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SR-12-16-2014-4A
WA City of Santa Monica ,. g_ :: To: Mayor and City Council From: Edward F. King, Director of Transit Services Subject: Big Blue Bus /Expo Service Integration Proposal Recommended Action Staff recommends that the City Council review and comment on the proposed recommendations for new and restructured BBB routes and schedules that will provide seamless integration with Expo Light Rail at the eight stations in the BBB service area. Executive Summary The Expo Integration Plan seeks to capitalize on the opening of seven new rail stations in the Big Blue Bus service area. This is a significant change of conditions for a system that has served rail only at the periphery until now. Alterations of bus routes to attract new rail to bus transfers has the potential to increase ridership, make more efficient use of transit resources, and reduce overall levels of congestion. The Expo Integration Study includes extensive public outreach, a survey of existing conditions, and a recommended plan of action. The primary objectives of the Plan are: creating first - and -last mile connectivity; more north -south corridor service to serve the stations; reducing redundancy with other transit providers; eliminating inefficient routing; improving speed and reliability; and maximizing resources; while acknowledging that current BBB service must continue to serve markets and customers that do not interface with Expo. Staff recommends that the City Council review and comment on the proposed recommendations for new and restructured BBB routes and schedules. The revised plan includes an increase of approximately 9% in revenue service hours and associated costs. Annual revenue service hours are expected to increase from the current 507,000 to 553,000 annual revenue service hours. There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the recommended action. Staff will return to Council during the FY2015 -2017 Biennial Budget process with specific capital and staffing needs to support the projected increases. 1 Background The area served by Big Blue Bus (BBB) is changing in ways that promise to have significant impact on transportation and BBB services with one being the evolution of light rail in BBB's service area. BBB currently serves four rail stations, including three light rail lines (Expo Line, Purple Line, and Green Line) as well as the regional Amtrak and Metrolink station in downtown Los Angeles. Further expansion of the Exposition Light Rail Line in 2016 will increase the number of stations served from four to eleven, and bring rail from the fringes of the BBB service area into its center. Of these seven new rail stations, three are within the City of Santa Monica city limits, including the western terminus for the line. Projected weekday ridership for the Exposition Line is 64,000 boardings per weekday as of 2030, and over 5,000 projected daily boardings at the 4th Street Terminus. This is a significant change of conditions for a system that has served rail only at the periphery until now. Changes in demographics, zoning, and land use provide opportunity to increase ridership and make more efficient use of resources in Santa Monica and other areas of the Westside. The City has made a commitment to aggressively reduce single occupant vehicle trips and diversify transportation options with the goal of no net new PM peak -hour vehicle trips by 2030. Two of the three new rail stations within the City of Santa Monica do not have designated parking or park and ride amenities, and the third has very limited parking dedicated exclusively to light rail users. Additionally, of the seven new stations in Phase ll, only one (Bundy Station) will provide 200 spaces, and the Culver City Station will be reduced to 200 spaces from 600 currently. More resources are being dedicated to walking, biking, ridesharing, and transit to optimize the efficiency of the transportation system, and this change is remaking the fabric of the service area by introducing new transit propensities and altering the transit landscape. Big Blue Bus has existing service near or adjacent to all seven new stations, and expects to significantly adjust service to create more bus /rail integration corridors and enhance first -last mile connectivity. 2 Recognizing the unprecedented landscape change in mobility options, on September 24, 2013, the Council awarded a professional services contract to Nelson \Nygaard Consulting Associates to assist BBB in the planning process for integrating Big Blue Bus services with the seven new Expo Stations. The purpose of this study was to assist BBB in developing appropriate responses to these changing conditions. The study provided a review of the existing conditions, created a series of projections and demand estimates expected as a result of the impending changes, and formulated a plan to meet demand with an adjusted and appropriate service model. The primary objectives of the Plan were: creating first - and -last mile connectivity; creating more north -south corridor service to serve the stations within the City; and maximizing resources; while acknowledging that current BBB service must continue to serve markets and customers that do not interface with Expo. The BBB /Expo Integration Study included extensive analysis of service and routes, public outreach, and development of a comprehensive plan to integrate BBB service with Expo. The preliminary BBB Expo service integration proposal was presented to stakeholders and the public at large over