SR-08-25-2015-3F
City Council
Report
City Council Regular Meeting: August 25, 2015
Agenda Item: 3.F
1 of 7
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Edward King, Director, Big Blue Bus, Transit Planning
Subject: Big Blue Bus Title VI Service Standards and Policies for Conducting
Service/Fare Equity Analyses
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council ap prove the proposed Big Blue Bus Title VI
Standards and Policies, and proposed update to the previously adopted Big Blue Bus
Service, Design, Performance, and Evaluation Guidelines.
Executive Summary
Staff developed Big Blue Bus Title VI Standards and Policies and an update to the
previously adopted Big Blue Bus Service, Design, Performance and Evaluation
Guidelines to comply with recently revised Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
guidelines. The Title VI Standards and Policies document establishes thresholds for
evaluating major service and fare changes to ensure that the proposed changes do not
result in a disparate impact on minority populations based on race, color, or national
origin, or a disproportionate burden on the low-income population. The proposed update
to the Service, Design, Performance and Evaluation Guidelines updates language in the
document that addresses the same issues regarding avoiding disparate impact.
Background
Title VI is a federal statute enacted as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that protects
persons from discrimination based on their race, color, or national origin. Title VI states,
“No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be
excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”
Title VI assures that public services, including transportation, are provided in a non-
discriminatory manner.
The FTA revised its Title VI Circular (C 4702.1B) on October 1, 2012 to provide
additional clarification on Title VI guidance for transit agencies receiving federal funds.
2 of 7
BBB, as a recipient of federal funds, must comply with the evolution of Title VI
guidelines. Non-compliance with Title VI may cause federal funding to be conditioned or
withheld.
On September 24, 2013, Council adopted the Service, Design, Performance, and
Evaluation Guidelines to ensure that all BBB services are evaluated for efficiency and
cost effectiveness. The guidelines contained a BBB policy regarding the solicitation of
public comment prior to raising fares or implementing a major change of transit
services, which partially addressed compliance with C 4702.1B. During the most recent
triennial review, the FTA found that BBB was lacking a specific procedure for monitoring
transit service and that the existing Title VI service standards and policies included in
the Service, Design, Performance, and Evaluation Guidelines were lacking, specifically
with regard to the revisions to C 4702.1B.
Discussion
To meet the guidelines of the revised C 4702.1B, staff developed policy thresholds for
evaluating major service and fare changes to ensure that the proposed changes do not
result in a disparate impact on minority populations based on race, color, or national
origin, or a disproportionate burden on the low-income population.
Three policies that address the changes to C 4702.1B include:
Major service and fare change policy
o Defines what actions are subject to a service or fare equity analysis
Disparate impact policy
o Defines the threshold to determine when a proposed change would
result in a disparate impact on minority populations
Disproportionate burden policy
o Defines the threshold to determine when a proposed change would
result in a disproportionate burden on the low-income population
3 of 7
Staff recommends adoption of a revision to the Service, Design, Performance, and
Evaluation Guidelines document to comply with the revised C 4702.1B. Staff has also
developed an independent document which more thoroughly addresses the revised C
4702.1B. This document is titled Title VI Standards and Policies. Adoption of the
changes to policy addresses the triennial review findings.
BBB will use the Title VI Standards and Policies to conduct equity analysis of a
proposed service or fare changes that meet the definition of a "major change" in the
Major Service and Fare Change Policy. An equity analysis is an FTA requirement that
ensures that proposed changes do not result in a disparate impact on minority
populations based on race, color, or national origin, or a disproportionate burden on the
low-income population.
A service or fare equity analysis would use the defined thresholds in the Disparate
Impact Policy and the Disproportionate Burden Policy to determine if the proposed
service or fare change results in an adverse impact on minority populations or a
disproportionate burden on low-income populations. Depending on the outcome of the
equity analysis, BBB may modify the proposed change to avoid, minimize, or mitigate
disproportionately high and adverse impacts on minority and low-income persons, if any
are found.
Title VI policy thresholds vary between different transit agencies and are reflective of
each agency's unique standing. Each transit agency possesses unique attributes that
influence systemwide ridership characteristics. The presence of job centers, colleges,
and connections to regional mobility hubs, for example, results in different ridership
compositions among peer agencies. These, combined, contribute to the determination
of an agency’s standing from which FTA attributes Title VI thresholds. The FTA
recommends a threshold between 5 percent and 20 percent. BBB has proposed a
15 percent disparate impact and disproportionate burden threshold that allows for
flexibility when planning future changes. The 15 percent threshold is a measure to
determine when a disparate impact or disproportionate burden would occur as a result
of the proposed changes. The measure is used in t he following way.
4 of 7
A disparate impact on the minority population would occur when:
The percentage minority population adversely impacted by a major service
change or fare change is 15 percent higher than the average minority population
of the BBB service area
The percentage non-minority population beneficially impacted by a major service
change or fare change is 15 percent higher than the average non-minority
population of the BBB service area
If a disparate impact exists, BBB would determine whether there are alternatives that
would serve the same legitimate objectives but with less disparate impact on the
minority population. If there are no viable alternatives, BBB must have a substantial
legitimate justification for making the proposed change.
A disproportionate burden on the low-income population would occur when:
The percentage low-income population adversely impacted by a major service
change or fare change is 15 percent higher than the average low-income
population of the BBB service area
The percentage non-low-income population beneficially impacted by a major
service change or fare change is 15 percent higher than the average non -low-
income population of the BBB service area
If a disproportionate burden exists as a result of the proposed change s, BBB may
choose to take steps to avoid, minimize, or mitigate the impact of the proposed change
on the low-income population.
All service and fare related proposals will continue to require Council approval.
5 of 7
BBB conducted a significant outreach eff ort to solicit public comment on the draft
policies to comply with the community input requirement of the FTA. Materials were
available in both English and Spanish.
BBB outreach efforts included:
Dedicated Title VI webpage on the BBB website
Email requesting comments on the Title VI proposed changes
Flyers placed in the front display case on nearly 200 BBB buses
BBB homepage main feature image asking for comments
Santa Monica Mirror article on BBB seeking Title VI input
BBB conducted a presentation and public hearing on May 11, 2015 at the Santa Monica
Disabilities Commission to provide an in-person opportunity for members of the public to
comment on the draft standards and policies.
Promotion of the public hearing included:
Information on the BBB website
Email with the public hearing date
BBB homepage main feature image with the public hearing date
Social media posts on Facebook and Twitter
Two print newspaper advertisements in the Santa Monica Daily Press
Flyers placed in the front display case on nearly 200 BBB buses
Information on the Disabilities Commission website
BBB received one public comment that recommended minor changes to the language in
the draft policies. The feedback was incorporated into the final document. All standards
and policies were developed after a peer review of similar FTA compliant
documentation obtained from other transit agencies.
6 of 7
If adopted, the standards and policies will be used to conduct a service or fare equity
analysis of any service or fare change that meets the definition of the major service and
fare change policy. The resulting analysis will determine whether or not the proposed
actions result in a disparate impact or disproportionate burden. The proposed actions
may be modified based on the outcome of the analysis to ensure that any disparate
impacts are avoided, minimized, or mitigated. The standards and policies will also be
used to evaluate transit performance every three years as required by the FTA.
7 of 7
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the
recommended action.
Prepared By: Timothy McCormick, Transit Planning Manager
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Service, Design, Performance, and Evaluation Guidelines_Updated May 7 2015
B. Big Blue Bus Title VI Standards and Policies_May 7 2015
C. Adoption of Big Blue Bus Service Design, Performance & Evaluation Guidelines
(web link)
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS – 1
SERVICE, DESIGN,
PERFORMANCE
AND EVALUATION
GUIDELINES
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS – 2
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS Contents – i
Contents
1 OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 .1
2 SERVICE DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 .1
2 .1 Service Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 .2
2 .2 Service Design Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 .2
3 SERVICE PERFORMANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 .1
3 .1 Key Performance Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 .2
4 SERVICE EVALUATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 .1
4 .1 Data Needs for Service Evaluation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 .2
4 .2 Service Evaluation Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 .2
4 .3 Public Input & Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 .3
4 .4 New Service Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 .3
4 .5 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 .5
5 APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 .1
Appendix A: Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus Public
Hearing Procedures For Major Service Or Fare Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 .1
Appendix B: Sample Quarterly Route
Performance Analysis Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 .3
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS Contents – ii
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS overview – 1.1
1 Overview
Santa Monica presents a unique case for transit in greater
Los Angeles. While dense, it has historically been somewhat
geographically removed from the urban core of the region.
As a result, it encouraged the growth and success of its own
transit system to better cater to the distinct needs of Santa
Monica and its surrounding communities. Big Blue Bus has
successfully served this area since 1928, and continues to be
a highly-performing model for other transit agencies across
the country to follow.
today, Big Blue Bus is the primary transit provider for the City of santa
Monica as well as many surrounding portions of Los Angeles. service is
provided to many major area destinations and transit centers, namely
UCLA, the rimpau transit Center, the Culver City expo Line station, the
wilshire/western Purple Line station, the Aviation/LAX Green Line sta-
tion, and downtown Los Angeles.
the Los Angeles area is a highly dynamic region. As its population grows,
so does its need for higher-capacity transportation solutions, with mass
transit figuring prominently in regional provider LA Metro’s set of solu-
tions. the introduction of the first phase of its exposition Light rail Line
(expo) has had a substantial positive impact on areas from downtown Los
Angeles to Culver City and neighborhoods in between. By extending the
expo Line and increasing the level of connectivity between the already-
powerful santa Monica area and greater Los Angeles (expo Phase 2 is
scheduled for completion in 2016), there is substantial potential for mo-
bility growth in the city and its surroundings. Yet with this growth comes a
new set of challenges for transit in santa Monica. How can Big Blue Bus
ensure that it connects the people and businesses of santa Monica with
each other as well as with this new link to the greater Los Angeles area?
these standards will guide Big Blue Bus in ensuring that its service is
meeting the expectations of both passengers and taxpayers, and will
guide every change and investment in service as santa Monica’s mobil-
ity needs and wants evolve.
