus has always offered connections to the other systems, most notably near the intersections of Pico and Rimpau Boulevards in the Mid-City section of Los Angeles. The historic transfer point was established by Santa Monica, the Los Angeles Railway and Pacific Electric Railway and is known today as the Pico/Rimpau Transit Center and is used the Big Blue Bus and Metro Bus.[6]
In 1978, Santa Monica became the first transit operator in California to operate a bus with a wheelchair lift, the Grumman-Flxible Model 870. It was the third agency to order the bus after Atlanta's MARTA, and Connecticut's CT Transit. The Big Blue Bus was one of the last transit agencies using the iconic GMC New Look "fishbowl" bus, the last of which was retired in 2005.
The Big Blue Bus has been honored with the American Public Transportation Association’s Outstanding Transportation System award in 1987, 1992, 1997, 2000 and 2011.[7]
Routes edit
Big Blue Bus operates 19 bus lines: 14 local routes, four Rapid routes and one express route.
| Route | Terminals | Via | Days of Operation# | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Westwood | Venice Grand Bl & Riviera Av | Santa Monica Bl, Main St | Daily | |
2 | Westwood UCLA | Santa Monica Main St & Olympic Dr | Wilshire Bl | Daily | |
3 | Santa Monica Arizona Av & 5th St | Los Angeles Aviation/LAX Station | Lincoln Bl | Daily |
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Rapid 3 | Santa Monica Arizona Av & 5th St | Los Angeles Aviation/LAX station | Lincoln Bl | Weekdays, peak hours |
|
5 | Santa Monica Main St & Olympic Dr | Palms Palms station | Colorado Av, Olympic Bl, Motor Av | Weekdays | |
7 | Santa Monica 7th St & Olympic Bl | Mid-Wilshire Wilshire/Western station | Pico Bl | Daily |
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Rapid 7 | Santa Monica 7th St & Olympic Bl | Mid-Wilshire Wilshire/Western station | Pico Bl | Weekdays |
|
Express 7 | Santa Monica 7th St & Olympic Bl | Mid-Wilshire Wilshire/Western station | Pico Bl | Weekdays |
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8 | Santa Monica 7th St & Olympic Bl | UCLA‡ | Ocean Park Bl, National Bl, Westwood Bl | Daily | |
9 | Pacific Palisades Sunset Bl & Marquez Av | Santa Monica Main St & Olympic Dr | Sunset Bl, Chatauqua Bl, 4th St | Daily | |
Rapid 10 | Santa Monica Broadway & 5th St. | Downtown Los Angeles Main St & Alameda St | In Santa Monica: Santa Monica Bl, Bundy Dr Express Portion: Santa Monica Freeway In Downtown LA: Grand Av/Olive St, Figueroa St/Flower St, Temple St | Weekday, peak hours |
|
Rapid 12 | Westwood UCLA | Culver City Overland Av & Venice Bl | Westwood Bl, Overland Av | Daily |
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14 | Brentwood Bringham Av & Gorham Av | WestchesterWestchester/Veterans Station | Bundy Dr, Centinela Av | Daily |
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15 | Brentwood Barrington Pl & Chayote St | West Los Angeles Expo/Bundy Station Pico Bl & Bundy Dr | Barrington Av | Weekdays | |
16 | Playa del Rey Culver Bl & Vista Del Mar | West Los Angeles Saltair Ave & Wilshire Bl | Walgrove Av, 23rd St, 20th St | Weekdays | |
17 | Westwood UCLA | Culver City Culver City station | Sawtelle Bl, Palms Bl | Daily | |
18 | Westwood UCLA | Marina Del Rey Via Marina & Admiralty Wy | Montana Av, 4th St | Daily | |
| 41 | Santa Monica Pico Bl & 17th St. (Santa Monica College) | 14th St, 20th St | Daily |
| |
42 | Santa Monica Santa Monica College (16th St & Pico Bl) | 20th St, 14th St | Weekdays |
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43 | Santa Monica Santa Monica College (16th St & Pico Bl) | Santa Monica San Vicente Bl & 14th St | 26th St, San Vicente Bl | Weekdays, peak hours |
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| 44 | Santa Monica 17th Street/SMC station | West Los Angeles | Bundy Dr, Ocean Park Bl, 14th St, 17th St | School days |
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| Notes: | # Sunday schedules are operated on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. ‡ Routes 1, 2, and 8 terminate at the UCLA Hilgard Terminal (Hilgard Av at Strathmore Dr) weekdays between 7am and 8pm, all other trips terminate at the UCLA CEY/P2 Hub (Charles E Young Dr at Parking Structure 2).[8] | ||||
Bus fleet edit
Big Blue Bus currently maintains a fleet of 195 buses of various lengths including 29', 40', and 60' articulated. 2018 was Big Blue Bus' last year purchasing a non-zero emission vehicle. 19 of said buses are currently battery-electric.[9] All buses feature destination signs. Newer buses (units 1801 and later) feature white LED destination signs, while older units feature a variety of other colors. The fleet is currently being equipped with passenger information displays[10] in place of the older dot-light signs. The new displays currently feature a three-day weather forecast, upcoming stops with time to arrival, and the line's final destination. These are subject to updates. All buses currently include complementary onboard Wi-Fi. Fleet communications systems are also currently being upgraded,[10] enabling vehicles to generate more frequent and accurate GPS data for tracking purposes, such as the Transit app.