a five -month period between June and October 2014 during which time BBB staff invited and received extensive feedback on the route restructure proposal. Informed by over 4,600 survey responses and over 12,300 individual written and verbal comments through email, survey, public meeting, letters and workshops regarding the initial iteration of proposed changes to BBB service, the preliminary plan has been significantly revised and incorporated into the Big Blue Bus Expo Service Integration Plan. Discussion The arrival of the Expo rail line in Santa Monica is expected to create a dynamic shift in demand for BBB service when it opens in 2016. In order to prepare for that change, BBB staff undertook an extensive analysis of service and routes, facilitated public outreach, and developed a comprehensive plan to integrate BBB service with Expo. The purpose of the study was to assist BBB in developing appropriate changes to the bus service that would encourage the use of Expo. The goals of the study and resulting plan .'7 are to maximize ridership through efficient allocation of resources, minimize impacts to traffic, stimulate Expo ridership, create a budget neutral service plan, and create new direct links between stations and adjacent areas. The BBB /Expo Integration study evaluated land use, key origins and destinations, market analysis, corridor analysis, and industry best practices in order to develop a comprehensive Service Integration Plan between BBB routes and the eight stations on the Expo Line in the BBB service area. Throughout the planning process, BBB staff involved key stakeholders, residents, neighborhood associations, business improvement districts, the Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., and local businesses in a series of workshops designed to elicit public input about the process. BBB also worked closely with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and Culver CityBus to eliminate duplication of services where possible. Framework of the BBB /Expo Service Integration Planning Process Key components of the BBB /Expo Service Integration Study included public involvement, analysis of the current system, update of demographic information based on the 2010 census data, first - and -last mile connectivity analysis (connecting people between station locations and destinations that are beyond walking distance), reduction of redundancy between BBB, Metro, and Culver CityBus, seamless intermodal connectivity, Title VI Civil Rights evaluation of the proposed changes, and a follow -up study to be conducted one year after Expo opens to determine successes and continued challenges. The timeline for this study included a set of public stakeholder meetings that was held in February of 2014, followed by analysis and a second set of meetings in July of 2014. S Public Outreach The study began with an online survey in the summer of 2013 which asked participants for general perceptions regarding BBB /Expo integration, as well as demographic and locational information. Over 1,200 responses were collected. In December of 2013, a web page was launched detailing the progress of the study, and Nelson \Nygaard was forwarded detailed information on Big Blue Bus routing, passenger counts and on -time performance. Once the existing conditions data was collected, Nelson \Nygaard prepared a presentation, a series of information boards, and exercises to engage members of the public in the process. Five meetings were held the week of February 10, 2014 to engage the public and to solicit stakeholder opinion in West Los Angeles and Santa Monica. Big Blue Bus also worked with municipal and other government agencies to assure that sufficient infrastructure is in place to accommodate the changes. Since the Spring of 2013, Big Blue Bus has scheduled and facilitated 18 meetings with other transit service providers to discuss integration and duplication. Furthermore, BBB staff has met regularly with LADOT staff, staff for Los Angeles elected officials, LA Metro Expo project staff, Los Angeles City Planning staff, City of Santa Monica's Planning, Traffic Engineering and Public Works Division staff, and County of Los Angeles staff to discuss needs. Big Blue Bus continued stakeholder engagement during the Summer of 2014 by seeking input from key institutions as well as local residents, students and workers. Merchants associations, colleges, neighborhood associations in Santa Monica and Los Angeles, other neighboring transit providers, local government offices, and schools were solicited for input and opinions on how to proceed. The information collected through this engagement process was then distilled in a series of workshops to create preliminary service proposals for Big Blue Bus /Expo Integration. R Upon drafting the preliminary set of service proposals, BBB reengaged the public in a second round of meetings in July of 2014. In addition to the public meetings, the public was engaged through a second online survey in English and Spanish as well as being encouraged to participate in a "Design Your Transit Service" game. BBB received over 4,600 survey responses and over 12,300 individual written and verbal comments through email, survey, public meeting, letters and workshops regarding the initial iteration of proposed changes to BBB service. Proposal Informed by the Expo Integration Study and public and stakeholder outreach, the preliminary BBB /Expo service integration plan has been significantly revised. The following details the proposed Big Blue Bus Expo Service Integration Plan. The