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS overview – 1.2
This set of standards consists of three primary
components:
the service design standards lay out how Big Blue
Bus service should be designed and operated, for
existing as well as new services. the service perfor-
mance standards describe how Big Blue Bus ana-
lyzes its routes to ensure the highest possible level
of performance in terms of service effectiveness, ef-
ficiency, and quality for customers. the service eval-
uation process presents Big Blue Bus’ strategy for
analyzing, updating, and communicating its service
plans to ensure that it continues to provide service
that stays relevant to the needs of the City and its
residents, employees, and visitors.
Big Blue Bus is committed to the enforcement of Us-
Dot’s title vi regulations which state that no person
or group of persons shall be discriminated against
with regard to the routing, scheduling, or quality of
service of transportation provided on the basis of
race, color, or national origin.
ServiceDesign ServicePerformance ServiceEvaluation
Figure 1: Service Standard Components
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe DesiGn – 2.1
2 Service Design
Service design standards refer to how transit service is de-
signed, implemented, and operated on the street, from route
alignment and stop spacing to frequency and span of ser-
vice. The standards outlined in this section are not intended
to be absolutes, but guidelines to develop an efficient, effec-
tive transit network.
ServiceDesign
Bus Stop
Amenities
Vehicle
Assignment
Multiple
Service
Types
Stop
Spacing and
Placement
Service
Frequency
Span of
ServiceConnectivity
Service
Area
Coverage
Route
Design
Figure 2: Service Design
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe DesiGn – 2.2
2.1 Service Categories
At present, Big Blue Bus operates 20 fixed-route bus
services. Most of these are Local bus routes, which
operate on a set schedule and make local stops.
Big Blue Bus also operates several rapid (limited-
stop or express) routes with fewer stops and higher
speeds. Lastly, Big Blue Bus operates limited Com-
muter services, which supplement the other servic-
es provided during peak times of travel.
Based on current operating patterns, Big Blue Bus
service can be grouped into these three categories
based on the way the routes operate and their roles
in the transit network:
each category of service may have different stan-
dards and expectations based on the types of mar-
kets served and the operating protocols required.
wherever necessary, the service standards are
shown by category.
2.2 Service Design Standards
the dynamic nature of development in santa Monica
and western Los Angeles results in changing travel
markets and patterns in Big Blue Bus’ service area.
in order for Big Blue Bus to continue providing high
quality transit service, it is important for service
standards to monitor the quality of service provided
as well as determine where new services may be ap-
propriate or where services need to be adjusted and/
or discontinued.
Route design – the alignment of each route is a key
factor in its ability to successfully serve custom-
ers’ mobility needs. route design refers to route
directness, connections to key origins and desti-
nations, and how the route interfaces with other
transit services.
• Direct – Big Blue Bus routes should be de-
signed to serve origins and destinations via
direct pathways, minimizing out-of-direction
movements. this provides a faster trip to at-
tract more customers and fare revenue, while
minimizing the cost to provide service.
• Arterial – with the exception of some local ser-
vices, bus routes should serve major arterial
streets, avoiding smaller neighborhood streets.
• Grid Based – Big Blue Bus routes should be de-
signed in a grid-based structure, with higher-
frequency routes serving major corridors and
connecting on-street rather than deviating to
serve transfer hubs. A limited number of hubs
are exceptions forming the beginning or end
of routes and/or serving major destinations,
namely Downtown santa Monica and UCLA, as
well as rimpau terminal, expo Culver City, and
Green and Purple Line Metro rail stations.
• Intermodal Connectivity – Current Big Blue
Bus service is more oriented towards east-west
travel, with most major corridors positioned in
this way consistent with a majority of travel
patterns. with the coming expo Line Phase 2
(projected to be completed in 2016), which will
provide a frequent, high-capacity east-west
connection, Big Blue Bus will need to improve
Category Network Role Big Blue
Bus Routes
RAPID Provides high-frequen-
cy, limited-stop service
between santa Monica
and neighboring des-
tinations of strong
regional importance.
r3, r7, r10,
r12
LOCAL serves the greater
santa Monica area,
providing service along
major and secondary
corridors and serving
larger local destina-
tions and intermo-
dal connections.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7,
8, 9, 12, 14, 41
Crosstown, 44
sunset ride
COMMUTER Augments the local
network with addition-
al peak hour service to
key destinations.
6, 11, 13, r20
Table 1: Service Categories
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe DesiGn – 2.3
north-south connections to collect and distrib-
ute customers coming to/from expo. north/
south routes should focus on major arterials
wherever possible, and should be designed to
efficiently connect major destinations to expo
such as santa Monica College, UCLA, major
employers, major retail centers, medical facili-
ties, and visitor destinations.
Service area coverage – the service area cover-
age standard generally defines how transit service
will be provided in a certain area that meets Big
Blue Bus’ new service evaluation guidelines for
minimum transit demand. this includes defining
the maximum allowable walking distance to transit
services and how far apart stops should be placed
given the type of service that is being proposed or
provided currently.
• Medium Density Route Spacing – in general,
½ mile spacing between routes allows custom-
ers a maximum of ¼ mile walk (approximately
five minutes) to access service and is an appro-
priate standard for a grid-based bus system.
• High Density Route Spacing – within the dense
urban core of the santa Monica area (popula-
tion and employment densities of 30 residents
or jobs per acre and greater – roughly wilshire
Blvd. in the north to ocean Park Blvd. in the
south), service may be spaced as closely as ¼
mile between routes. several major regional
arterials are present in this area which warrant
bus service (wilshire Blvd., santa Monica Blvd.,
Colorado Ave., Pico Blvd., ocean Park Blvd.)
and all serve different regional and communi-
ties in Los Angeles County to the east.
• Low Density Route Spacing – outside of
the dense urban core (in areas with 10 to 30
residents or jobs per acre) service should be
spaced no closer than ½ mile between routes
except in extraordinary circumstances. Big
Blue Bus should avoid unnecessary duplication
of LA Metro or Culver City Bus service, except
where the corridor supports multiple service
types (e.g., rapid and Local).
• Rural Route Spacing – Areas with fewer than
10 residents or jobs per acre rarely provide
enough concentrated transit demand to gener-
ate ridership and meet Big Blue Bus perfor-
mance standards, and will only receive ser-
vice if significant trip generators or attractors
are present.
Connectivity – in order to maximize ridership and
avoid service duplication, it is important that cus-
tomers are able to transfer and connect to additional
service that takes them to their final destination, ei-
ther at major hubs such as downtown santa Monica
or on-street at major intersections. new services
should not only be designed as isolated routes, but
also as an important piece of the overall transit net-
work. A new route may enable convenient transfers
with existing services or provide connections be-
tween current routes and major destinations (“first
mile/last mile” connections).
Designing service to enable convenient transfers al-
lows Big Blue Bus to minimize service duplication,
since every route does not need to provide a one-
seat ride to the customer’s final destination. within
a limited-resource context, minimizing duplication
allows for a more effective use of resources.
• Big Blue Bus should seek to avoid duplicating
(overlapping) its own services or other services
to the maximum extent possible, by focusing
on providing frequent service on single routes
on a corridor (or rapid/Local pairs) rather than
providing less frequent service on several over-
lapping routes.
• Convenient transfers should be facilitated by
high frequencies (15 minutes or better, mini-
mum; 10 minutes, preferred) on major arterial
corridors. Frequency of service is discussed in
more detail below.
Span of Service – span of service defines how many
hours each day a specific route will operate. A lon-
ger span of service allows a route to capture more
riders throughout the day for a wider variety of trip
purposes, but also increases overall costs.
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe DesiGn – 2.4
span of service standards are more important to de-
scribe by the type of market/corridor served than by
the category of service, as a Local route serving a
major regional corridor may have very different span
needs than a Local route serving a smaller, second-
ary corridor. it is also important that the route spans
be coordinated with each other to provide necessary
connecting services.
Major Big Blue Bus corridors including Pico, Lin-
coln, santa Monica, wilshire, and westwood Blvd.
should operate as follows:
Later service may be required on certain corridors.
Most other Local corridors should operate as follows:
Later service may be required on certain corridors.
Commuter service spans should be tailored to
demand patterns.
spans of service may need to be adjusted on certain
routes depending on the operating hours of connect-
ing services such as expo and the resulting demand.
During off peak hours, there may be over capacity in
areas where routes are close together. For this rea-
son, some routes may have a truncated span of ser-
vice on all or part of the route during off peak hours
in order to save resources and trim capacity. the ex-
pectation is that riders will walk the short distance
between routes and use the alternate service that is
running later or running off peak.