Big Blue Bus has evaluated two main options for zero-emissions propulsion of its buses in an effort to decarbonize its fleet by 2030. Both hydrogen fuel cell and battery-electric buses have been considered.[11] Big Blue Bus is installing charging for 100+ buses at its depot using a canopy with overhead reel dispensers,[9] making battery-electric its preferred choice. 2010 and 2011 El Dorado EZR II- BRT 32' CNG models are currently up for replacement with 15 additional battery-electric vehicles.
Active fleet edit
| Manufacturer | Model | Length (ft) | Fleet Numbers | Thumbnail | Year | Fuel | Engine | Transmission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gillig | Low Floor | 40 | 1300 | 2012 | CNG | Cummins Westport ISL G | Voith D864.5 | ||
| 1301-1344 | 2013 | Cummins Westport ISL G | Voith D864.5 | ||||||
| 1345-1357 | 2014 | Cummins Westport ISL G | Voith D864.5 | ||||||
| 1500-1510 | 2015 | Cummins Westport ISL G | Allison B400R | ||||||
| New Flyer | XN60 | 60 | 1560-1566 | 2015 | Cummins Westport ISL G | Allison B500R | Used primarily on Rapid services. | ||
| Gillig | Low Floor | 40 | 1600-1603 | 2015 | Cummins Westport ISL G | Allison B400R | |||
| 1701-1725 | 2016-2017 | Cummins Westport ISL G NZ | Allison B400R | ||||||
| 29 | 1801-1807 | 2018 | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R | |||||
| 40 | 1808-1826 | 2018 | Cummins Westport L9N | Allison B400R |
| ||||
| Low Floor Plus | 1827 | 2018 | Electric | Cummins BES, now branded as Cummins Accelera | Direct drive |
| |||
| 2101-2118 | 2021 | ||||||||
| ElDorado | E-Z Rider II BRT | 32 | 2900-2904 | 2010 | CNG | Cummins Westport ISL G | Allison B300R | Originally powered with a gasoline electric hybrid system. Later converted to CNG. | |
| 2905-2914 | 2012 | Cummins Westport ISL G | Allison B300R | Originally powered with a gasoline electric hybrid system. Later converted to CNG. | |||||
| NABI | LFW | 40 | 3868-3876 | 2011 | Cummins Westport ISL G | Allison B400R | |||
| BRT | 60 | 5300-5310 | Cummins Westport ISL G | Allison B500R | Used primarily on Rapid services. | ||||
| 5311-5320 | Cummins Westport ISL G | Allison B500R | Used primarily on Rapid services. |
Future edit
Big Blue Bus in 2018 committed to only purchasing zero-emission vehicles moving forward,[11] following the success of the pilot of Gillig's prototype battery electric bus, BBB #1827. Full electrification deadline is 2030. Big Blue Bus' Zero-Emission Bus Rollout Plan's original draft was approved.
