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There's a lot to know about the Big Blue Bus. Read about our History,
get some Facts, learn about our Bus Fleet,
and find out the Awards that show our commitment to excellence
in transportation services. Also, find out the people who provide
Funding for one of the best transportation systems in the world.
How It All Began
At the turn of the last century, the Pacific Electric Railroad ran trolley lines between Downtown Los Angeles and neighboring cities. During a recession in 1914, a group of unemployed automobile owners began using their cars to compete with the railway in Santa Monica. These drivers charged riders five cents and were called jitneys, a common name at the time for a nickel.
In 1921, as the population of Santa Monica doubled, business boomed and the jitney drivers incorporated as Bay Cities Transit Company, and they were soon operating buses throughout the city. In 1928, the City of Santa Monica launched its own bus line and over 16,000 passengers rode the new buses the first week. They chose a blue color scheme for their buses and called their service Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines.
By 1947, the regular bus rate was 10 cents, but costs kept rising and both the City of Santa Monica and the Bay Cities Transit lines were losing money. In 1950, Bay Cities Transit sold out to Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines, by now more commonly known as the Blue Bus. Today, the transportation agency has a fleet of approximately 210 buses and carries 21 million passengers a year. The name was officially changed to "Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus" in 1999 at which time the agency also changed the graphic design to the eye-catching "ice blue" currently on each bus.
The Big Blue Bus has won the American Transportation Association's Outstanding Achievement Award for the 4th time since 1983, and continues to be one of the most efficient, customer-friendly transportation systems in the world.
Big Blue Bus Facts
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Service District
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Area
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51.4 sq. mi
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Population
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458,506
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2005 Annual System Performance
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Fixed-Route Bus Passengers
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20,543,294
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Average Passenger Trip Distance
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3.4 Miles
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Fixed-Route Operating Service Miles
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4,946,875
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Fixed-Route Operating Service Hours
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450,589
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Fixed-Route Farebox Revenue
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$9,185,108
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Motorbus Fleet Roster
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Vehicle
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# In Fleet
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Accessibility
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95 NOVABUS model TC40102A
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21
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Yes
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97 NewFlyer model D40LF
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67
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Yes
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2000 Thomas Bus
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10
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Yes
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2002 NABI 40LFW
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37
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Yes
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2005 NewFlyer LNG
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52
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Yes
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MCI Charter Bus
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4
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Yes
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2006 NewFlyer LNG Buses
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10
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Yes
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Bus Total
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201
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Average Fleet Age
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3.3 years
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About Our Buses
Over the years, the Big Blue Bus has always maintained a fleet of buses that represents the latest in bus technology. As newer buses with state-of-the-art technology and cleaner burning fuel have been produced, the Big Blue Bus has purchased them. Our fleet of 210 buses represents a range of bus innovation. 43 percent of the fleet is fueled by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) which is 77% cleaner burning than diesel-fueled buses.
Each type of bus in our fleet is categorized by the manufacturer name.
NewFlyer Industries (NewFlyer LNG)
In the spring of 2005, the Big Blue Bus added 52, 40', LNG buses to the fleet. These 40 passenger buses feature colorful, anti-graffiti cloth seat covers and have been equipped with new communication systems. These buses are used in regular service and are the ones that make up our fleet of Rapid buses.
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North American Industries (NABI) Bus
In 2002, the Big Blue Bus introduced 37 NABI buses to the fleet. The 40-seat, low-floor buses were the first LNG buses introduced to the fleet.
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Thomas Buses
The Big Blue Bus has seven of these 30', 26-seat buses, which were introduced into service in March 2001. Their smaller size and sharp turning radius make them especially geared for service in neighborhoods and on shorter bus routes, such as Lines 4, 11 and 13.
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NewFlyer Bus
67 of these (first generation) NewFlyers, arrived at Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus in February 1997. The low-floor feature was a benefit to seniors and provided easy access for the disabled and people in wheelchairs. These buses arrived sporting the new Big Blue Bus graphic identity, a striking periwinkle blue with big oversized white lettering.
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Motor Coach Industries (MCI) and Nova Buses: "Classic" Series
These bus were first put into service in 1988. These 40', 48-seat buses are known for their reliability. Currently, the Big Blue Bus has only 19 of these buses in daily service.
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General Motors Buses: "New Look" Series
The Big Blue Bus has operated this type of bus since 1959. For over four decades, several hundred of these 51-seat vehicles were purchased. The last of these buses were retired in the first quarter of 2005.
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Motor Coach Industries (MCI) Bus
These luxury over-the-road motor coaches were purchased to accommodate the Big Blue Bus' Charter service. Some of the amenities in the 45' motor coaches include plush, high-back seating, arm and footrests, overhead storage, video monitors and restrooms. The Big Blue Bus has four of these buses. These buses were brought into service in February 2001.
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Candy Cane / Happy Holiday Bus
The original Candy Cane Bus had its maiden voyage in 1954. The red and white striped buses could be seen each year throughout the holiday season rotating on a different Big Blue Bus line each day. The Candy Cane Bus was always the lead in the series of Big Blue Bus charters to the Rose Parade on New Year's Day. At the beginning of the 2000 holiday season, the Big Blue Bus introduced a new "Happy Holidays" graphic design that replaced the striped Candy Cane motif. In 2003, "Wonderful Weather" made its debut and was immediately embraced by riders and residents alike.
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Awards
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1987
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American Public Transportation Association
Outstanding Achievement Award
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1990
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National Transit Performance Award for Total Performance
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1991
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Lancer Insurance Company
Safety Excellence Award
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1992
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American Public Transportation Association
Outstanding Achievement Award |
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1997
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Lancer Insurance Company
Safety Excellence Award
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1997
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Metro Award for Efficiency
Los Angeles County Transportation Commission
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1998
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American Public Transportation Association
Outstanding Achievement Award
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1998
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American Public Transportation Association
Outstanding Safety Award
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1998
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Tranny Award for providing services to the disabled community
(Voice Annunciation system for the hearing impaired)
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1998
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Number One Urban Transit System
Comparative study conducted by University of North Carolina at Charlotte (cost effective performance)
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2000
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American Public Transportation Association
Outstanding Achievement Award
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2001
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Outstanding Website Design Award, US D.O.T.
Ad Wheel Award for Big Blue Bus System Map
Ad Wheel Award "No One Likes A Traffic Jam"
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2004
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Ad Wheel Award "Big Blue Buzz" Employee Newsletter
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Funding
The Big Blue Bus is a line department of the City Of Santa Monica, reporting directly to the Santa Monica City Council. The agency does not receive general funds from the City budget and is funded entirely through farebox revenues and a variety of county, state and federal subsidies.
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Santa Monica City Council
Robert Holbrook
Mayor
Bobby Shriver
Mayor Pro Tem
Richard Bloom
Ken Genser
Pam O'Connor
Kevin McKeown
Herb Katz
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Big Blue Bus Administration
Stephanie Negriff
Director of Transit Services
Big Blue Bus Administrative Office
1660 7th Street,
Santa Monica, CA
90401-3324
Joe Stitcher
Assistant Director of Transit Operations
Dan Dawson
Customer Relations Manager
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