Service Frequency – service frequency defines how
long customers must wait for bus service. with high-
er frequencies, fewer customers are left waiting for
buses at any given time, which helps make the ser-
vice more attractive to potential riders. At the same
time, however, higher frequencies can significantly
increase costs by requiring more buses and drivers.
Frequent service (which enables customers to use
service “spontaneously” without consulting bus
schedules) is defined as 15 minute headways or bet-
ter. the following are minimum frequency standards.
• rapid routes should operate at 15 minutes or
better throughout a majority of the day (eve-
nings may require less frequent service), while
10 minutes or better may be warranted on ma-
jor, high-demand corridors. whenever possible,
rapid services should operate more frequently
than Local service on the same corridor, to allow
maximum customer convenience and greater
access to the faster, more efficient service option.
• Local routes should operate at a minimum
of 30 minutes or better throughout the day
and week. Local routes on major corridors
(especially those without rapid options) may
warrant much more frequent service (15 or
10 minutes).
• Commuter route frequency should be tailored
to demand volumes but should operate 15
minutes or better to allow spontaneous use
where supported by ridership.
whenever possible, headways should be designed
as “clock-facing” where service operates every 6, 10,
12, 15, 20, or 30 minutes – headways divisible by 60 –
where the same times repeat each hour. this makes
service easier for customers to remember and use
without consulting schedules. exceptions are per-
mitted where a route (usually with longer headways)
will be operationally inefficient (e.g. require an addi-
tional vehicle resource) with a clock-facing headway.
Stop Spacing and Placement – this standard involves
how far apart bus stops are spaced. stops spaced
further apart allow for higher bus speeds (minimiz-
ing travel time for passengers on the bus) but require
Weekday Weekend
START TIME END TIME START TIME END TIME
5am-6am Midnight 6am-7am Midnight
Table 2: Major Corridor Span of Service
Weekday Weekend
START TIME END TIME START TIME END TIME
5am-6am 9pm 6am-7am 9pm
Table 3: Other Local Corridor Span of Service
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe DesiGn – 2.5
customers to walk further to access service. stop
spacing standards differ by service type, with rapid
stops spaced further apart than Local stops.
• Rapid Bus Stop Spacing – rapid bus routes on
corridors also served by Local routes should
have stops spaced a minimum of ½ mile apart,
and should be placed at major destinations,
intersections, and transfer points. rapid stop
placement should be determined based on
overall spacing as well as ridership.
• Local Bus Stop Spacing – For Local servic-
es, stop spacing from 1000 feet up to ¼ mile
(roughly 1,300 feet) is desirable. Local service
on small streets can sustain the most close-
ly-spaced stops (since trip distances are usu-
ally short) while Local stops on major arterial
streets risk introducing unnecessary delay if
stops are spaced closer than 1,000 feet. exist-
ing stops with continuously low usage will be
subject to review for consolidation with other
stops or removal in order to increase service
speed and reliability.
• Commuter Service Stop Spacing – Commuter
services can either use Local or rapid-type
stopping patterns depending on the type of
service and passenger needs.
• Stop Placement – Far-side stop placement
is recommended wherever possible. Far-side
stop placement improves bus speed with and
without transit signal priority, and improves pe-
destrian and bicycle safety (crossing the street
behind instead of in front of the bus). it also
maintains a larger amount of curb space avail-
able for parking than nearside stop placement.
Corridors With Multiple Service Types – Big Blue
Bus currently operates three rapid/Local pairs on
the same corridor – Lincoln (3/rapid 3), Pico (7/
rapid 7), and westwood Blvd. (12/rapid 12). these
corridors are among the highest-ridership and high-
est-performing in the Big Blue Bus system. in or-
der to determine whether additional corridors may
warrant rapid/Local service, the following criteria
should be met:
• Performance. operating multiple service
types requires a significant investment in re-
sources and should only be implemented on
very high-performing corridors. Per section 3,
service Performance, corridors which perform
at 150% of system average or better may be
candidates for rapid/Local service.
• Major stops. Corridors which have several
high-volume stops interspersed with lower-
volume stops are good candidates for rapid/
Local service, as the rapid will serve a major-
ity of ridership by making only the major stops.
• Longer-distance travel or significant end-to-
end travel. Both Lincoln and Pico Blvd. are lon-
ger-distance corridors where delay reduction
has a significant impact. rapid 12 service along
westwood Blvd. shows significant end-to-end
demand between Culver City expo and UCLA.
shorter corridors with significant local turnover
are not good candidates for rapid/Local service.
• Corridors without Rapid service operated by
another provider. LA Metro operates rap-
id service along wilshire and santa Monica
Blvds., making them inappropriate for Big Blue
Bus competing rapid Bus service.
Vehicle Assignment
the Big Blue Bus fleet contains three sub fleets that
are assigned by service type as follows:
• Articulated 60-foot motor coaches
⁻the articulated 60-foot coaches are assigned to
rapid service routes that have higher demand and
less frequent stops. Given that there are not enough
articulated buses to supply all of the assignments
for rapid service, some 40-foot coaches are also
assigned to rapid service. the rapid assignments
with the highest average passenger loads are as-
signed the 60-foot articulated coaches due to the
coach’s higher capacity. within rapid service, bus-
es are assigned among routes to maintain fleets on
each route with an average age that does not ex-
ceed the system wide average.
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe DesiGn – 2.6
• 40-foot motor coaches
⁻the 40-foot motor coaches make up over 80% of
the Big Blue Bus fleet. these buses are assigned
to the majority of the middle performing service as
well as to some rapid service as noted above. with-
in routes with 40-foot bus assignments, buses are
assigned among routes to maintain fleets on each
route with an average age that does not exceed the
system wide average.
• 32-foot motor coaches
⁻the 32-foot motor coaches are assigned to routes
with low ridership profiles and/or to routes that use
local streets. some 32-foot buses may also be as-
signed to routes that primarily use 40-foot coaches,
specifically at times when ridership is expected to
be light, such as nights or weekends. within routes
with mixed 40-foot and 32-foot bus assignments,
buses are assigned among routes to maintain
fleets on each route with an average age that does
not exceed the system wide average.
⁻the low number of vehicles in the 32-foot fleet (15
as of this writing), and the propensity to replace the
whole fleet at once means that there is little oppor-
tunity to assign a variety of vehicles in order to main-
tain fleets on each route with an average age that
does not exceed the system wide average. Buses
on routes with exclusive use of 32-foot vehicles are
currently younger than the system wide average and
will age on that route until they are replaced with
new vehicles, until such time as the 32-foot fleet is
large enough to enforce an average age policy.
Bus Stop Amenities
the Big Blue Bus service area contains the City of
santa Monica, where Big Blue Bus has significant
influence over bus stop amenities. At these stops,
amenities are allocated based on volume of activity
(total number of average daily boardings). Activity
levels are classified as follows:
note: Due to the rapid changes taking place in how
transit customers obtain information, allocation of
real time signage remains a fluid issue. Depend-
ing on technology developments, Big Blue Bus may
cease to provide these signs at stops, or may signifi-
cantly alter how they are allocated.
Parts of the Big Blue Bus service area that are out-
side of the City of santa Monica are allocated bus
stop amenities through a contract with a private pro-
vider through LA Metro. Big Blue Bus has no control
over bus stop amenities at those sites
Average
Daily
Boardings
Bus Stop
Classification
Amenities
Provided
49 OR LESS Low volume Public
information
kiosk
50-99 Medium volume Above plus
shelter and
seat
100-999 High volume Above plus
real-time
signage
1000 OR
MORE
very High volume Above plus
multiple shelters
or extra large
shelter
Table 4: Amenities Based On Ridership
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe PerForMAnCe – 3.1
3 Service Performance
Service performance standards are necessary to ensure
that all services are fulfilling their roles in the transit net-
work and contributing to the overall financial sustainability
of BBB. Performance should be measured regularly in or-
der to identify trends over time, and to allow prompt chang-
es to be enacted if necessary. Performance standards help
ensure that Big Blue Bus services are useful to customers
as well as cost-effective for the agency.
ServicePerformance
On-Time
Performance
Passenger
Load Factor
PassengersPer RevenueMile FareboxRecovery
Cost PerPassengerBoarding
CompositeIndex ofMeasures
PassengersPer RevenueHour
Service
Quality
Efficiency and
Effectiveness
Figure 3: Service Performance
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe PerForMAnCe – 3.2
3.1 Key Performance
Indicators
service performance may be measured using a
number of industry best practice key performance
indicators (KPis). these fall into two distinct groups,
the first focused on efficiency and effectiveness, the
second on service quality:
• efficiency and effectiveness:
⁻Passengers per revenue Hour
⁻Passengers per revenue Mile
⁻Farebox recovery
⁻Cost Per Passenger Boarding
⁻Composite index of efficiency and effectiveness
measures
• service Quality:
⁻on-time Performance (service reliability)
⁻Passenger Load Factor (identifying overloads)
3.1.1 Efficiency and
Effectiveness Measures
there are a number of external factors such as gas-
oline price, cost of parking, and state of the economy
that are at once fairly volatile, and also substantially
influential regarding our expectations for key perfor-
mance metrics. For that reason, while Big Blue Bus
does set minimum and maximum standards for per-
formance, the service is to be primarily measured
against the mean for the system. in this way, the
merits of individual routes can be accurately mea-
sured, while regulating for the effects of external
factors influencing overall ridership.
