SR-1000-007 (2)
Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus
Short Range Transit Plan Update
FY 2000-02
October 12, 1999
Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus
Short Range Transit Plan
Fiscal Year 2000-02
Table of Contents
Section I System Description.................................................................................... 1
1. Strategic Organization and Responsibilities .........................................1
2. Service Evaluation and Proposed Program.......................................... 2
2.1 Transportation Improvements.............................................. 2
2.1.1 FY 2000 Improvements ........................................................2
2.1.2 FY 2001 Improvements ........................................................3
2.1.3 FY 2002 and 2003 Improvements ..................................... 3
2.2 Fare Adjustment or Service Reduction................................. 3
2.3 Bergamot Station Transfer ..............................................4
Section II Required L - Tables
Table L - 1 Current Fare Structure - FY 2000......................................... 5
Table L - 2 Fleet inventory as of June 30, 1999.....................................6
Table L - 3 Historical and Projected Fleet Characteristics...................... 7
FY1998-2000
Table L - 4 Historical and Projected Financial Status .............................8
FY1998-2000
Table L - 5 1998 Transit Measurements Program
Reporti ng Form .............................................................. 9A-C
Table L - 6 Performance Audit Follow - Up .......................................... 10
Table L - 7 Summary of Capital Project Requests ............................... 11
SECTION 1. TRANSIT AGENCY ORGANIZATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1.1 STRATEGIC ORGANIZATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Big Blue Bus is a line department of the City of Santa Monica, and as such,
is governed by the City's seven member City Council. The City of Santa Monica has
historically taken an aggressive approach to providing Santa Monica Bay Area residents
with public transit services. In 1928, the Santa Monica City Council initiated the bus
lines under powers granted by Article 11, Section 9 of the Constitution of the State of
California which states:
"A municipal corporation may establish, purchase and operate public
works to furnish its inhabitants with light, water, power, heat,
transportation, or means of communication. It may furnish these
services outside its boundaries except within another municipal
corporation which furnishes the same service and does not consent."
The original purpose of the Big Blue Bus was to provide a transit link between
the rapidly growing West Los Angeles-Santa Monica area and Central Los Angeles.
Thus, in 1928, motor coach service was inaugurated on a 12-mile bus line linking the
Santa Monica Civic Center and beach area with the Pico-Rimpau terminal of the Los
Angeles Railway, via Pico Boulevard. The depression years and World War II
prompted continued expansion of Big Blue Bus services with new routes and additional
services being added to the system. In 1951, the City Council made another major
decision, opting to purchase the Bay Cities Transit Company, a private transit company
which had for years provided local transit services in the West Los Angeles-Santa
Monica Bay Area.
Through 1971, the Big Blue Bus consistently operated at a profit. Since that
time, to maintain low, attractive fare levels in the face of increasing costs, the Big Blue
Bus has utilized outside funding sources. Recognizing the importance of supporting
existing services and fares, both state and federal governments have provided
operating subsidies while L. A. County voters have approved sales tax revenues for
transit under Proposition A and Proposition C. In comparison with other transit
operators in the State of California and throughout the United States, the Big Blue Bus
has continually operated with high levels of efficiency and productivity.
The Big Blue Bus has provided local transit services to Santa Monica Bay Area
and Westside residents, as well as providing the area with major regional transit links.
Since its inception, the Big Blue Bus has followed a policy of service expansion in tune
with the actual needs of the area, which now includes approximately 36 square miles,
well in excess of the 8.6 square mile area of the City of Santa Monica. Amap
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depicting the Big Blue Bus service area and existing route structure is shown in Figure
1-1.
The Big Blue Bus is the primary transit operator serving the Santa Monica Bay
Area. The system provides local fixed-route services within the City of Santa Monica,
while also serving the communities of Pacific Palisades, West Los Angeles, Brentwood,
Westwood, Cheviot Hills, Westchester, Marina del Rey and Venice, within the City of
Los Angeles. In addition, the Big Blue Bus provides regional transit services, including
a freeway express bus line to downtown Los Angeles. The system currently operates
and maintains a fleet of 166 transit buses and annually carries 20.6 million passengers,
or approximately 5.2 passengers per service mile operated.
The Big Blue Bus owns and operates a fleet of 166 buses out of a central
administrative and maintenance facility adjacent to the Santa Monica central business
district. In addition, 11 older buses are maintained as an energy contingency fleet on
the property.