primary elements of the plan are as follows: New Ridership Opportunities and Efficiencies The Expo Service Integration Plan creates most of its new transit opportunities by reducing or eliminating poorly performing services and replacing them with services that are expected to carry more passengers. In some cases, key destinations are serviced by a different route that is designed to be more efficient. While eliminating some routes or trips to create new ones can inconvenience some passengers, there are significant increases in efficiency and ridership expected as a result. An Engaged and Responsive Public Process Significant analysis was conducted regarding Big Blue Bus' current ridership base and the initial plan contained elimination of several routes and parts of routes. Big Blue Bus received extensive feedback on some of those proposals from existing riders, specifically in regards to Routes 2, 3, Rapid 3, 8, and 12, and Rapid 12. The revised plan responds to the feedback, in many cases restoring what riders currently have or improving upon what was proposed. The plan, as revised, seeks not only to attract new 7 riders but endeavors to retain as much of the existing ridership base as possible through the implementation of these plan revisions. Several route proposals for new and existing services were strengthened through the public participation process. New North South Connectivity to Stations The revised plan creates access to the new Expo Stations from areas to the north and south on six new routes, or new corridors on existing routes as follows: ® 4th Street south from Downtown Station to Rose Ave commercial area and Abbott Kinney Blvd ® 23`d Street south from Bergamot Station to Walgrove, Costco on Venice Blvd, and Marina del Rey ® 26th Street north from Bergamot Station to San Vicente ® Stewart to Colorado to Centinela north from Bergamot Station to Wilshire ® Barrington Ave north from Bundy Station to Sunset Blvd ® Bi- directional service on 14th and 20th between Pico Blvd and Montana Ave serving Memorial Park Station both ways • Continuation of the Main Street corridor southward to Marina del Rey • Extension of Centinela Ave corridor to Playa del Rey from Bundy Station ® Sawtelle Blvd to Sepulveda Station both north and south Increased Access for Key Destinations beyond Walk Distance from Closest Stations: • North end of downtown Santa Monica • Venice east • Venice west • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista • Sony Studios • UCLA 0 • Santa Monica College • Saint John's Hospital ® UCLA Medical Center • Brentwood Village • Several high schools and middle schools Reduction of Duplication and Better Coordination with Other Transit Providers Big Blue Bus held 18 meetings with other transit providers to discuss duplication and coordination of service resulting in agreements to reduce LA Metro trips to downtown Santa Monica by 15% and eliminating over 42,000 miles of LA Metro bus operation from downtown Santa Monica. Coordination with Santa Monica and Los Angeles Transportation Officials to Ensure Smooth Connections at Stations Big Blue Bus officials coordinated with local officials in both Santa Monica and Los Angeles to ensure that station connections would be seamless and to advocate for a more aggressive approach to providing for "kiss and ride" opportunities, corporate vans and other intermodal needs. This included participation in the Memorial Park neighborhood plan process, the Downtown Specific Plan, and the 4th and Colorado project design. Big Blue Bus staff continues to work towards seamless connections between Big Blue Bus services and Expo, and is involved in the process with City staff of planning for the interim use at the downtown station site. Areas of ongoing consideration include exploration of the Sears and Big Blue Bus sites for intermodal connections, reviewing impacts of all proposals on circulation, pursuing a plan for the site that is less focused exclusively on bus, and consideration of what intermodal connections might be moved to other areas, or other stations. Reorganization of Downtown Santa Monica Routing All downtown Santa Monica bus routes were examined for efficiency and the possibility of lessening the number of buses going west of 4t" Street in order to reduce congestion in the heart of the city. The majority of bus -to -bus transfer activity in downtown Santa Monica today takes place between four bus stops — Santa Monica Blvd and Broadway stops at the Promenade, and on both sides of 4t" Street at Santa Monica Blvd. The revised plan shifts the preponderance of this transfer activity to areas closer to the Downtown Expo Station and reduces bus traffic west of 4th Street by approximately half. Better Speed and Reliability The revised plan includes careful elimination of poorly performing or too closely spaced bus stops, and system wide on -time performance review to better meet riders' expectation concerning on -time performance. Combined with the upcoming availability of real time information, these changes are expected to significantly improve the customer experience. Costs The revised plan includes an increase of approximately 9% in revenue service hours and associated costs. Annual revenue service hours are expected to increase from the current 507,000 to 553,000 annual revenue service hours. The department continues to evaluate alternatives for funding the service improvements, including internal efficiencies where appropriate, a fare alignment commensurate with other regional providers and the impact of using reserves that have been established over the last two Fiscal Years. Next Steps Public hearings and request for Council adoption of the proposed BBB route structure changes are planned for Spring 2015 with implementation of proposed changes planned for late Summer or early Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 in order to be ready for Expo opening in 2016. 