Passengers per Revenue Hour (PPH) – this KPi
measures service effectiveness or productivity based
on ridership (unlinked boardings) generated for each
hour of service operated.
Current Big Blue Bus route-level performance
for this metric ranges from approximately 10 pas-
sengers per revenue hour to almost 60 passen-
gers per revenue hour on weekdays, and from ap-
proximately 10 to 50 passengers per revenue hour
on weekends.
the following are the expected minimum thresholds
required to justify service. there are different mini-
mum expectations for each service category and
day of the week. some seasonal fluctuation in per-
formance is to be expected, as ridership to schools
and colleges may be lower during the summer, and
recreational ridership may be higher. Per the service
evaluation Process, service performance should be
reviewed quarterly but major service change deci-
sions should be based on annual data.
Passengers per Revenue Mile (PPM) – this indica-
tor is a measure of raw passenger generation per
mile that the bus operates, which does not account
for differences in service speed (unlike Passengers
Per revenue Hour).
Current Big Blue Bus route-level performance for this
metric ranges from less than 1 passenger per revenue
mile to 8 passengers per revenue mile on weekdays,
and from less than 1 passenger per revenue mile to 5
passengers per revenue mile on weekends.
expected minimum thresholds for passengers for
revenue mile are shown below. since rapid services
provide faster service (more miles in fewer hours),
they may not perform as well as Local services
in this category and therefore do not have higher
thresholds than Local.
Expected Minimum
Passenger Boardings
per Revenue Hour
CATEGORY WEEKDAY WEEKEND
rapid 40 35
Local 20 15
Commuter 20 -
Table 5: Minimum PPH Thresholds
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe PerForMAnCe – 3.3
Farebox Recovery – this indicator measures the
amount of service operating cost that is recouped
through farebox revenue, and is expressed as a
percentage. the higher the percentage, the higher
the amount of cost that is covered by farebox rev-
enue. routes which carry more riders per the
amount of service investment will have a higher
farebox recovery. Farebox recovery takes into ac-
count the cost of operation, the number of riders,
and the average fares that customers pay.
Cost per Passenger Boarding – this KPi measures
the cost to provide service on a per-passenger basis.
routes which carry more people per the amount of
service investment will have a lower cost per pas-
senger boarding. since operating costs are largely
driven by revenue hours, evaluating routes on a cost
per passenger boarding basis will yield similar re-
sults to the passengers per revenue hour analysis –
however, cost per passenger boarding can take into
account cost sharing or other funding relationships
that may reduce subsidy. if routes do not meet mini-
mum expectations for the other indicators above,
they must meet cost per passenger boarding expec-
tations to continue operation.
Composite Index of Efficiency and Effectiveness
Measures – the weakness of individual measures
of performance is that some routes may perform
poorly on certain measures even though the bus is
running at full capacity and performs well on other
measures. For instance, Big Blue Bus Line rapid 10,
which runs express (no stops) for more than half the
route, could receive a low performing Passengers per
revenue Hour score even when running full because
once the bus is loaded, there are no further opportu-
nities to open up new seats and gain more boardings
along the route. Depending on the relative number
of boardings on other routes, this could conceivably
result in a Low Performing score. each of the four
efficiency and effectiveness measures gives valuable
insight into performance, and yet, each measure will
favor certain routes and route profiles.
the advantage to the Composite index KPi is that it is
a blend of the values of the other four efficiency and
effectiveness measures, and gives a more a mea-
sured and balanced overall look at the performance
of each route against system averages.
the Composite index KPi is calculated by assessing
a ranking value between 1 and 20 to each route for
each of the other efficiency and effectiveness mea-
sures, and then adding those ranking figures for
each route to gain an overall ranking for the route. A
lower ranking indicates better performance (routes
are ranked with the number one route being the
highest performer and the number 20 route being
the lowest performer.)
Expected Minimum
Passenger Boardings
per Revenue Mile
CATEGORY WEEKDAY WEEKEND
rapid 2 1.75
Local 2 1.75
Commuter 2 -
Table 6: Minimum PPM Thresholds
Expected Minimum
Farebox Recovery Ratio*
CATEGORY WEEKDAY WEEKEND
rapid 16%14%
Local 12%12%
Commuter 12%-
*values to be updated regularly in accordance with BBB cost structures.
Table 7: Farebox Recovery Ratio
Expected Maximum Cost
Passenger Boarding*
CATEGORY WEEKDAY WEEKEND
rapid $4.50 $5.00
Local $5.00 $6.00
Commuter $5.00 -
*values to be updated regularly in accordance with BBB cost structures.
Table 8: Maximum Boarding Costs
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe PerForMAnCe – 3.4
3.1.2 Service Quality Measures
On-Time Performance – An on-time performance
standard defines a minimum threshold that Big Blue
Bus should meet regarding the percentage of total
daily trips that are recorded as on-time. on-time
performance reflects both the quality and reliability
of service, which can affect whether or not people
choose to use transit.
Big Blue Bus defines “on time” as one minute early
to 5 minutes late at each timepoint, disregarding
early arrivals at the final timepoint.
the goal of 85% on-time performance system-
wide is a common industry standard, which allows
for some level of service variability while main-
taining the reasonable expectation of reliability
for customers.
Passenger Load Factor – Passenger loads refers
to how many people are on the bus at any given
moment compared to its capacity both seated and
standing. if passenger loads are high which results
in overcrowded conditions, additional service may
need to be required to address the issue.
service quality issues with crowding are dependent
on the amount of time that customers must stand on
the bus. if crowding is a relatively brief phenomenon,
it does not justify the expense of adding additional
service. Conversely, on longer-distance express-type
service, it is not advisable to allow any standees due
to the amount of time that most customers spend on
the vehicle as well as the bus’ higher speeds.
overcrowding may be a result of high ridership
performance, and should therefore be evaluated
in the context of not merely relieving crowded ve-
hicles but providing higher service levels overall.
sustained crowding (e.g. not merely one or two
trips per day) of approximately 130% of seated ca-
pacity should be evaluated for the need to provide
increased frequency.
3.1.3 Relative Service
Effectiveness Measures and
Corrective Action Guidelines
Along with minimum performance standards, routes
will be evaluated in comparison with each other for
service efficiency and effectiveness. Big Blue Bus
will derive the systemwide average for each metric
and determine how each route performs compared
with the system average. For example, if the system-
wide average is 40 passengers per revenue hour,
and one route generates 30 passengers per revenue
hour, that route performs at 75% of system average.
Based on percentage of system average, the routes
will be evaluated within the following categories:
• Low-performing service: 50% of system aver-
age and below;
• Average-performance service: between 51%
and 149% of system average: and
• High-performing service: 150% of system av-
erage or better
the sections below include corrective action plans
for routes falling into the categories described above.
routes in the low and high categories may warrant
more intensive actions, while routes towards the
middle are adequately fulfilling their roles in the
network. routes at the cusps of each category may
be subject to the actions in the neighboring category
based on the best judgment of Big Blue Bus.
Category Passenger Load Factor
rapid on Freeway 100% of seated capacity
rapid 150% of seated capacity for two or
more miles
Local 150% of seated capacity for two or
more miles
Commuter 150% of seated capacity for two or
more miles
Table 9: Load Factor
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe PerForMAnCe – 3.5
Low-Performing Service (50 percent or lower
of system average)
if a bus route is found to be “low performing” (ranks
at or below 50% of the system average) on three or
more of the five efficiency and effectiveness met-
rics listed in section 3.1 for two or more consecutive
quarters in a row, the service is subject to a Correc-
tive Action Plan.
routes which rank within this category will be re-
viewed to determine their potential for improvement.
Corrective actions include any and all of the following
based on the best judgment of Big Blue Bus. routes
in this category may still meet expected minimum
performance standards as identified above – how-
ever, there may be room for improvement.
• Segment Level Analysis: A segment level
analysis of a low-performing service may high-
light a specific portion of the route that sig-
nificantly reduces the overall performance,
causing it to perform below the standard for
its service class. if a low-performing segment
is identified, it can be modified to attempt to
raise productivity for the route as a whole. if the
results of a segment level analysis turn out to
be inconclusive, however, modifications to the
entire route should be considered.
• Operational Analysis: often the difference be-
tween meeting and failing minimum perfor-
mance standards is one of vehicle resources.
realigning service to cover only critical seg-
ments or eliminating unnecessary delay (e.g.
deviations) are ways to reduce travel time
and save resources, thereby raising perfor-
mance levels.
• Change in Service Levels: Adjusting the ser-
vice levels of a low-performing route – by
any combination of frequency, span, or day of
week changes – may help to tailor the tran-
sit product to its market, and subsequently
increase productivity.
• Cost Sharing: exploring cost sharing or public-
private partnerships can reduce the amount of
subsidy required on low-performing services.
this is applicable for routes which do not meet
minimum performance standards yet serve a
need identified by businesses, schools, attrac-
tions, or other organizations that may be will-
ing to assist with funding operations in order to
continue service. routes that have cost-shar-
ing relationships will likely become Average
Performing or High Performing in the Cost Per
Passenger Boarding metric, but will still need
to meet least average performing standards on
at least two other metrics in order to avoid fur-
ther Corrective Action Plans.
• Targeted Marketing: Marketing tactics can
help to raise the public awareness of a route
in need of remedial action. Poor ridership may
be a result of a lack of public knowledge of a
route, and investing in marketing can reverse
this trend. this is especially the case for con-
centrated market groups like employment
centers, shopping districts, schools, hospitals,
agencies, and other major destinations.
