sr-022409-3ac7r „^ R
City of Cety ~®(.~hCll ®\~p®~
Santa Monica
City Council Meeting: February 24, 2009
Agenda Item: .3-'
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Stephanie Negriff, Director of Transit Services
Subject: Review of Mini Blue Branding Options
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the Council review and provide comment, direction and
feedback on three options under consideration for the new Mini Blue branding.
Executive Summary
Five new hybrid (gas/electric) buses are currently in production and will be delivered to
Big Blue Bus by the end of the calendar year. These buses will be used as community
transit vehicles on Mini Blue bus routes. Along with the new buses a new vehicular
graphics program is being developed. Staff will present several branding options and
explain how these new buses and the bus stop redevelopment program will interface.
Discussion
Background
On September 25f", 2007, Council did not approve the trolley style buses that were
proposed and requested that staff develop new branding and vehicular graphics for the
Mini Blue bus service. This new branding will be placed on the hybrid vehicles that will
be put into service on Mini Blue routes. Three options have been developed (see
attachments A, B, and C). Staff is recommending Attachment A.
Previous Council Actions
On September 25, 2007 staff presented several design options for the Mini Blue brand
and presented a trolley design and other designs that were based on historical Santa
1
Monica concepts such as a 'VW bug' design and. a classic `Woody' design: Council
directed staff to return with other options that better reflected the City's current image.
On January. 22, 2008 Council approved an increase to Professional Services
Agreement (PSA) number 1349 with Sussman Prejza to work on new designs that could
be applied to the new bus order that was in development.
Subsequently, an RFP was developed and a manufacturer, Eldorado, was selected to
produce the hybrid buses. Designs have now been created to show how these new
Eldorado Hybrid buses could be branded.
Public Outreach
Designs have been shown at six Big Blue Bus community meetings with approximately
70 in attendance with no objections to the staff recommended design.
Budget/Financial Impact
The approved contract for the hybrid buses includes vehicular graphics, therefore no
additional impact to the budget will result from this design decision, and after much
consideration, the consultants recommended Attachment A and staff concurs.
Prepared by:
Dan Dawson, Transit Customer Relations Administrator
Approved:
Forwarded to Council:
to h nie Negriff ~ amont Ew II
Dir c r of Transit Services City Manager
Attachment A
Attachment B
Attachment C
2