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 2023, the system had a ridership of 8,289,600, or about 29,900 per weekday as of the fourth 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
Big Blue Bus at UCLA Hilgard Terminal
ParentCity of Santa Monica, Department of Transportation
Founded1928 (as Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines)
HeadquartersSanta Monica, California
LocaleSanta Monica, Westwood, and Venice, California
Service areaUnited States
Service typeTransit Bus
Routes20[1]
Fleet195
Daily ridership29,900 (weekdays, Q4 2023)[2]
Annual ridership8,289,600 (2023)[3]
Fuel typeCNG, Electric
OperatorCity of Santa Monica
Chief executiveAnuj Gupta (Interim)
Websitebigbluebus.com

History edit

 
A now-retired GMC "New Look" bus in service for what was then-called the "Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines".

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 18 bus lines: 12 regular routes, 4 rapid routes, and 2 circulator routes. On weekends and holidays with weekend service, the agency operates 10 bus lines: 9 regular routes and 1 rapid route.[8]

Route Terminals Via Days of Operation# Notes
1
Westwood

UCLA

Venice

Grand Bl & Riviera Av

Santa Monica Bl, Main St Daily
  • Operates alongside Metro bus 4 (24 hour service to DTLA)
2
Westwood

UCLA

Santa Monica

Main St & Olympic Dr

Wilshire Bl Daily
  • Operates alongside Metro Bus 20 (24 hour service)
  • Metro Rapid 720 see also: Metro Rapid
3
Santa Monica
Arizona Av & 5th St
Los Angeles

Aviation/LAX Station

Lincoln Bl Daily
Rapid 3
Santa Monica
Arizona Av & 5th St
Los Angeles

Aviation/LAX station

Lincoln Bl Weekdays, peak hours
  • Operates alongside Line 3
  • Serves LAX City Bus Center
  • See also: Metro Rapid
5
Santa Monica

Main St & Olympic Dr

Palms
Palms station
Colorado Av, Olympic Bl, Motor Av Weekdays Operates hourly
7
Santa Monica
7th St & Olympic Bl
Mid-Wilshire
Wilshire/Western station
Pico Bl Daily
  • Operates alongside Rapid 7 & Express 7
  • Three trips westbound in the morning and three trips eastbound in the afternoon deviate from Pico Bl to serve Beverlywood.
Rapid 7
Santa Monica
7th St & Olympic Bl
Mid-Wilshire
Wilshire/Western station
Pico Bl Weekdays
  • Operates alongside Line 7 & Express 7
  • See also: Metro Rapid
Express 7
Santa Monica
7th St & Olympic Bl
Mid-Wilshire
Wilshire/Western station
Pico Bl Weekdays
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
  • See also: Metro Rapid
  • Operates into Downtown LA in the AM rush and into Downtown Santa Monica in the PM rush
Rapid 12
Westwood

UCLA

Culver City
Overland Av & Venice Bl
Westwood Bl, Overland Av Daily
14
Brentwood

Bringham Av & Gorham Av

WestchesterWestchester/Veterans Station Bundy Dr, Centinela Av Daily
  • Select trips extend from Brentwood north to Paul Revere Middle School
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 Weekdays
  • Service operates in a clockwise loop and terminates at 14th St & Pico Bl
  • Operates opposite of Line 42
42
Santa Monica
Santa Monica College (16th St & Pico Bl)
20th St, 14th St Weekdays
  • Service suspended until further notice
  • Service operates in a counterclockwise loop and terminates at Santa Monica College (16th St & Pico Bl)
  • Operates opposite of Line 41
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
  • Select eastbound trips serve Paul Revere Middle School.
44 Santa Monica
17th Street/SMC station

West Los Angeles
Santa Monica College Bundy Campus

Bundy Dr, Ocean Park Bl, 14th St, 17th St School days
  • Service suspended until further notice
  • Connects 17th Street/Santa Monica College station, Santa Monica College Main Campus, and Santa Monica College Bundy Campus
  • Limited service when Santa Monica College is not in session
Notes:
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).[9]

Bus fleet edit

Big Blue Bus currently maintains a fleet of 195 buses of various lengths including 29', 40', and 60' articulated, with 35-footers set to be delivered in 2024.[10] In 2018, Big Blue Bus received its last ever internal combustion vehicle. 19 buses out of its total fleet are currently battery-electric.[11] 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[12] in place of the older dot-light signs. A few current examples include in buses 1506 and 2118, and they will be implemented on new buses moving forward. 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. Buses 1808 and newer currently offer complementary onboard Wi-Fi.[13] Fleet communications systems are also currently being upgraded,[12] 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.[14] Big Blue Bus is installing charging for 100+ buses at its depot using a canopy with overhead reel dispensers, a project set to be complete by the end of 2024.[11] 2010 and 2011 El Dorado EZR II- BRT 32' CNG models are in need of replacement and are set to be replaced with 15 35-foot Gillig Low Floor Plus EV models.[10] Moreover, Big Blue Bus' 2011 NABI LFW 40' units are nearing the end of their life expectancy and have already passed federal minimums by age.[15]