• Rider Outreach: onboard surveys and rider
interviews are methods for gaining valuable
information on how a route can be improved.
these methods can reveal information about
popular destinations that a route may bypass,
or other aspects of a service that may be hold-
ing back ridership growth.
Using this information, Big Blue Bus will create a
Corrective Action Plan for improving performance.
the Corrective Action Plan will be formally imple-
mented in the next feasible service change window
given the limitations in place regarding public pro-
cess, public hearing (if required), and annual service
change calendar.
once a Corrective Action Plan and implemented, the
route must meet Average Performing or High Per-
forming standards on at least three of the five ef-
ficiency and effectiveness metrics for at least one
quarter within the first three successive quarters af-
ter implementation of the plan or face further action.
once a route reaches at least Average Performance
on three of the five efficiency and effectiveness met-
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe PerForMAnCe – 3.6
rics for at least one quarter, the process of Correc-
tive Action is deemed concluded, and any subse-
quent low performance is treated as a new event.
• Discontinuation: this is the final option for a
low-performing route that does not meet mini-
mum performance standards for at least three
successive quarters. it can be applied to a
route segment or the route as a whole. if none
of the aforementioned Corrective Actions are
successful in raising productivity to Average or
High Performing in at least three of the five effi-
ciency and effectiveness Metrics shown above,
discontinuation may be necessary to ensure
effective use of resources. Corrective Actions
shall be in action for at least three successive
quarters before service is discontinued, except
in extreme or unforeseen circumstances. the
effects on the routes’ transit-dependent rid-
ers will be considered when discontinuation is
an option.
Average-Performing Service (51 to 149 percent
of score average)
routes in this category are adequately fulfilling their
roles in the transit network, and no Corrective Action
is required. these routes will be monitored on an on-
going basis to determine whether their performance
improves, decreases, or remains steady. while no
particular action is necessary, ranking in this cat-
egory does not preclude service adjustments at the
discretion of Big Blue Bus.
• Actions: routes in this category perform well
as a whole. their average performance may
point to conditions where performance is con-
sistent equally throughout their length, or con-
ditions where there may be segments of very
high and also low performance. routes in this
category should undergo a trip-by-trip or seg-
ment-level analysis to determine whether they
are average overall, or include trips or seg-
ments which fall into the more extreme cat-
egories. segments which would be considered
low or very high performers are subject to the
actions detailed in those sections.
High-Performing Service (150 percent or higher of
score average)
routes ranking in this category suggest the need for
greater investment, as high performance may signal
overloading and passing passengers by due to ca-
pacity issues, as well as the presence of significant
latent demand.
Actions for high-performing routes include:
• Increase service levels: in order to maintain a
high quality of service, it is important to prevent
significant overcrowding on vehicles. increas-
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe PerForMAnCe – 3.7
ing service levels by adjusting the service’s fre-
quency, span, or days of week served can help
to alleviate this issue, as well as make service
more attractive to a wider pool of potential cus-
tomers, including those that currently drive.
High frequencies provide dependable service
with minimal waits, encouraging passengers to
arrive randomly without consulting a schedule.
• Introduce additional service types (Rapid):
High-performing corridors may warrant the
upgraded service quality of rapid bus service
with Local underlays. very high-performing
corridors will be analyzed for the need to intro-
duce new rapid service.
this category of routes constitutes the top-perform-
ing tier of the entire Big Blue Bus system and es-
sentially the system’s flagship service. it is very im-
portant to maintain a high-quality level of service as
well as to continue further investment. it is impor-
tant to monitor these routes and make investments
in key areas that are aimed at further improving
overall service.
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe PerForMAnCe – 3.8
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe evALUAtion – 4.1
4 Service Evaluation
The service evaluation process is conducted in order to en-
sure the continued performance of individual services, as
well as the overall network. This evaluation is intended to
improve service design and productivity within categories,
which is important to ensure that Big Blue Bus offers a con-
sistent system that is easy for customers to use and easy for
Big Blue Bus to promote, manage, and administer.
ServiceEvaluation Title VI and
Environmental
Justice
Public Input
and Review
New Service
Evaluation
Data
Analysis
QuarterlyPerformanceAnalysis
Figure 4: Service Evaluation
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe evALUAtion – 4.2
4.1 Data Needs for Service
Evaluation Process
The performance measures discussed above
require the regular collection and updating of the
following data sources:
•Ridership: total number of boardings and on-
board load by route and day of the week will
be collected monthly. this data is available
through Big Blue Bus Automatic Passenger
Counter (APC) systems. through regular col-
lection of ridership data, trends over time can
be examined.
•Revenue: the amount of income generated on
a route-by-route basis will be gathered monthly.
•Resources: the number of vehicles, revenue
miles, and revenue hours per route by day of
the week will be collected from Big Blue Bus
scheduling information.
•Costs: the cost of providing service will be up-
dated on an annual basis for each vehicle type.
•On-Time Performance: Departure times at
each timepoint (and arrival at final timepoint)
are collected via Big Blue Bus Automatic ve-
hicle Location (AvL) systems.
•Community Considerations: the locations of
senior, disabled, and lower-income popula-
tions are important to consider in transit ser-
vice planning in order to ensure that these
groups are provided with mobility within the re-
gion. this information is available via Us Cen-
sus or American Community survey data. Cen-
sus tracts with concentrations of minority or
low-income populations above the service area
average are covered by title vi regulations.
Likewise, the presence of medical facilities,
nursing homes, and other community services
are given consideration to ensure that these
facilities are connected with the communities
they serve. this data will be collected through
cooperation with local planning and develop-
ment agencies.
•Business Arrangements: existing or proposed
arrangements with employers, educational in-
stitutions, and government entities are consid-
ered when evaluating route performance. For
cost sharing arrangements, the amount of sub-
sidy provided to operate service on a monthly
or annual basis (however the contract is struc-
tured) will be provided, as well as any condi-
tions on that subsidy. Any cost sharing should
be included in the cost per passenger boarding
metric to assure that services is represented
accurately regarding performance levels.
4.2 Service Evaluation
Schedule
Quarterly Route Performance Analysis – on a
quarterly schedule, service performance measures
will be reviewed according to the metrics and stan-
dards outlined below. see Appendix B for a sample
quarterly route performance analysis report.
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe evALUAtion – 4.3
The quarterly report will include the following
Key Performance Indicators:
•Passengers per revenue Hour by route
•Passengers per revenue Mile by route
•Farebox recovery by route
•Cost per Passenger Boarding by route
•Composite index by route
•on time performance by route
•Passenger Load Factor by route
4.3 Public Input & Review
During any substantial changes to service (align-
ment or significant schedule changes), customer,
public, and employee input on recommendations re-
sulting from service evaluation are actively sought.
Current Big Blue Bus policy requires a public hear-
ing with the santa Monica City Council prior to:
•Any permanent change that increases fares on
the BBB’s service.
•A twenty-five percent (25%) or more reduction
of the number of daily transit revenue vehicles
miles of a route; i.e., the total number of miles
operated by all vehicles in revenue service for
a particular day of the week on an individu-
al route.
•A twenty-five percent (25%) or more reduction
of the number of transit route miles of a route;
i.e., the total mileage covered during one round
trip by a vehicle in revenue service on a par-
ticular route.
•Proposed introduction of a new route.
Detailed information on Big Blue Bus public hear-
ing procedures are contained in Big Blue Bus “Pub-
lic Hearing Procedures for Major service or Fare
Changes”, attached as Appendix A. in addition to the
public hearing process, Big Blue Bus employs vari-
ous outreach methods including:
•Publication on website
•information posted on buses
•Public meetings in various parts of the Big
Blue Bus service area
•notices to public officials, key stakeholders,
and community groups
•targeted surveys to riders of affected services
•e-communications to self-identified Big Blue
Bus passengers (those who provide contact in-
formation)
•“Ambassador” personnel stationed at key
bus stops and transit hubs to discuss service
changes with customers
Big Blue Bus will conduct public outreach one month
or more prior to a route change, depending on the
amount of service impacted. Customers, stakehold-
ers, and the general public are invited to provide
comment through the Big Blue Bus website, at pub-
lic meetings, through surveys, or at public hearings
with the santa Monica City Council. overall, BBB will
follow public outreach policy shown in Appendix A.
4.4 New Service Evaluation
As development patterns change and population
centers shift – and as transit options to santa Mon-
ica are expanded, as seen with the coming addition
of Metro’s expo Line – Big Blue Bus will analyze the
need for new services using the criteria listed below.
new services or improvements to existing services
are evaluated with respect to design standards and
consistency with adopted policy principles. service
investment decisions can provide incentives for
community support of transit in policy, funding, zon-
ing, and site design.
Planning and implementing new transit service re-
quires an examination of certain characteristics of
the proposed service area. the densities and demo-
graphic characteristics of a given service area, as
well as destinations served and integration with the
surrounding transit network, are key parts of transit
success. it is important to note that new service im-
fare media
change
or elimination
change
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe evALUAtion – 4.4
plementation is not dependent on any one factor be-
low, but arises from a combination of each of these
factors. to determine whether an area warrants new
transit service, Big Blue Bus will analyze the follow-
ing characteristics of a proposed service area:
• Population and Employment Density: A mini-
mum level of density (approximately 10 people
or jobs per acre) needs to be present in a given
area to support regular bus service. in general,
higher density areas are more conducive to ef-
fective bus service than low density areas due to
greater demand and potential ridership. Density
of the proposed new service area will be com-
pared to the densities of existing service areas.
