The initiative aims to extend opening hours, improve connectivity and create more frequent services

By Zach Armstrong

A five-year plan from Big Blue Bus to expand hours, improve connectivity and create more frequent service was approved by the Santa Monica City Council after 18 months of outreach to community and transit agency stakeholders.

Under the initiative, the Westside transport service aims to provide a range of improvements: a weekday service every 10 minutes on selected corridors during rush hour; improved connectivity to the LAX/Metro Transit Center, the Culver City Transit Center and the Metro Rail D Line extensions; and added service time so that most routes start earlier, finish later and have weekend service.

According to a draft of the proposal, changes mean that several routes will be phased out and reinvested in other routes to increase bus frequencies. These include the Rapid 3 line that would be reinvested in Route 3 for faster bus service along Lincoln Boulevard.

The “Brighter Blue” plan was created “in response to post-pandemic changes in travel behavior” and to make the Westside’s transit system adequate and ready for upcoming major events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics.

“The service must be fast, frequent, safe and reliable to function as an efficient mode of transport.” That’s what Santa Monica’s transportation director Anuj Gupta says in a press release. “Concentrating investment on key high-frequency routes will create a stronger foundation for our overall network, making Big Blue Bus service more attractive and convenient, reducing waiting times and providing more flexibility for current and future riders planning their journeys.”

“Brighter Blue” is one of many Department of Transportation projects to enhance the rider experience on a Big Blue Bus.

By the end of the decade, the BBB aims to achieve a complete zero-emission, battery-electric bus fleet by 2030. After the transition agency conducted an automated bus lane technology pilot last summer, staff is expected to recommend a permanent program to the City Council for approval. BBB also began upgrading its fleet communications system for better real-time bus arrival predictions and to minimize service delays and disruptions.

The approval of the half-decade initiative also comes just months after Big Blue Bus began stationing “transit safety officers” at certain bus stops and on high-traffic routes to increase safety. The officers were provided by Good Guard Security: a California-based company that signed a $2.2 million contract with the city of Santa Monica the previous year.

The last time Big Blue Bus conducted a systematic review of its operations and performance was in 2015 when it aimed to integrate its services with the Metro Expo Light Rail Line (E Line) which had just begun operations in Santa Monica. Since then, conditions within the city and rider trends have changed; especially after the covid-19 pandemic. “Brighter Blue” was an attempt to address these changes.

For more information on “Lighter Blue”, go to https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/62ad3b005e914852b0f90d5b28ecf7e2.