10 Financial Impacts & Budget Actions There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the recommended action. Staff will return to Council during the FY2015 -2017 Biennial Budget process with specific capital and staffing needs to support the projected increases. Prepared by: Timothy McCormick, Transit Planning Administrator Approved: Edward F. King Director of Transit Servi Forwarded to Council: Rod Gould City Manager Attachment: Big Blue Bus Expo Integration Study 11 • • Study Proposed Route L ILA Proposed Big Blue Bus Route Changes m December 2014 Contents Introduction.................................................. ............................... StudyTi meline ............................................... ............................... Draft Plan Presented July 2014 ...................... ............................... PublicInput ................................................... ............................... RevisedPlan ................................................. ............................... Recommended Option ................................. ............................... FrequencyLevels .......................................... ............................... SystemChange ............................................. ............................... NewRoutes .................................................. ............................... Enhanced Rapid Corridors ............................ ............................... Changes to Frequency, Span or Route ... :..................................... EliminatedRoutes ........................................ ............................... Downtown Santa Monica Core Service ......... ............................... Station Integration ....................................... ............................... Enhancements to Santa Monica College & UCLA ......................... LA Metro Changes in Santa Monica .............. ............................... Routeby Route ............................................. ............................... Route 1 —Santa Monica Boulevard ........... ............................... Route 2 —Wilshire Boulevard .................... ............................... Route 3 /Rapid 3 — Lincoln Boulevard ....... ............................... Route 4 —San Vicente Boulevard & Carlyle Avenue .................. Route 5 — Olympic Boulevard — Revised ... ............................... Route 6 — SMC Commuter ....................... ............................... Route 7 /Rapid 7— Pico Boulevard ............ ............................... Route 8 — Ocean Park Boulevard — Revised ............................. Route 9 — Pacific Palisades ....................... ............................... ............ 4 ............ 5 ............ 6 ............ 6 ...........18 ............ 9 ..........10 ..........11 ..........11 ..........12 ..........12 ..........12 ..........13 ...........13 ...........13 ...........14 ...........15 ...........15 ...........16 ...........17 ...........18 ...........19 ...........19 ........... 21 ........... 22 ........... 23 Rapid 10— Freeway Express .................................... ............................... Route 12 /Rapid 12 — UCLA /Westwood Boulevard ... ............................... Route13— Cheviot Hills .......................................... ............................... Route 14— Bundy Drive & Centinela Avenue ........... ............................... Route 15— Barrington Avenue ................................ ............................... Route 16— Bergamot Station /Marina Del Rey ......... ............................... Route 17— Sawtelle Boulevard ............................... ............................... Route 18 - Abbott Kinney /Montana / UCLA ..... ............................... Rapid 20 — Expo Culver City (Delete Route 20) .. ............................... Route 41 -42 — Memorial Park Station Loop .............. :....................... Route 43 — 26`h Street /San Vicente ................... ............................... Route 44— Airport & Bundy to Memorial Park Station ..................... Downtown Santa Monica Routing ........................ ............................... Late Night Expo Integration Possibilities ............... ............................... NextSteps ............................................................ ............................... PM 25 26 27 PW 29 30 31 32 ..... 33 ............... ............................... 34 ............... ............................... 35 ............... ............................... 36 ............... ............................... 