• Transit Inclined Populations: Certain demo-
graphic groups are more inclined to use transit
than others such as seniors, the disabled, stu-
dents, low-income individuals, Millenials and
households without automobiles. in assess-
ing an area’s demand for transit service it is
be important to examine the presence of these
demographics groups and whether any unmet
needs are present. Census tracts with concen-
trations of minority or low-income populations
above the service area average are covered by
title vi regulations. while title vi areas are
not in themselves a warrant for service, they
should be considered as part of the decision-
making process.
• Parking shortages, high parking costs: there
are a number of worksite, recreation and shop-
ping destinations in santa Monica and the sur-
rounding sections of Los Angeles where free or
inexpensive parking is difficult to obtain. these
sites have a higher propensity for transit rider-
ship than similar sites with ample free parking.
• Transit Demand Management: A number of
schools and businesses in santa Monica and
surrounding Los Angeles offer subsidized
transit passes, and other programs to encour-
age their constituents to avoid driving single-
occupant automobiles. Depending on the pro-
gram features, these conditions can lead to an
increased demand for transit.
• Key Destinations: Connecting residents with
key destinations such as employment centers,
hospitals, schools, shopping, and entertain-
ment is a key factor in designing transit ser-
vice. Key destinations are those defined as
generating at least 150 daily transit boardings.
• Network Integration: Any new service should
avoid duplicating existing service (see ser-
vice spacing guidelines), and should link into
the existing transit network in a logical man-
ner to ensure that connections to other routes
and services provide attractive linked journeys.
with the arrival of expo light rail in santa Moni-
ca, first-mile and last-mile connections are ex-
pected to be a key component of BBB service.
• Projected Performance: in order to ensure
continued maintenance or improvement of
Big Blue Bus service productivity, new routes
should be projected to perform at levels that
meet or exceed the system average based on
the metrics outlined in the service Perfor-
mance section.
new services depend on budget availability and can
only be initiated when funding allows, either through
resource reallocation, additional fare revenue, or
new outside funding. introduction of new services
are subject to a trial period of one year to meet mini-
mum performance standards commensurate with
service category using the following process.
• new services will be examined quarterly to as-
sess whether they are meeting the minimum
service efficiency and effectiveness metrics.
• if at the conclusion of the first three succes-
sive complete quarters after implementation,
or any time thereafter, the service is found to
be “low performing” (ranks at or below 50% of
the system average) on three or more of the
five efficiency and effectiveness metrics listed
in section 3.1 for three or more quarters in a
row, the service is subject to a corrective action
plan and subsequent outcomes as discussed
in section 3.1.3.
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe evALUAtion – 4.5
Title VI and Environmental Justice
Big Blue Bus complies with all United states Depart-
ment of transportation (UsDot) title vi guidelines
and prepares regularly scheduled title vi reports.
when evaluating potential service or fare changes,
Big Blue Bus will evaluate the effects of the changes
to discover if there are disproportionate impacts to
low-income or minority populations. title vi prohib-
its recipients of Federal financial assistance (e.g.,
states, local governments, transit providers) from
discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national
origin in their programs or activities.
4.5 Conclusion
Big Blue Bus is proud to be a trusted partner in mo-
bility in the dynamic santa Monica region. By setting
clear standards for service design, performance, and
evaluation, Big Blue Bus is committing itself to pro-
viding the most effective and efficient transit service
possible, with full accountability to those it serves.
through the use of these standards, Big Blue Bus
ensures that it will continue to provide a transpar-
ent and inclusive process in its decision making.
through our interaction with our stakeholders and
the community at large, it is our expectation that this
document will continue to evolve and adapt to the
changing needs of santa Monica and the surround-
ing Los Angeles area.
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS serviCe evALUAtion – 4.6
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS APPenDiX – 5.1
5 Appendices
Appendix A:
Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus Public Hearing
Procedures For Major Service Or Fare Changes
1.BACKGROUND
santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus (BBB) is required by the Federal transit
Act, as amended through 1992, to establish a policy which defines a
process to solicit and consider public comment prior to raising fares or
implementing a major change of transit services.
2.BBB POLICY
A . It shall be the BBB’s policy that public comments be solicited
prior to:
i.Any permanent change that increases fares on the BBB’s service.
ii.A twenty-five percent (25%) or more reduction of the number of daily
transit revenue vehicles miles of a route; i.e., the total number of miles
operated by all vehicles in revenue service for a particular day of the week
on an individual route.
iii.A twenty-five percent (25%) or more reduction of the number of transit
route miles of a route, i.e., the total mileage covered during one round trip
by a vehicle in revenue service on a particular route.
iv.Proposed introduction of a new route.
B . It shall be the BBB’s policy that the following shall be exempt from
public comment and public hearing:
i.A minor change in fare or service. examples would be temporarily
reduced, experimental or promotional fares, minor reroutes or minor tem-
porary reroutes due to street construction(s) or minor schedule changes.
ii.experimental, seasonal or emergency service or fare changes expected to
exist fewer than one hundred and eighty (180) consecutive days in service.
if these changes ultimately continue to remain in effect for more than
one hundred and eighty (180) consecutive days, they will be the subject of
public comment and public hearing.
Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus Public Hearing Procedures For Major Service Or Fare Changes
that will be, or has been, operated
for more than twelve (12) months
fare or fare media
change
change
or elimination
six (6) months
six (6) months
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS APPenDiX – 5.2
3. PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
when required, the public comment process will be-
gin with the publishing of a legal notice seven cal-
endar days in advance of the public hearing date in
the local newspapers of general circulation. this no-
tice will set a specific place, date and time for one or
more public hearings. written comments will also
be accepted on the proposed changes seven calen-
dar days beyond initial publishing of the legal notice.
Legal notices will inform the public of the proposed
actions that initiated the public-comment process.
Press releases will also be prepared and sent to the
local media.
4. SCHEDULING PUBLIC HEARING(S)
the public hearing(s) will be scheduled and conduct-
ed by the City of santa Monica City Council at a time,
date and place to be designated. the facility utilized
for public hearings will be accessible to persons with
disabilities. special arrangements will be made for
sight or hearing impaired persons if requested at
least three days prior to the meeting.
5. PROCEDURE FOR CONDUCTING
PUBLIC HEARING
Forms will be available to attendees to register their
presence and desire to speak. Public hearings will
begin with a reading of the public notice, purpose
and proposed action that necessitated the public
hearing. After an explanation of the proposed ac-
tion is completed, the public will be invited to offer
their comments. the City Council will determine
the amount of time the public has to comment dur-
ing the public hearing. After all registered persons
have commented, a final opportunity will be offered
for any additional public comment. this offering will
precede the close of the public hearing.
6. DOCUMENTATION OF PUBLIC HEARING
official records of BBB public hearings on fare or
service adjustments will be generated by:
A . Affidavits of newspaper publications of
public notices .
B . Press releases conveying information on upcom-
ing public hearings .
C . Tape recordings and transcripts of proceedings .
7. ADDRESSING PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED
All relevant comments received verbally or in writ-
ing at a public hearing, or as otherwise conveyed to
BBB prior to the established deadline, will be en-
tered into the public record of the comment process.
subsequent to the public comment period, staff will
evaluate and analyze all relevant comments received
and prepare a written report for consideration by the
santa Monica City Council.
8. CITY COUNCIL
the City Council will be notified by the City Manager
of all written public comment solicitations in ad-
vance of all scheduled public hearings on fare and
service adjustments. A summary of public feedback
received will be provided to the City Council along
with staff recommendation for final disposition of
the issues. Upon review by the City Council, the City
Manager will be directed accordingly to proceed with
or amend the recommended service and/or fare ad-
justments.
