Big Blue Bus seeks City Council approval on five-year service enhancement plan

July 5, 2024 10:52 AM
by Robert McCall

On July 9, the Santa Monica City Council will vote on Brighter Blue, the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) five-year plan to improve Big Blue Bus service in Santa Monica and West Los Angeles. The proposed plan was developed in response to travel and behavior changes since the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapidly growing regional rail network. Brighter Blue is informed by an extensive analysis of Big Blue Bus’s existing service and a robust 18-month rider outreach and stakeholder engagement effort that utilized on-board and online surveys, focus group meetings, public workshops and hearings, and an extended public comment period. 

Brighter Blue calls for greater investments in service frequency and span, and enhanced connections to Metro Rail’s expanding network. By concentrating investments on key high-frequency routes, Brighter Blue will provide riders with fast, sustainable and reliable access to jobs, healthcare, education and other essential destinations, and help deliver a world-class transit experience during major events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games.  

If the City Council adopts Brighter Blue, Big Blue Bus riders can anticipate the following enhancements:

• More frequent service on most routes, including a high frequency network with weekday service every 10 minutes or better on select corridors during peak hours.  
• Expanded operating hours so that most routes start earlier in the day, end later at night and operate on weekends.
• Improved connectivity to key destinations, such as the LAX/Metro Transit Center, Culver City Transit Center and the Metro Rail D Line extension.

We strongly encourage community members to show support for Brighter Blue during the upcoming City Council meeting on July 9 at 5:30 p.m., as this is the last opportunity to provide feedback before Council’s consideration.

 

Submit a written public comment via email to councilmtgitems@santamonica.gov before 12 p.m. on July 9.

To learn more about Brighter Blue visit BrighterBlueBBB.com.

Authored By

Robert McCall
Community Engagement Administrator

Categories

Getting Around, Sustainable and Connected, Transportation Planning, Ways to Get Around