Active fleet edit

Manufacturer Model Length (ft) Fleet Numbers Thumbnail Year Fuel Engine Transmission Notes
Gillig BRT 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 BRT 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 Direct drive
  • Unit 1827 is a Gillig prototype and features the old livery and interior design
  • Units 2101-2118 and newer feature the redesigned livery with dark blue on the bottom third and light blue on the top. Up until these buses, the primary livery consisted of a bottom and top section connected by a downwards facing curve, but these buses now have a straight line separating the bottom and top two thirds.
  • Units 2101-2118 feature power-assisted wheelchair securement devices and later units removed all but one of the forward-facing rows in the low-floor section in favor of the bus in favor of sideways seating and increased standing room
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.
  • Soon to be retired and replaced by Gillig 35-footers[10]
  • 2906 experienced mechanical issues while pulling out of Westwood Plaza on route 18 requiring the bus to be towed back to the depot during revenue service at approximately 13:13 on 26 February 2024 and is expected to be retired
2905-2914 2012 Cummins Westport ISL G Allison B300R
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.

Awaiting Delivery edit

Manufacturer Model Length (ft) Year Quantity (Fleet Numbers) Fuel Powertrain Notes
Gillig Low Floor Plus 35 2024 15 (2401–2415) Electric Cummins Accelera Set to replace ElDorado 32-footers from 2010 through 2012 which are at end of useful lives

Future and Electrification edit

Following the success of Big Blue Bus' pilot with a prototype Gillig/Cummins BEB (unit 1827), the agency committed to only purchasing zero-emission vehicles moving forward. Depending on the service blocks, buses sometimes return to the depot to be recharged and re-enter service later in the day. Big Blue Bus charges its electric fleet with 100 percent renewable energy. The second batch of battery-electric buses are expected in 2024. The agency has set itself a 2030 deadline for full conversion to zero-emissions operation.

Planned future deliveries by BBB according to BBB's Zero-Emission Bus Rollout Plan[14]
Planned Year of Purchase Bus Category Quantity (Fleet Numbers) Fuel BBB Required Operational Range Status Model Notes
2022 Standard 5 (2401-2405?) Battery-electric 200mi Purchase approved

TBA

  • Funding for this purchase was granted in 2023[11]
  • These busses to be deployed on routes 3 and Rapid 3[11]
2023 10
  • Given backlog of purchases planned for 2022, purchases not likely until 2024-2025
9 TBD Planned
Articulated 21

TBD

2025 Standard 45

TBD

2026 13
2027 15
Articulated 7

TBD

2028 Standard 5

TBD

2029 20
2030 19
7 Battery-electric[14]

TBD

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.[16] 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.[17]

In popular culture edit

Speed edit

Two humorous slogans Santa Monica Bank used on Big Blue Buses appeared in the film Speed.[18] 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.[19]

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.[20]

References edit

  1. ^ "Routes and Schedules". Big Blue Bus. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  3. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  4. ^ "Our History – Big Blue Bus". www.bigbluebus.com. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  5. ^ "Public Transit Ridership, Los Angeles County, California". www.laalmanac.com. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "2011 APTA Awards Program" (PDF). October 4, 2011. pp. 25–26.
  8. ^ "Routes and Schedules - Big Blue Bus". www.bigbluebus.com. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  9. ^ "BruinGo! Transit". UCLA Transportation. Archived from the original on March 1, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  10. ^ a b c "Santa Monica to Add 15 Electric Buses".
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ a b "We're Upgrading Our Fleet Communications System - Big Blue Bus". www.bigbluebus.com. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  13. ^ "FREE Wi-Fi Now Available On Select Buses - Big Blue Bus".
  14. ^ a b c "Zero-Emmision Bus Rollout Plan" (PDF). California Air Resources Board. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 3, 2022.
  15. ^ "Bus Testing Procedures- GovInfo" (PDF).
  16. ^ "Injured victims of Santa Monica shooting". Cbsnews.com. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  17. ^ ""City of Santa Monica: July 7th, 2013 Shooting Incident After-Action Report"" (PDF). Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  18. ^ Pool, Bob (December 1, 1999). "Bus Line's One-Liners to Stop". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  19. ^ Surrey, Miles (November 13, 2017). "Who Won 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' Week 7?". The Ringer. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  20. ^ "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