37 91.1 The arrival of the seven new stations on the Expo Light Rail Line in the Big Blue Bus service area is an opportunity for Big Blue Bus to attract a large number of new riders. With many key destinations in the Big Blue Bus service area beyond walking distance from the new stations, and station parking at a premium, first and last mile connections will be crucial to maximizing the benefit of the rail line on traffic congestion and quality of life. The proposed plan seeks to leverage the strengths of the current Big Blue Bus route system, change or eliminate the weaker services in the system, and create new or redesigned corridors that will serve both our existing riders and attract new riders. The plan as shown features a 9% increase in vehicle revenue hours of service and is projected to attract a 14% increase in riders. The following pages describe the intentions, steps taken, and outcomes of the planning process. BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 4 Study Timeline BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 5 Draft Plan Presented July 2014 The draft plan, initially presented in July 2014, featured the following: ® A 9% increase in revenue service hours • A dense grid of north -south services • Removal of service duplication • Stop consolidation to improve speed and reliability for rapid services • Increased service on major ridership corridors • Inclusion of last mile service to all regional destinations • Recommended changes to all routes • Service change recommendation in two phases o Summer -Fall 2015 o Spring 2016 Public Input An intensive public engagement program utilizing multiple channels was conducted over the course of more than a year, which included the following outreach: • An online survey to gauge public desires • The first round of stakeholder and public meetings— Spring 2013 • Second online survey offering trade -off choices The second round of stakeholder and public meetings — Summer 2014 18 coordination meetings conducted with other transit service providers • Third online survey regarding the draft plan This extensive public engagement resulted in 4,600 survey responses and a total of 12,300 written and verbal comments on the plan. Analysis of the public input responses can be summed up as overall supportive of changing BBB service to connect to Expo. BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 6 Exposition Transit Corridor Phase 2 BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 7 Based on feedback from the public and stakeholders, the plan was revised. The revised plan (summarized below) addresses 67% of the critical comments. ® 19 routes received further refinements • Seven new north -south Expo connectivity corridors established • Bus -to- bus /rail transfers facilitated at the downtown station ® - Downtown bus traffic reduced by 42,000 miles of travel per year and most bus layovers removed from central downtown Santa Monica • Major ridership patterns preserved and opportunities for new ridership opened up • LA Metro agreement to a 15% reduction of duplicative downtown service • Bus ridership projected to increase by 14% or approximately 9,000 more daily riders 131313 / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 8 BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 9 Frequency Levels Both all -day high frequency routes (Route 1, Rapid 3, Rapid 7, and Rapid 12) as well as peak -only high frequency routes (Route 2, Route 8, and Route 14) feature frequency levels of 15 minutes or better under the new proposal. 131313 / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 10 ►i The Big Blue Bus Expo Integration Plan can be summarized as containing the following eight core elements: new routes, enhanced rapid corridors, changed routes, eliminated routes, downtown Santa Monica core service changes, station integration, Santa Monica College and UCLA service enhancements, and LA Metro service changes in Santa Monica. There are six new routes in the Expo Integration Plan. Each new route is designed to create new opportunities for Expo integrated ridership either through reformatting existing route segments, or travelling on completely new streets that show high probability of attracting strong ridership. Census data, key ridership locations, stakeholder feedback, and public feedback were all taken into consideration in the creation of these route corridors. New routes are described as follows: Route 15 — Barrington Avenue This route connects Bundy Station with points north along Barrington Avenue terminating at Brentwood Village, filling in the gap in the route network between the existing Bundy Avenue service and Sawtelle Boulevard service. Route 16 — Bergamot Station — Marina del Rey Travelling from Bergamot Station in two directions, this route has numerous key ridership locations along its path including the employment center near Wilshire and Centinela, SMC's AET Campus, Bergamot Station, SMC Main Campus, Ocean Park neighborhood, Mark Twain Middle School, Venice High School, Costco, and Marina del Rey employment and housing. Route 17 — Sawtelle Boulevard This route has been created from portions of the current Big Blue Bus Routes 4 and 12. Key destinations along this route include UCLA, the Veterans Administration Campus, Sawtelle Boulevard, three Expo Stations including Sepulveda, Palms and Culver City, Hamilton High School, and University Village Apartments (UCLA housing). Route 18— Montana — Abbott Kinney Boulevard Connecting the Montana Avenue service with the Downtown Expo Station and a new corridor to the south is expected to strengthen this corridor in terms of its ability to attract riders. Key destinations on this route include UCLA, Brentwood Village, Montana shopping area, Lincoln Boulevard north of downtown, Rose Avenue shopping area, Venice Family Clinic, Venice Skills Center, and Abbott Kinney Boulevard shopping. Route 42 —14`h Street — 201h Street This new route will complement the current Route 41, which currently runs in a clockwise loop. The new route will run the same loop in the opposite direction, counterclockwise. This route will be the key connector for the first and last mile destinations near the 17`" Street Memorial Park Station including Santa Monica College, Saint John's Hospital, UCLA Medical Center, and Montana Avenue. 