The Big Blue Bus yard, maintenance facility and administrative offices are
located on 8.8 acres near downtown Santa Monica. The Big Blue Bus is implementing
its facilities master plan which guides the expansion of the Administrative and
Maintenance facility. This is the first significant facility expansion program
implemented by the Big Blue Bus since 1985.
2.0 SERVICE EVALUATION AND PROPOSED PROGRAM
2.1 Transportation Improvements
In April 1999, the Big Blue Bus completed its Service Improvement Program
Update. The Update serves as the basis for future improvements to the fixed route
system as well as the TIDE downtown shuttle and WISE Paratransit services managed
by the Big Blue Bus. Service improvement recommendations identified as a result of
this process, by year, are listed below.
2.1.1. FY 2000 Improvements
Olympic Blvd. Service Restructuring - This recommendation was
proposed in the 1997 SIP for implementation in FY 1999. It impacts route alignments,
service frequencies and vehicle types operating along the Olympic Blvd. corridor,
specifically, Line 9, Pacific Palisades/Olympic and Line 5, Century City/V.A. Hospital.
Line 10, Santa Monica Freeway Express - Midday frequency
improvements from 60-minutes intervals to 30-minute intervals are proposed for
weekday service. In addition, Saturday service is recommended to increase from hourly
to 30-minute service frequencies. The route is also recommended to begin a new
Sunday service, which will also operate on a 30-minute schedule.
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2.1.2 FY 2001 Improvements
Implementation of Community Transit System - Ten existing 40 ft.
vehicles will be replaced with smaller buses on routes that serve primarily residential
neighborhoods where existing transit patronage could support the use of a smaller
capacity vehicle. The routes proposed include Line 2, Wilshire Blvd./Venice (Venice
segment, off-peak hours only), Line 4 Carlyle, Line 5 Sawtelle Blvd./V.A. (off-peak
hours only), Line 11, 14th St./2Oth St. Crosstown, Line 15 Pacific Palisades (off-peak
hours only).
Line 14, Bundy/Centinela Ave. - This route is recommended to extend
from it current southern terminus approximately two miles to Fox Hills Mall. Concurrent
with the route extension, weekday and weekend span of service is planned to increase
to 10:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. respectively. Sunday service, which currently operates at
60-minute intervals, will improve to 30 minute service frequencies.
2.1.3 FY 2002 and 2003
Line 11, 14th St./2Oth St. Crosstown - The remaining out-years of the SIP
Update call for the reconfiguration of this route to operate in a clockwise and counter
clockwise manner. Weekend service on this line is proposed to operate at 30-minute
service intervals.
Line 13, Cheviot Hills - This service will be evaluated for conformance with
FY 2003 service frequency goals of 30-minute headways on Saturday.
Demand may warrant service frequency adjustments on Line 1, Santa Monica Blvd.,
Line 3, Lincoln Blvd./Montana, Line 7, Pico Blvd., or Line 9, Olympic Blvd.
2.2. Fare Adiustment or Service Reduction
In FY 2000, the Big Blue Bus will be analyzing its current fare policy for a
possible adjustment in FY 2001. The Big Blue Bus has not raised its base fare since
1983. When considering adjusting the fare policy, the Big Blue Bus will use a public
outreach process identical to the one adopted in 1996 for service improvement planning
purposes. The same public outreach policies would be followed if a service reduction
was being considered. The policy is as follows:
Any analysis of fare structure and service reduction alternatives will be incorporated into
the Big Blue Bus Community Outreach Program. The public participation process
includes outreach meetings to receive public input on the alternatives prior to the
development of staff recommendations to the Santa Monica City Council. If after
receiving the public input, the Big Blue Bus moved forward with a recommendation for
either or both of these changes, a public hearing before the City Council would be held.
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After receiving public testimony, the City Council would support or deny the fare or
service adjustments.
2.3 Berqamot Station Transfer
In 1989, the Bergamot Station property was purchased by the City with TDA Rail
Reserve funds and a loan (since repaid) from the former LACTC to hold as a rail station
site. Since the purchase, the City's Finance Department has the financial responsibility
for the property while maintaining the necessary transit funding restrictions. In January
1999, the City transferred responsibility for the Bergamot property to the Transportation
Department. The Big Blue Bus will now be responsible for the financial accounting of
this property.
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