| Planned Year of Purchase | Bus Category | Quantity | Fuel | BBB Required Operational Range | Status | Possible Models | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Standard | 5 | Battery-electric | 200mi | Purchase approved |
| |
| 2023 | 10 |
| |||||
| 9 | TBD | Planned | |||||
| Articulated | 21 |
| |||||
| 2025 | Standard | 45 |
|
| |||
| 2026 | 13 | ||||||
| 2027 | 15 | ||||||
| Articulated | 7 |
|
| ||||
| 2028 | Standard | 5 |
|
| |||
| 2029 | 20 | ||||||
| 2030 | 19 | ||||||
| 7 | Battery-electric[11] |
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Incidents edit
On November 20, 2012, a Big Blue Bus turned left in front of an oncoming motorcyclist, which resulted in the 25-year-old man's death. The accident occurred at approximately 10:33 a.m. at the triangular intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Marquez in the Pacific Palisades. Only buses are allowed to make the left turn, a maneuver that has been determined to be too dangerous for other vehicles.
On June 7, 2013, Bus 4057 of Big Blue Bus was among several vehicles fired at during a thirteen-minute killing spree that left six people dead, including the gunman, and four others wounded. Three women suffered minor injuries aboard the bus, one from shrapnel-type injuries and the other two from injuries unrelated to the gunfire.[12] Approximately two dozen people were inside the bus at the time of the shooting. The attack on Bus 4057 marked the first time a Big Blue Bus came under attack by a gunman in its 85-year service.[13]
In popular culture edit
Speed edit
Two humorous slogans Santa Monica Bank used on Big Blue Buses appeared in the film Speed.[14] The bus operator in the movie is called the Santa Monica Intercity Bus Lines, a fictionalized version of the Big Blue Bus's official name, the Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines.
Raymond Chandler edit
In Raymond Chandler's novel Farewell, My Lovely, first published in 1940, he writes as protagonist Philip Marlowe, describing a scene in Bay City (Chandler's version of the City of Santa Monica):
- "Outside the narrow street fumed, the sidewalks swarmed with fat stomachs. Across the street a bingo parlor was going full blast and beside it a couple of sailors with girls were coming out of a photographer's shop where they had probably been having their photos taken riding on camels. The voice of the hot dog merchant split the dusk like an axe. A big blue bus blared down the street to the little circle where the street car used to turn on a turntable. I walked that way."
Curb Your Enthusiasm edit
In the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode ”Namaste" (season 9, episode 7), Larry David is forced to catch a bus, an activity he is not accustomed to. The eandevor ends with Larry being kicked off the bus. The bus station is the Montana/San-Vincente station in Brentwood which serves lines 14 and 18.[15]
The Doors edit
The lyric from The Doors song “The End” “The blue bus is calling us” is sometimes said to refer to the Big Blue Buses but according Ray Manzarek this is apocryphal.[16]
References edit
- ^ "Routes and Schedules". Big Blue Bus. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 30, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2022" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
- ^ "Our History – Big Blue Bus". www.bigbluebus.com. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ "Public Transit Ridership, Los Angeles County, California". www.laalmanac.com. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ a b Hobbs, Charles P. (September 6, 2011). "Big Blue Bus Breakthrough | More Than Red Cars – The Obscure, Offbeat and Half-Forgotten Transportation History of Southern California". Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- ^ "2011 APTA Awards Program" (PDF). October 4, 2011. pp. 25–26.
- ^ . UCLA Transportation. Archived from the original on March 1, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Big Blue Bus Receives $22.9 Million State Grant for Fleet Electrification, Workforce Development, and Customer Experience Enhancements - Big Blue Bus". www.bigbluebus.com. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "We're Upgrading Our Fleet Communications System - Big Blue Bus". www.bigbluebus.com. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ a b c d https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/Santa%20Monica%20BBB_ROP_ADA08052020.pdf
- ^ "Injured victims of Santa Monica shooting". Cbsnews.com. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
- ^ ""City of Santa Monica: July 7th, 2013 Shooting Incident After-Action Report"" (PDF). Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ Pool, Bob (December 1, 1999). "Bus Line's One-Liners to Stop". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
- ^ Surrey, Miles (November 13, 2017). "Who Won 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' Week 7?". The Ringer. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ "SongFacts: "The End" by The Doors".
Further reading edit
Ayer, Bob. History of Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus. Santa Monica, CA: City of Santa Monica, 1992.
External links edit
Media related to Big Blue Bus at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Google Map of Routes (last updated 2007)