131313 / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 11 Route 43 — 26th Street — San Vicente Running during the morning and afternoon peak times with a small vehicle, this commuter service will connect homes and business in the 26th Street corridor, the San Vicente corridor, Paul Revere Middle School with the Bergamot Expo Station and jobs at the Water Garden. Three corridors in the Big Blue Bus System carry an average of 55% of all daily riders. Those corridors are: Pico Boulevard, Lincoln Boulevard, and Westwood Boulevard. Each of the corridors features a local service making all stops, and a rapid service making fewer stops. The rapid service has a faster end -to -end travel time and as such, it has grown in popularity. In the Expo Integration Plan, Big Blue Bus will capitalize on this shift in customer preference from local to rapid service by increasing the frequency on rapid service, and lowering the frequency on the local service. In some instances, where warranted, the total number of stops may be reduced where consolidation makes sense due to ridership patterns. On the Westwood corridor, the Route 12 local service is eliminated altogether, but Route 8 service will operate locally in the corridor. Since rapid service operates end -to -end on the route faster, it is less expensive to run per passenger carried. This change is expected to increase efficiency levels on these corridors and increase passenger satisfaction. Changes to Frequency, Span or Route Seven routes other than those mentioned above receive a variety of recommended changes in the Expo Integration Plan. Routes 1 and 14 are extended to Marina del Rey and Playa Vista, respectively, to provide new connectivity to Expo stations from those areas. Route 5 is shortened on both ends where it duplicates other services. Routes 8, 9, and 44 are rerouted slightly to optimize their performance and in consideration of impacts on neighborhoods. Weekend service is eliminated on Route 10 to help provide needed resources for other routes, and eliminate redundancy with the rail line. 1 "a Four routes are eliminated, altogether, in the plan as follows: • Route 4 is routinely one of the poorest performing routes in the Big Blue Bus system. Key ridership destinations along the route are included in the plan along routes 5, 7, Rapid 7, 14, 15, 17 and 43. • Route 6 is eliminated in an effort to reduce duplication of services. • Route 13 services local neighborhoods south and east of Century City. Parts of this route will be served by Route 5, 7 and Rapid 7, and Big Blue Bus is in discussions with Culver City Bus and LA Metro about how their services could better assist riders in these areas. • Route 20 will be directly duplicated by the new Expo line and is eliminated in the plan as a result. BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 12 There are significant changes recommended in the downtown area which accomplish several objectives as follows: • Reduce bus traffic on the Transit Mall west of 4 1 Street by 50% • Facilitate transfers from all routes to the Expo Downtown Station • Reduce duplication of services with LA Metro through a 15% reduction in LA Metro trips to downtown • Reduce total bus miles travelled in the downtown area by 42,000 miles per year through strategic rerouting of buses • Move bus layovers off of 2nd Street, Broadway, and Arizona Avenue to the proposed interim use site at 4th /Colorado or to destinations at the perimeter of downtown • Introduce new layovers at the corner of 7th Street and Olympic Boulevard C r_ � Big Blue Bus has been working extensively with City of Santa Monica and City of Los Angeles to ensure that passengers making transfers at all stations will have a seamless experience. Initiatives under discussion include provision of way- finding signage, new bus berths, pedestrian improvements, and provisions for other users such as taxi, kiss and ride, corporate vans, and ADA Paratransit, in order to keep these users from parking in bus sto ps. Enhancements to Santa Monica College & UCLA As Big Blue Bus' two largest customers, a more focused review was made of services to Santa Monica College and UCLA campuses in order to look for ways to increase efficiency and provide better service. Currently, Santa Monica College is served by Routes 7 and Rapid 7 on Pico Boulevard, Route 44 connecting to Bundy Campus, and Route 41 connecting northward along 14th and 20th Streets. Working with Santa Monica College and the City of Santa Monica Planning and Community Development Team through the Memorial Park Neighborhood Plan Process, Big Blue Bus developed a plan to enhance service to Santa Monica College. Two new corridors will have direct connections to the campus via Route 16. The corridor to the south will travel via 23'd Street to Walgrove to Marina del Rey. The corridor to the north extends northeast to as far as Bundy and Wilshire, connecting the main campus with the newly expanded AET Campus at Stewart and Pennsylvania Street and making connections for students transferring from Santa Monica and Wilshire bus routes. UCLA is currently served by six routes, including Routes 1, 2, 3M, 8, 12 and Rapid 12. In the Expo Integration Plan, there are still six routes serving UCLA, but more destinations are available as a one -seat ride from campus. The transformation of Route 3M into Route 18 will mean