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS APPenDiX – 5.3
Appendix B:
Sample Quarterly Route Performance Analysis Report
APRIL 1 - JUNE 30, 2013
Introduction
Line 7 continues to be the highest performing route in the Big Blue Bus system, followed by rapid 12, rapid
7, Line 14 and Line 3 in that order. Changes put into effect on June 16, 2013 increased service on two of these
lines, Line 7 and rapid 7, changing their base frequencies from every 15 minutes to every 12 minutes on both
lines. Additional changes that will go into effect on August 25th, 2013 will add service to the Lincoln corridor
by adding midday service on rapid 3. this is expected to relieve the frequent midday crowding that is currently
occurring on Line 3.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 20 22 23 27 41 44 Passengers per Revenue Hour Route
150% Mean: 66.4
Mean: 44.3
50% Mean: 22.2
Figure 5: Passengers per Revenue Hour by Route
0
2
4
6
8
10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 20 22 23 27 41 44 Passengers per Revenue Mile Route
150% Mean: 7.17
Mean: 4.78
50% Mean: 2.39
Figure 6: Passengers per Revenue Mile by Route
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS APPenDiX – 5.4
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 20 22 23 27 41 44 Farebox Recovery Route
150% Mean: 39.01%
Mean: 26.01%
50% Mean: 13.00%
Figure 7: Farebox Recovery by Route
$0
$2
$4
$6
$8
$10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 20 22 23 27 41 44 Cost per Passenger Route
150% Mean: $2.78
Mean: $1.85
50% Mean: $0.93
Figure 8: Cost per Passenger by Route
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
7 22 27 14 1 3 12 23 13 8 11 2 10 9 5 44 6 41 4 20 Composite Index Rank Route (Ordered by Rank)
Figure 9: Composite Index
SERVICE STANDARDS – BIG BLUE BUS APPenDiX – 5.5
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 20 22 23 27 41 44 On Time Percentage Route
Goal of 85%
Figure 10: On Time Performance by Route
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 20 22 23 27 41 44 Passenger Load Factor Route
Recommended
Maximum
Passenger
Load Factor
of 130%
Figure 11: Passenger Load Factor
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 20 22 23 27 41 44 Total Ridership Route
Figure 12: Total Ridership by Route
Big Blue Bus
Title VI Standards and Policies
May August 725, 2015
Page | 1
Table of Contents
Overview ............................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Service Design .................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Service Standards and Policies ................................................................................................................................... 3
Vehicle Load ................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Vehicle Headway ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
On-time Performance ............................................................................................................................................ 54
Service Availability ...................................................................................................................................................... 5
Transit Amenities ..................................................................................................................................................... 65
Vehicle Assignment ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Monitoring Transit Service .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Service and Fare Equity Policies................................................................................................................................. 8
Major Service Change Policy .................................................................................................................................. 8
Disparate Impact Policy ............................................................................................................................................ 9
Disproportionate Burden Policy ............................................................................................................................ 9
Public Input & Review .............................................................................................................................................. 109
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Page | 2
Overview
Big Blue Bus is the primary transit provider for the City of Santa Monica and surrounding Westside
region, providing Local and Rapid service to major destinations including UCLA, the Rimpau
Transit Center, the Culver City Expo Line station, the Wilshire/Western Purple Line station, the
Aviation/LAX Green Line station, and downtown Los Angeles.
Big Blue Bus operates more than 50 fixed-route peak vehicles and is located in an urbanized area
of more than 200,000 people and is therefore subject to the requirements set forth in the Federal
Transit Administration’s (FTA) Circular 4702.1B.
Pursuant to the requirements of FTA C 4702.1B, Big Blue Bus must establish and monitor system
performance under quantitative service standards and qualitative service policies. In addition, Big
Blue Bus must establish service and fare equity policies to evaluate the impacts of a major service
change on minority and low-income populations.
Every three years, Big Blue Bus submits a Title VI Program to the FTA documenting compliance
with the established Title VI requirements. In accordance with this submittal, Big Blue Bus will
monitor and evaluate system performance relative to the service standards and policies, contained
herein, no less than every three years.
Service Design
Big Blue Bus fixed-route services are grouped into three service categories for the purposes of
setting service standards and policies. The majority of these services are Local routes, which
operate on a set schedule and make frequent local stops. Big Blue Bus also operates several Rapid
routes (limited-stop or express) with fewer stops and higher speeds. Lastly, Big Blue Bus operates
limited Commuter routes, which supplement the other two services by providing service during
the peak periods.
Service categories may have different standards and expectations based on the types of markets
served and the operating protocols required. Wherever necessary, the service standards are
shown by service category.
Big Blue Bus is committed to the enforcement of USDOT’s Title VI regulations, which
state that no person or group of persons shall be discriminated against with regard
to the routing, scheduling, or quality of transit service on the basis of race, color, or
national origin.
Page | 3
*Bus routes are updated in accordance with Big Blue Bus Service Plan, approved April 2015
Service Standards and Policies
The FTA requires that all fixed-route transit providers develop service standards and policies to
provide a context for the monitoring and assessment of transit service. These standards and
policies are used to compare the services provided in minority areas with the services provided in
non-minority areas. Service standards and polices include:
Service Standards
o Vehicle Load
o Vehicle Headway
o On-time Performance
o Service Availability
Service Policies
o Transit Amenities
o Vehicle Assignments
Vehicle Load
Vehicle load is the ratio of passengers to the number of seats on a vehicle, relative to the vehicle’s
maximum load point. For example, on a 40 seat bus, a vehicle load of 1.5 or 150% means all seats
are filled and there are 20 standees.
Vehicle overcrowding is dependent upon ridership activity and the seating capacity of each vehicle
assigned to the route. Big Blue Bus operates three vehicle sub-groups each with varying seating
capacities. Those sub-groups are: 30’-32’ vehicles with a seating capacity of 29, 40’ vehicles with
a seating capacity of 36 to 39, and 60’ vehicles with a seating capacity of 51 to 56. To account for
Service Category Network Role Bus Routes*
Rapid Provides high-frequency, limited-stop service
between Santa Monica and neighboring
destinations of strong regional importance.
R3, R7, R10, R12
Local Serves the greater Santa Monica area, providing
service along major and secondary corridors and
serving larger local destinations and intermodal
connections.
1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 14,
15, 16, 17, 18, 41, 42,
44
Commuter Augments the local network with additional
peak hour service to key destinations.
43
Page | 4
the difference in seating, vehicles assignments will be analyzed for each route, and the vehicle
load will be measured on a per route basis, given the seating capacity for buses assigned to that
route, as an average at the maximum load point. Trips found to be carrying in excess of the
maximum load standard at the maximum load point on average will be considered to be out of
compliance with our Vehicle Load Standard.
Vehicle Load Standard
Service Category Maximum Load Standard
Rapid (non-freeway), Local, Commuter Maximum of 150% or more of the seated capacity at
the maximum load point on all trips
Rapid (on-freeway) Maximum of 100% or more of the seated capacity at
the maximum load point on all trips
Vehicle load standards are consistent for the peak and off-peak periods
Vehicle Headway
Vehicle headway is defined as the amount of scheduled time between two vehicles traveling in
the same direction on the same route.
Vehicle headways determine how long customers must wait for bus service. Higher frequencies
result in reduced wait times, which make the service more attractive to potential riders. At the
same time, higher frequencies can significantly increase costs by requiring additional buses and
drivers. Frequent service, which enables customers to use the service “spontaneously” without
consulting the bus schedule, is defined as 15 minute headways or better.
Vehicle Headway Standard
Service Category Maximum Headway Standard
Rapid 15 minute service or better throughout the day*
Local 30 minute service or better throughout the day
Local on Rapid Corridor 20 minute service or better throughout the day
Commuter Per trip basis
* Rapid (on-freeway) service may operate less frequently during the off-peak period
Whenever possible, Rapid services should operate more frequently than Local service on
the same corridor, to allow maximum customer convenience and greater access to the
faster, more efficient service option
Local service on major corridors, especially those without Rapid service, may warrant more
frequent service of 15 minutes or better
Commuter service is tailored to ridership activity and may have inconsistent headways
Page | 5
On-time Performance
On-time performance is a measure of service reliability that determines the percentage of buses
that arrive or depart within a certain amount of time before or after the published schedule. On-
time performance reflects the quality of service and influences a customer’s choice to use transit.
On-time Performance Standard
A vehicle is considered on-time if it runs no more than one (1) minute early and no more than five
(5) minutes late compared to the scheduled time at each timepoint. Early arrivals at the final
timepoint will be considered on-time.
Big Blue Bus maintains a system wide on-time performance goal of eighty-five percent (85%) on-
time, which allows for some level of service variability while maintaining the reasonable
expectation of reliability for customers.
Service Availability
Service availability is a measure of transit accessibility based on the distribution of routes and the
placement of stops within a transit provider’s service area. Stops spaced further farther apart
allow for faster bus speeds and reduce customer travel times but also require customers to walk
further farther to access the service. Stop spacing standards differ by service category.
Service Availability Standard
Rapid Service Stop Spacing
Rapid bus routes on corridors also served by Local routes should have stops spaced a minimum
of 2,640 feet (1/2 mile) apart, and should be placed at major destinations, intersections, and
transfer points. Rapid stop placement should be determined based on overall spacing as well as
ridership demand.
Local Service Stop Spacing
For Local services, stop spacing from 1,000 feet up 1,320 feet (1/4 mile) is desirable. Local stops
on major arterial streets risk introducing unnecessary delay if stops are spaced closer than 1,000
feet. Existing stops with continuously low usage will be subject to review for consolidation with
other stops or removal in order to increase service speed and reliability.
Commuter Service Stop Spacing
Commuter services may use either Local or Rapid stop spacing patterns depending on the type
of service, passenger needs, and areas served.
Page | 6
Transit Amenities
Transit amenities refer to items of comfort, convenience, and safety that are available to transit
passengers. These items include, but are not limited to, shelters, seating, signage, and trash
receptacles. Transit amenities must be equitably distributed on a system wide basis.
Transit Amenities Policy
Big Blue Bus has significant authority over bus stop improvements and amenities within the City
of Santa Monica. Bus stops located in neighboring cities and jurisdictions may be subject to
external policies. Transit amenities will be allocated based on ridership activity (total number of
average daily boardings) and will be equitably distributed to reflect the system wide
demographics of Big Blue Bus. Ridership activity levels are classified as follows:
Average Daily Boardings Bus Stop Category Amenities Provided
49 or less Low Volume Public information kiosk
50-99 Medium Volume Above plus shelter and seat
100-999 High Volume Above plus real time signage
1,000 or more Very High Volume Above plus multiple shelters
or extra-large shelter
Vehicle Assignment
Vehicle assignment refers to the process by which transit vehicles are placed into service. Big Blue
Bus presently maintains a fixed-route fleet with three vehicle sub-groups: articulated 60-foot
motor coaches, 40-foot motor coaches, and 30 to 32-foot motor coaches. All vehicles are
maintained and operate from a single depot.
