Big Blue Bus

For other bus operators known as Blue Bus, see Blue Bus (disambiguation).

Big Blue Bus

Big Blue Bus at UCLA Hilgard Terminal
Parent	City of Santa Monica
Founded	1928
Headquarters	Santa Monica, California
Locale	Santa Monica, Westwood, and Venice, California
Service area	United States
Service type	Transit Bus
Routes	20
Fleet	201
Daily ridership	65,600 (weekdays, Q1 2016)
Fuel type	CNG, LNG
Operator	City of Santa Monica
Chief executive	Edward F. King
Website	www.bigbluebus.com

The Santa Monica Big Blue Bus is a municipal bus operator in the Westside region of Los Angeles County, that provides local and bus rapid transit service in Santa Monica and adjacent neighborhoods of Los Angeles (including LAX). Express service is also provided to Downtown Los Angeles and Union Station.

Rapid 7 on layover (bus 4022 retired).

History

In 1928, the City of Santa Monica launched its first route. Choosing a blue livery, it was called Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines. It kept its base fare at 10 cents for a long time. The impetus for the creation was a fare increase on the Pacific Electric interurban trains between Santa Monica and Los Angeles. The Santa Monica bus connected with the Los Angeles Railway streetcars at Pico and Rimpau Boulevards in the Mid-City section of Los Angeles. That historic terminus point has become an important transit center in Los Angeles simply because it is the point where thousands of bus riders along Pico Boulevard must transfer to continue their trips eastward to Downtown Los Angeles or westward to the Westside.

The Big Blue Bus is considered one of the best bus services in the Los Angeles area. The system won the American Public Transportation Association’s Outstanding Transportation System award in 1987, 1992, 1997, 2000 and 2011. The Big Blue Bus did not raise its regular fare above 50 cents until 2002, when it became 75 cents. In contrast, most public bus lines in California were charging fares of a dollar or more well before 2000. There was no monthly pass until August 2010 except for the EZ Pass, and unlike other EZ Pass agencies, Metrolink fare media are not accepted. However, allowing for the inevitability of traffic delays on weekday afternoons, the Big Blue Bus system provides frequent and convenient service to most neighborhoods in its service area. Many routes serve UCLA.

The Big Blue Bus was one of the last transit agencies using the GMC New Look buses; they were retired in 2005. Big Blue Bus received the last New Looks ever built. The last one built, #5180, was driven off the property in May 2013 after being donated to the Museum of Bus Transportation in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which preserves the bus. It was also the first transit agency in the State of California to use the Grumman-Flxible Model 870 advanced design transit buses equipped with Lift-U wheelchair lifts beginning in 1978, and the third customer after Atlanta's MARTA, and the Connecticut's Department of Transportation's CT Transit's order of these buses. These buses never experienced the same chronic structural problems that plagued these early vehicles that were also sold to other transit agencies. These were also the very first production buses built with wheelchair lifts before ADA effectively became law of the land in 1990.

For 20 years until December 1999 Santa Monica Bank ran a series of humorous ads on the back of the buses. Examples include "Old and wrinkled is beautiful. Especially in large denominations", "Go invest, young man", "Was it his eyes? His lips? His jumbo CD?" and (the final one) "After 20 years on the bus, we've reached our stop". The campaign ended as the bank was absorbed by U.S. Bank.

The system was started by former Brentwood resident Rudolph F. Brunner, who later sold the system thinking it wouldn't amount to any more than a few dollars a week.

Incidents

On November 20, 2012, a Big Blue Bus turned left in front of an oncoming motorcyclist, which resulted in the 25-year-old man's death. The accident occurred at approximately 10:33 a.m. at the triangular intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Marquez in the Pacific Palisades. Only buses are allowed to make the left turn, a maneuver that has been determined to be too dangerous for other vehicles.

On June 7, 2013, Bus 4057 of Big Blue Bus was among several vehicles fired at during a thirteen-minute killing spree that left six people dead, including the gunman, and four others wounded. Three women suffered minor injuries aboard the bus, one from shrapnel-type injuries and the other two from injuries unrelated to the gunfire. Approximately two dozen people were inside the bus at the time of the shooting. The attack on Bus 4057 marked the first time a Big Blue Bus came under attack by a gunman in its 85-year service.