that students, faculty and staff in Venice will now be able to get to campus, and the extension of the Sawtelle Route 17 to UCLA will mean that residents along Sawtelle will also now be able to ride to campus without transferring. BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 13 LA Metro Changes in Santa Monica The Big Blue Bus Expo Integration Plan includes changes for LA Metro that reduce overlap and duplication, move bus layovers out of the center of downtown, and reduce overall bus miles in the City of Santa Monica. LA Metro has preliminarily agreed to the recommended changes. BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 14 Route by Route The following is a series of route maps, details of span and frequency and key points of changes. Route 1 a Santa Monica Boulevard Downtown Santa Monica routing is adjusted to serve the station, the southern extension is eliminated to Venice High School and instead, the route is extended to Marina del Rey. The southern portion of route formerly going to Venice High School is now replaced with Routes 16 and 18. 131313 / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 15 Route 2 - Wilshire Boulevard Route 2 terminates at the Downtown Santa Monica Expo Station with little change to the frequency and span of service. '-, """ ROUTE 2 Q tF Weekday 6:40 — 22:40 15/20/30 Saturday 6:40 — 22:40 20-30 Sunday 7:10 — 22:40 20-30 BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 16 f �eccurf >. - a G �� hG4Fi� { Yy Weekday 6:40 — 22:40 15/20/30 Saturday 6:40 — 22:40 20-30 Sunday 7:10 — 22:40 20-30 BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 16 f Route 3 /Rapid 3 - Lincoln Boulevard The proposed plan shifts resources to increase frequency on Rapid 3 and decrease frequency on the local Route 3, with more Rapid 3 service added on weekends and bus stops being consolidated. In downtown, both routes are shifted in order to add a connection between the Expo Station and the north end of downtown. A new Route 18 is proposed, which would serve the former Montana section of Route 3 (currently Route 3M). RbUT'E,�, Weekday 6:00 — 20:00 Saturday 7:00 — 18:00 Sunday 7:00 —18:00 E'u � ProposeE Rohe R,*puod Rule ,z Dd.WdS.,..nt Jr 1�j mT fly r<�r R0 & z ♦S�wo WILEHIRE ty 4 'E a LAX #E -::AVIATION rL GREEN LINE .. 35TATION. Weekday 6:00 — 20:00 Saturday 7:00 — 18:00 Sunday 7:00 —18:00 10/20/20 20-30 30 131313 / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 17 Route 4 - San Vicente boulevard & Carlyle Avenue This route is deleted in the plan. High ridership areas are served on other routes as follows: Route 9 on 4th Street between downtown and San Vicente Boulevard, Route T (16) on San Vicente between 26th and 14th Streets, Routes 14 and 18 on San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood, Route S (17) on Sawtelle between VA and Sepulveda Expo Station, Route 7 and Rapid 7 on Pico Boulevard, and Route 5 on Olympic Boulevard. 2 `, ; j \41111.. i 4 ne !mil t Y:s 141111 { i � LLLLLLLLLL111 j EL14 yl \r 4 131313 / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 18 This route is shortened on both ends in the plan to reduce duplication with LA Metro and Expo Line. Sections deleted are those east of Century City and west of Bergamot Station. There will be peak only service on Motor Avenue to replace part of the service lost on Route 13 until Culver City adds service there, at which point Big Blue Bus will discontinue service on Motor Avenue. Weekday 1 5:30 — 21:00 1 30/30/30 Saturday 1 6:00 — 21:00 ( 60 Sunday 1 6:00 -21:00 1 60 1 BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 19 sk Proposed Route c=a ® . Peak Periods Only unul,"un, Deleted Segment © Metro Rait Connection o,oli 11111111 ilul MIAMI, bq %� 4'�t tltO �IIIII pnllll llllllr `�u r i 4` `h 26TH ST/BERGAMOT, s EXPO STATION �' >. •• °' "•�+' ¢'' �'> . >, PALMS EXPO' U STATIONrr Ind * Nu 3 "o, p i< v �r '4& BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 19 Route 6 - SMC Commuter This route is deleted in the plan as all sections are served by other routes. BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 20 m mmm,i, Deleted Route See other maps for proposed service in this corridor ea iZ 1's 141 t 4 �.l SANTA. M0NICA COLLEGE �4 BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 20 Route 7 /Rapid 7 - Pico Boulevard The primary focus of the change to this route is to shift resources from local Route 7 to Rapid 7, and to add weekend service on Rapid 7. This route is also rerouted in Downtown Santa Monica from Ocean Avenue to 4`" Street. 131313 / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 21 Douce 8 - Ocean Park Boulevard ® Devised This route has two small reroutes as follows: use Ocean Avenue in Downtown Santa Monica instead of Main Street to 2nd Street, and operate through the 4th Street underpass on Ocean Park Boulevard instead of up and over 4th Street. i n mac. Proposed Route `HILGARD TERMINAL uonuo Deteted Segment UCLA �* Metro Rail Connection 416 , s 5�� oy4 T Q� 4c a e; 6e�G 3 Fv u r�i �� '�• '> a, 6TH & 8 ROADWAY � SANTA MONICA COLLEGE ,.