Vehicle Assignment Policy
Vehicles are assigned based on service category and vehicle capacity. Vehicle assignments are as
follows:
Articulated 60-foot Motor Coaches
The articulated 60-foot coaches are assigned to Rapid services that have higher ridership activity.
Given that there are not enough articulated buses to supply all of the assignments for Rapid
service, some 40-foot coaches are also assigned to Rapid service. Rapid routes with the highest
average passenger loads are assigned the 60-foot articulated coaches due to the greater seating
capacity. Within Rapid service, buses are assigned among routes to maintain fleets on each route
with an average age that does not exceed the system wide average.
40-foot Motor Coaches
Page | 7
The 40-foot motor coaches make up over half of the Big Blue Bus fleet. These buses are primarily
assigned to Local service, as well as to some Rapid service as noted above. Within routes with 40-
foot bus assignments, buses are assigned among routes to maintain fleets on each route with an
average age that does not exceed the system wide average.
32-foot or smaller Motor Coaches
The 32-foot or smaller motor coaches are assigned to routes with lower ridership activity and/or
to routes that use local streets. Some of these coaches may also be assigned to routes that
primarily use 40-foot coaches, specifically at times when ridership is expected to be light, such as
nights or weekends. Within routes with a mix of 40-foot and 32-foot bus assignments, buses are
assigned among routes to maintain fleets on each route with an average age that does not exceed
the system wide average.
The low number of vehicles in the 32-foot or smaller sub-group, and the propensity to replace
the whole fleet at once, means that there is less opportunity to assign a variety of vehicles in order
to maintain fleets on each route with an average age that does not exceed the system wide
average. Buses on routes with exclusive use of 32-foot or smaller motor coaches are currently
younger than the system wide average and will age on that route until they are replaced with new
vehicles, or until the sub-group is large enough to enforce an average age policy.
Monitoring Transit Service
Big Blue Bus will monitor and evaluate transit performance relative to the service standards and
policies, contained above, no less than every three years.
Big Blue Bus will use the FTA minority transit route definition to implement this monitoring
program. A minority transit route is one in which at least one-third of the revenue miles are
located in a Census block, or Census block group, or traffic analysis zone where the minority
population percentage exceeds average minority population in the Big Blue Bus service area. This
method of analysis may be supplemented with on-board passenger survey data, as available, to
adjust route designations accordingly.
Big Blue Bus will evaluate the results of the monitoring program to determine if a disparate impact
exists as a result of prior policy actions and decision-making. Big Blue Bus will take steps to
remedy any potential disparity where the monitored service fails to meet the established service
standards or policies.
Page | 8
The results of the monitoring program will be submitted to the Santa Monica City Council and the
FTA as part of the triennial Title VI Program submittal.
Service and Fare Equity Policies
In accordance with FTA Circular 4702.1B, “Title VI Requirements and Guidelines for Federal Transit
Administration Recipients,” effective October 1, 2012, transit providers, operating 50 or more fixed
route vehicles during peak service and serving a population of 200,000 or greater, must evaluate
prior to implementation any and all proposed changes that exceed the transit provider’s major
service change threshold to determine whether those changes will have a discriminatory impact.
To comply with this requirement, transit providers must adopt the following three policies:
Major Service Change Policy
Disparate Impact Policy
Disproportionate Burden Policy
The Major Service Change Policy defines what actions constitute a major change and are therefore
subject to a service or fare equity analysis. The Disparate Impact Policy establishes a threshold
for determining when adverse impacts of a proposed change are borne disproportionately by the
minority populationpopulations. The Disproportionate Burden Policy establishes a threshold for
determining when adverse impacts of a proposed change are borne disproportionately by the
low-income population.
The low-income population is defined as all persons living at or below the U.S. Federal Poverty
Guidelines as established annually by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Big Blue
Bus intends to use rider demographic data rather than Census data for this calculation because
the percent percentage low-income population in the service area is close to the fifteen percent
(15%) threshold established in the Disproportionate Burden Policy.
Major Service and Fare Change Policy
Proposed changes that qualify as a major service change include changes to existing routes that
result in an increase or decrease in route revenue miles or route miles that are equal to or greater
than twenty-five percent (25%) of the existing service, as happening one-time or cumulatively
throughout the year. A major service change also includes the introduction of a new route and
the elimination of an existing route.
Page | 9
All fare and fare media changes will be subject to a fare equity analysis which will include an
analysis of adverse impacts.
Changes that are exempt from this policy include the introduction or elimination of a limited-term
route that will be, or has been, operated for no more than twelve (12) months, promotional or
temporary fare reductions lasting no longer than six (6) months, and occasional “free ride” days.
Disparate Impact Policy
A disparate impact occurs when the percent percentage minority population adversely impacted
by a major service change or fare change is fifteen percent (15%) higher than the average minority
population of the Big Blue Bus service area, or when the percent percentage non-minority
population beneficially impacted by a major service change or fare change is fifteen percent (15%)
higher than the average non-minority population of the Big Blue Bus service area.
A disparate impact analysis on routes with a major service change will be examined on a
cumulative basis by evaluating all route changes together.
If a disparate impact exists as a result of the proposed changes, Big Blue Bus will determine
whether there are alternatives that would serve the same legitimate objectives but with less
disparate impact on the minority population. If there are no viable alternatives, Big Blue Bus must
have a substantial legitimate justification for making the proposed change.
Disproportionate Burden Policy
A disproportionate burden occurs when the percent percentage low-income population adversely
impacted by a major service change or fare change is fifteen percent (15%) higher than the
average low-income population of the Big Blue Bus service area, or when the percent percentage
non-low-income population beneficially impacted by a major service change or fare change is
fifteen percent (15%) higher than the average non-low-income population of the Big Blue Bus
service area.
A disproportionate burden analysis on routes with a major service change will be examined on a
cumulative basis by evaluating all route changes together.
If a disproportionate burden exists as a result of the proposed changes, Big Blue Bus may take
steps to avoid, minimize, or mitigate the impact of the proposed change on the low-income
population.
Page | 10
Public Input & Review
A major service change or fare change will be subject to a public hearing and adoption by the
Santa Monica City Council. Public input will be actively sought in regard to the proposed changes
prior to the public hearing. Customers, stakeholders, and the general public will be invited to
provide comment through at least one of the following methods: the Big Blue Bus website, public
meetings, through surveys, or at public hearings with the Santa Monica City Council.
Public Notification
When required, the public comment process will begin with the publishing of a legal notice seven
(7) calendar days in advance of the public hearing date in the local newspapers of general
circulation. This notice will set a specific place, date, and time for one or more public hearings.
Written comments will also be accepted on the proposed changes seven (7) calendar days beyond
initial publishing of the legal notice. Legal notices will inform the public of the proposed actions
that initiated the public comment process. Press releases will also be prepared and sent to the
local media.
In addition to the public hearing process, Big Blue Bus employs various outreach methods
including:
Publication on website
Information posted on buses
Public meetings in various parts of the Big Blue Bus service area
Notices to public officials, key stakeholders, and community groups
Targeted surveys to riders of affected services
E-communications to self-identified Big Blue Bus passengers (those who provide contact
information)
“Ambassador” personnel stationed at key bus stops and transit hubs to discuss service
changes with customers
Scheduling Public Hearings
The public hearing(s) will be scheduled and conducted by the City of Santa Monica City Council
at a time, date, and place to be designated. The facility utilized for public hearings will be
accessible to persons with disabilities. Special arrangements will be made for vision or hearing
impaired persons if requested at least three days prior to the meeting.
Page | 11
Procedure for Conducting Public Hearing
Forms will be available to attendees to register their presence and desire to speak. Public hearings
will begin with a reading of the public notice, purpose, and proposed action that necessitated the
public hearing. After an explanation of the proposed action is completed, the public will be invited
to offer their comments. The City Council will determine the amount of time the public has to
comment during the public hearing. After all registered persons have commented, a final
opportunity will be offered for any additional public comment. This offering will precede the close
of the public hearing.
Documentation of Public Hearing
Official records of public hearings on service or fare adjustments will be generated by:
Affidavits of newspaper publications of public notices
Press releases conveying information on upcoming public hearings
Tape recordings and transcripts of proceedings
Addressing Public Comments Received
All relevant comments received verbally or in writing at a public hearing, or as otherwise conveyed
to Big Blue Bus prior to the established deadline, will be entered into the public record of the
comment process. Subsequent to the public comment period, staff will evaluate and analyze all
relevant comments received and prepare a written report for consideration by the Santa Monica
City Council.
City Council Notification
The City Council will be notified by the City Manager of all written public comment solicitations in
advance of all scheduled public hearings on fare and service adjustments. A summary of public
feedback received will be provided to the City Council along with staff recommendation for final
disposition of the issues. Upon review by the City Council, the City Manager will be directed
accordingly to proceed with or amend the recommended service and/or fare adjustments.
Conclusion
Big Blue Bus is committed to the enforcement of USDOT’s Title VI regulations and will provide the
most effective and efficient transit service possible, with full accountability to those it serves.
Through the use of the established service standards and policies, Big Blue Bus will ensure that no
person or group of persons shall be discriminated against with regard to the routing, scheduling,
or quality of transit service on the basis of race, color, or national origin.
Page | 12