Culver CityBus is a public transport agency operating in Culver City, California, currently serving Culver City, the unincorporated community of Marina del Rey, and the adjacent Los Angeles neighborhoods.

Founded3 March 1928 [1]
Headquarters4343 Duquesne Avenue,
Culver City, California[2]
LocaleSouthern California
Service areaLos Angeles County
Service typeBus service
Routes7 local – 1 Rapid
Fleet54 heavy-duty transit buses
Daily ridership9,300 (weekdays, Q4 2023)[3]
Annual ridership2,746,900 (2023)[4]
Fuel typeCNG, battery electric
OperatorCity of Culver City Transportation Department
Websiteculvercitybus.org
Culver CityBus bus route number 1 on Washington Blvd. passes a mural by artist D*Face.[5]

Its regular fleet is painted bright green and its rapid fleet primarily a chrome gray, distinguishing it from Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus, orange-colored Metro Local buses, and red-colored Metro Rapid buses, whose coverage areas overlap on Los Angeles's Westside. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,746,900, or about 9,300 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.

History edit

 
A now-retired GMC New Look bus running on Route 6 of the Culver CityBus.

Culver CityBus was founded on 3 March 1928, making it the second oldest municipal bus line in California[6] and the oldest public transit bus system still operating in Los Angeles County.[7] Big Blue Bus was founded on 14 April 1928,[8][7][9] the San Francisco Municipal Railway began streetcar service 28 December 1912.[10]

Service area edit

Within its service area of around 25.5 square miles,[1] the Culver CityBus provides service to the communities of:

Routes edit

Local routes edit

Culver CityBus operates 3 daily routes, 3 weekday-only routes, and 2 Monday-Saturday routes within Los Angeles County.[11] Among its 3 weekday-only routes, Culver CityBus operates a Rapid route (Rapid 6).

Route Terminals Via Notes
1

[12]

Los Angeles

Washington/Fairfax Transit Hub

Venice
Windward Av & Main St
Washington Bl
2

[13]

Culver City

Bristol Pkway & Centinela Av

Venice

Venice High School

Inglewood Bl
3

[14]

Century City

Westfield Century City

Culver City

Mesmer Av & Major St

Westwood Bl, Motor Av, Overland Av
4

[15]

Los Angeles

Washington/Fairfax Transit Hub

Playa Vista

Waters Edge Wy & Jefferson Bl

Jefferson Bl
5

[16]

Blair Hills
La Cienega Bl & Rodeo Rd
Culver City

Culver City School

Braddock Dr
  • Operates 1 westbound AM trip and 2 eastbound PM trips
  • One eastbound PM trip departs from Venice High School
  • Only operates when school is in session
6

[17]

Westwood

UCLA

Los Angeles

Aviation/LAX C Line Station

Sepulveda Bl
Rapid 6 Westwood

UCLA

Los Angeles

Aviation/LAX C Line Station

Sepulveda Bl
  • Serves Expo/Sepulveda E Line Station and   LAX City Bus Center
  • Operates alongside Route 6[18]
7

[19]

Culver City

Culver City E Line Station

Marina del Rey

Fisherman's Village

Culver Bl

Weekend service is provided on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.[2]

Bus fleet edit

Active fleet edit

Make/Model[20] Fleet Numbers Thumbnail Year Engine Transmission Notes
New Flyer C40LFR 7106-7111 2009 Cummins Westport ISL G Allison B400R
  • All are in the Rapid livery
New Flyer XN40 7112-7131 2011-2012 Cummins Westport ISL G Allison B400R
  • 7112-7115 are painted in the Rapid livery
New Flyer XN40 7132-7137 2014 Cummins Westport ISL G Allison B400R
  • 7132-7133 are painted in Rapid livery
New Flyer XN40 7138-7155 2016 Cummins Westport ISL G Allison B400R
New Flyer XE40 7156–7161
 
2021

Culver CityBus also maintains a fleet of largely electric circulator vans (used on its downtown circulator routes, for example 1C1) and support and paratransit vehicles including Nissan Leafs and electric vans.[21]

Future edit

Culver CityBus has announced intentions to replace its entire fleet with battery-electric buses by 2028, in time for the 100th anniversary of its founding and the 2028 Olympic Games, while avoiding early retirement of its current fleet, assuming a 12-year useful service life.[22] This deadline is 12 years of the CARB mandate[23] and may be delayed if the agency is unable to make the transition within the 2028 timeframe. The agency will not need to increase its fleet size, thanks to the use of service block restructuring if battery range does not grow to meet current service block demands. As of January 2024, the agency is not on track to meet its goal, according to its rollout plan where 10 battery-electric buses were suppsoed to be in regular service by 2023, which was not achieved.

Planned future purchases[24]
Make/Model Fleet Numbers Year Powertrain Notes
TBD TBD (10) 2024 Battery Electric Delayed due to not being on track with project timeline.
TBD (10) 2025
TBD (6) 2026
TBD (18) 2028
TBD (4) 2033
TBD (6) 2034
TBD (10) 2036
TBD (10) 2037
TBD (6) 2038
TBD (18) 2040

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Fact Sheet". Culver City Transportation Department. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Government > Transportation". City of Culver City. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  3. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  4. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  5. ^ "D*Face Paints New Mural on Washington Blvd. in Culver City – Culver City Times". culvercitytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
  6. ^ "Culver City Timeline: A Work in Progress". 13 July 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Public Transit Ridership, Los Angeles County, California".
  8. ^ "Big Blue Bus Breakthrough | More Than Red Cars – the Obscure, Offbeat and Half-Forgotten Transportation History of Southern California".
  9. ^ "Our History – Big Blue Bus".
  10. ^ "Muni History". 18 August 2017.
  11. ^ "Bus Schedule". Culver City Bus. Archived from the original on 13 November 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  12. ^ "Line 1 - Washington Blvd". www.culvercitybus.com. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  13. ^ "Line 2 - Inglewood Blvd". www.culvercitybus.com. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  14. ^ "Line 3 - Crosstown". www.culvercitybus.com. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  15. ^ "Line 4 - Jefferson Blvd". www.culvercitybus.com. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  16. ^ "Line 5 - Braddock Dr". www.culvercitybus.com. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  17. ^ "Line 6 - Sepulveda Blvd". www.culvercitybus.com. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  18. ^ Carter, Charles (29 January 2010). "New public transit options open up for campus". UCLA Today. Archived from the original on 12 November 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  19. ^ "Line 7 - Culver Blvd". www.culvercitybus.com. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  20. ^ "About Us". www.culvercitybus.com. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  21. ^ "Senior & Disabled Transportation Services". www.culvercitybus.com. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  22. ^ "Culver CityBus is Going Electric". www.culvercitybus.com. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  23. ^ "California transitioning to all-electric public bus fleet by 2040 | California Air Resources Board". ww2.arb.ca.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  24. ^ https://www.culvercitybus.com/files/content/bus/v/6/news/culver-citybus-is-going-electric/culver-city-battery-electric-bus-transportation-facility-electrification-transition-plan.pdf

External links edit