� J6 0 d 131313 / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 22 Route 9 - Pacific Palisades This route is adjusted to use 41h Street between San Vicente and Downtown Santa Monica instead of 7th and 6t" Streets. Proposed Route mimmomm Deleted Segment Metro Rail Connection Weekday 6:00 — 22:30 30/30/60 Saturday 6:30 — 22:30 35 Sunday 7:30 — 22:30 35 BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 23 Rapid 10 - Freeway Express This route remains largely the same except for the removal of weekend service and rerouting in the downtown area. This route may see further changes once Expo ridership patterns stabilize. BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 24 Route 12 /Rapid 12 - UCCA /Westwood Boulevard The plan for these routes is to consolidate them on the current Rapid 12 route and to shift the terminus from Culver City Station to Motor and Washington. ..0 r vv�iiuin iv w t 1 - :MOTOR& - c WASHINGTON BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 25 Route 13 - Cheviot Hills This route is deleted in the plan. Riders can access Route 7 or Rapid 7 on Pico Boulevard and Route 5 between Century City and Palms. 131313 / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 26 Route 14 — Bundy Drive & Gentinela Avenue This route is extended to Playa Vista in the plan and also shortened on the highly congested northern segment to improve speed and reliability. SkN YIDE cE BUNDY 131313 / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 27 Route 15 - Harrington Avenue This new route services Barrington Boulevard and Brentwood Village with connections to Bundy Expo Station. Proposed Route Metro Rail Connection SUNSET BkRRING70Pi �p4Fi ro, S 'y a� 44 >V 4 y Al 131313 / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 28 Route 16 - Bergamot Station /Marina Del Rey This new crosstown route travels from Bundy and Wilshire to Glencoe and Mindanao via Bergamot Station, Santa Monica College, 23`d Street, Walgrove Avenue, Venice High, Costco on Venice Blvd., and Marina del Rey. ,r WiL §HIRE& ,.e'. HCCLELLAN , :,h ayc f fp 131313 / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 29 Route 17 - Sawtelle Boulevard This new route connects UCLA to key university housing along Sawtelle Boulevard. It also connects major destinations such as the VA Medical Center, Hamilton High School, Sawtelle Boulevard shops, and Palms Boulevard housing to the Sepulveda, Palms and Culver City Expo Stations. BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 30 a�ryN ;HILGARD Propaoed Route TERMINAL UCLA (� Metro Reit Connection >g % o ,Vol VA CAL CENTER " r �F. asamr' °1iy9 yn> }0. CULVER CITY EXPO STATION w� bn. BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 30 Route 18 - Abbott Kinney / Montana / UCLA This new route strengthens the previous Route 3M by connecting the Montana portion of the route to the 4`" Street segment to Abbott Kinney, and uses small vehicles to address concerns expressed by 4th Street residents. ROUTE18i v weekday Saturday Sunday 6:00 —19:00 30/30/30 BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 31 Rapid 20 - Expo Culver City (Delete Route 20) This route is deleted in the new plan as riders can use Expo Line in place of Rapid 20. mulf(HIi Deteted Route See other maps for proposed service to thls corador A tV �i3lpdt{ 61IH1A L�ll�.�i{"111lp('IIIIIIii1p111111 Itl IIIiV fl bt/ip @IBPlillililmm it"OH1 /l.tyd6v/ b t1g6tRRiilt iixli4LtlAl "c�A� hAyfRl6Altt6ltttAt58dS4Mt \o yD BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 32 Route 41-42 -- Memorial Park Station Loop This route is adjusted in the plan to become bi- directional, and is rerouted on the 20`" Street alignment to service the Memorial Park Station. The route is shortened to Pico Boulevard rather than Ocean Park Boulevard to address neighborhood concerns, and weekend service has been added in response to public feedback. Proposed Route _..; Proposed Route onmuonu Deleted Segment © Metro Rail Connection ono 131313 / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 33 Route 43 - 2611, Street /San Vicente Proposed Route © Metro Rait Connection BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 34 Route 44 is rerouted in the plan to extend to the Expo Station at Memorial Park, and is also rerouted between Pico and Ocean Park to 16th and 17th Streets to lessen bus frequency on 20th Street as a result of community feedback. Peak frequency is reduced from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes, and the service day ends at 6:30pm. BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 35 Downtown Santa Monica Routing The downtown routing shown reduces bus traffic west of 4t" Street by over 50% and removes all layovers on 2nd Street, Arizona Avenue, and Broadway, moving them to new layover areas on 7t" Street and Olympic Boulevard (labeled A -1 in the above drawing). This routing configuration and removal of the layovers is dependent on completion of the station transit center. �3cp ®10 " mod` ♦. f O, J�" �onua. Colieee \yP A 4\ d � ;" Z tdf� x Expo Route Alignments Big Blue Bus and Metro � peg . cf Santa Monica DlrecHon oftravel BBB BUS Route \x, r S High S,11001 _ �MeVO Bus Route OBus Stop Interface ±V - 0 ExpoStetion N PQ, cityofS -"tita tt2a , €ca r0 q99 9rjd9 b BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 36 Late Night Expo Integration Possibilities Much of the bus network will cease operations earlier than the rail does on weekends. BBB is researching new flex -bus, demand response and P3 strategies to bridge this service gap and will return to City Council with proposals. BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 37 Next Steps • Council Adoption (and Public Hearing) of final plan - March 2015 • Public outreach program on the new routes — Summer 2015 Bus stop installation — Summer —Fall 2015 First half of changes — August - September 2015 • Second half of changes — Spring (March -April -May) 2016 • Expo Phase II begins operation — Spring - Summer 2016 Follow up study — March 2017 BBB / Expo Integration Study 12/2014 Page 38