Big Blues 2 Heading to Santa Monica Station E Santa Monica Civic Center
 | |
 Big Blue Bus at UCLA Hilgard Terminal | |
| Parent | City of Santa Monica |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1928 |
| 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 | 20,000 (weekdays, Q4 2021)[2] |
| Annual ridership | 5,500,200 (2021)[2] |
| Fuel type | CNG, LNG |
| Operator | City of Santa Monica |
| Chief executive | Edward F. King |
| Website | bigbluebus.com |
Big Blue Bus (stylized, big blue bus) is a municipal bus service serving the city of Santa Monica and the greater Westside region of Los Angeles County. 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 2021, the system had a ridership of 5,500,200, or about 20,000 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2021. 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 independent from Metro.
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.[3] 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.[4]
Santa Monica established the bus line in response to a fare increase on the Pacific Electric interurban trains between Santa Monica and Los Angeles.[5]
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.[5]
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.[6]
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 | UCLA ‡ | Venice Windward Circle | Santa Monica Bl, Main St | Daily service | |
| 2 | UCLA ‡ | Santa Monica Civic Auditorium | Wilshire Bl | Daily service | |
| 3 | Santa Monica Arizona Av & 5th St | Westchester Aviation/LAX station | Lincoln Bl | Daily service |
|
| Rapid 3 | Santa Monica Arizona Av & 5th St | Westchester Aviation/LAX station | Lincoln Bl | Weekday only during peak hours |
|
| 5 | Santa Monica Civic Auditorium | Palms Palms station | Colorado Av, Olympic Bl, Motor Av | Weekdays only | |
| 7 | Santa Monica 7th St & Olympic Bl | Mid-Wilshire Wilshire/Western station | Pico Bl | Daily service |
|
| Rapid 7 | Santa Monica 7th St & Olympic Bl | Mid-Wilshire Wilshire/Western station | Pico Bl | Weekdays only |
|
| Express 7 | Santa Monica 7th St & Olympic Bl | Mid-Wilshire Wilshire/Western station | Pico Bl | Weekdays only |
|
| 8 | Santa Monica 7th St & Olympic Bl | UCLA ‡ | Ocean Park Bl, National Bl, Westwood Bl | Daily service | |
| 9 | Pacific Palisades Sunset Bl & Marquez Av | Santa Monica Civic Auditorium | Sunset Bl, Chatauqua Bl, 4th St | Daily service | |
| Rapid 10 | Santa Monica 2nd St & Colorado Av | 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 rush hours only |
|
| Rapid 12 | UCLA Gateway Plaza | Culver City Overland Av & Venice Bl | Westwood Bl, Overland Av | Daily service |
|
| 14 | Brentwood Bringham Av & Gorham Av | Playa Vista Artisans Wy & Centinela Av | Bundy Dr, Centinela Av | Daily service |
|
| 15 | Brentwood Barrington Pl & Chayote St | West Los Angeles Expo/Bundy station | Barrington Av | Weekdays only | |
| 16 | Marina del Rey Lincoln Bl & Mindanao Wy | West Los Angeles Saltair Ave & Wilshire Bl | Walgrove Av, 23rd St, 20th St | Weekdays only | |
| 17 | UCLA Macgowan Hall Terminal | Culver City Culver City station | Sawtelle Bl, Palms Bl | Daily service | |
| 18 | UCLA Gateway Plaza | Marina Del Rey Via Marina & Admiralty Wy | Montana Av, 4th St | Daily service | |
| 41 | Santa Monica 14th St & Pico Bl | 14th St, 20th St | Daily service |
| |
| 42 | Santa Monica Santa Monica College (16th St & Pico Bl) | 20th St, 14th St | Weekdays only |
| |
| 43 | Santa Monica Santa Monica College (16th St & Pico Bl) | Santa Monica San Vicente Bl & 14th St | 26th St, San Vicente Bl | Weekdays only during peak hours |
|
| 44 | Santa Monica 17th Street/Santa Monica College station | West Los Angeles | Bundy Dr, Ocean Park Bl, 14th St, 17th St | School Days Only |
|
| 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).[7] | ||||
Fleet [edit]
Current [edit]
| Manufacturer | Model | Length | Image | Order Year | Fleet Series (Quantity) | Fuel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Flyer | L40LF | 40-foot |  | 2004–05 | 4048, 4051, 4053, 4059, 4063, 4070, 4086–4089 (10) | LNG |
|
| 40-foot |  | 2006 | 4090–4099 (10) |
| |||
| NABI | 60-BRT | 60-foot |  | 2010/2012 | 5300–5320 (21) | CNG |
|
| 40-LFW | 40-foot |  | 2011 | 3868–3876 (9) | |||
| ElDorado National | E-Z Rider II BRT | 32-foot |  | 2010/2012 | 2900–2914 (15) |
| |
| New Flyer | XN60 | 60-foot |  | 2015 | 1560–1566 (7)[8] [9] |
| |
| Gillig | BRT | 40-foot |  | 2012–2014 | 1300–1357 (58) | ||
| 2015 | 1500–1510 (11)[10] | ||||||
| 2017 | 1701–1725 (25) | ||||||
| 2018 | 1808–1826 (19) | ||||||
| 29-foot |  | 2016 | 1600–1603 (4) | ||||
| 2018 | 1801–1807 (7) |
Bicycle integration [edit]
Big Blue Buses have racks on the front that can hold two bicycles at a time. Some bus stops have adjacent bike racks.
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.[11] 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.[12]
In popular culture [edit]
Speed [edit]
Two humorous slogans Santa Monica Bank used on Big Blue Buses appeared in the film Speed.[13] 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.[14]
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.[15]
References [edit]
- ^ "Routes and Schedules". Big Blue Bus . Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ a b "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2021" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 10, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "BruinGo! Transit". UCLA Transportation. Archived from the original on March 1, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 25, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Purchase Eleven (11) 40-foot Compressed Natural Gas Buses – City of Santa Monica". www.smgov.net . Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ "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)
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Blue_Bus
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