Some popular destinations

A Big Blue Bus in Westwood.

Big Blue Bus provides service to the following popular destinations:

• Century City
• Downtown Los Angeles
• Downtown Santa Monica, including the Third Street Promenade
• Los Angeles Convention Center
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Metro Expo Line Culver City Station
• Metro Expo Line Palms Station
• Metro Expo Line Westwood/Rancho Park Station
• Metro Expo Line Expo/Sepulveda Station
• Metro Expo Line Expo/Bundy Station
• Metro Expo Line 26th Street/Bergamot Station
• Metro Expo Line 17th Street/Santa Monica College Station
• Metro Expo Line Downtown Santa Monica Station
• Metro Green Line Aviation Station
• Metro Purple Line Wilshire/Western Station
• Rimpau Transit Center
• Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
• Santa Monica College
• Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Park
• UCLA
• Union Station
• Venice Beach
• Will Rogers State Beach

Routes

Big Blue Bus operates 14 local routes, 3 Rapid routes, and 1 express route in Los Angeles County.

Route	Terminals		Via	Days of Operation#	Notes
1	UCLA‡	Venice Windward Circle	Santa Monica Boulevard, Main Street	Daily service
2	UCLA‡	Santa Monica Civic Center	Wilshire Boulevard	Daily service
3	Santa Monica Arizona Avenue and 5th Street	Westchester, Los Angeles Aviation/LAX station	Lincoln Boulevard	Daily service	Operates alongside the Rapid 3 Serves LAX City Bus Center
Rapid 3	Santa Monica Arizona Avenue and 5th Street	Westchester, Los Angeles Aviation/LAX station	Lincoln Boulevard	Daily service	Operates alongside Line 3 Serves LAX City Bus Center See also: Metro Rapid
5	Santa Monica Civic Center	Century City Westfield Century City	Broadway, Olympic Boulevard	Daily service
		Palms, Los Angeles (weekday peak hours) Palms station	Broadway, Olympic Boulevard, Motor Avenue, Manning Avenue	Weekdays only during peak hours	Weekday peak hour trips continue to Palms station after reaching Century City.
7	Santa Monica 7th Street and Olympic Boulevard	Mid-City, Rimpau Transit Center (Pico Boulevard and Rimpau Boulevard)	Pico Boulevard	Daily service	Operates alongside the Rapid 7 Three trips westbound in the morning and three trips eastbound in the afternoon deviate from Pico Blvd. to serve Beverlywood.
Rapid 7	Santa Monica 7th Street and Olympic Boulevard	Mid-Wilshire, Wilshire/Western station	Pico Boulevard	Daily	Operates alongside Line 7 See also: Metro Rapid
8	Santa Monica 7th Street and Olympic Boulevard	UCLA‡	Ocean Park Boulevard, National Boulevard, Westwood Boulevard	Daily service
9	Pacific Palisades Sunset Boulevard and Marquez Avenue	Santa Monica Civic Center	Sunset Boulevard, Chatauqua Boulevard, 4th Street	Daily service
Rapid 10	Santa Monica 2nd Street and Colorado Avenue	Downtown Los Angeles Main and Alameda Streets	In Santa Monica: Santa Monica Boulevard Express Portion: Santa Monica Freeway In Downtown LA: Grand & Olive Streets	Weekdays only	Charges an express upgrade upon boarding. See also: Metro Rapid
Rapid 12	UCLA Charles E Young/P2 Hub	Palms/Culver City Overland Avenue and Venice Boulevard	Westwood Boulevard, Overland Avenue	Daily service	See also: Metro Rapid
14	Brentwood San Vicente Boulevard and Gorham Avenue	Playa Vista Artisans Way and Centinela Avenue	Bundy Drive, Centinela Avenue	Daily service	Select trips continue to Paul Revere Middle School after reaching Brentwood.
15	Brentwood Barrington Place and Chayote Street	West Los Angeles Expo/Bundy station	Barrington Avenue	Daily service	Service runs every 30 min on Weekdays and Saturday and hourly on Sunday.
16	Marina del Rey Lincoln Boulevard and Mindanao Way	West Los Angeles Saltair Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard	Walgrove Avenue/23rd Street, 20th Street	Weekdays only
17	UCLA‡ (weekdays)	Culver City Culver City Station	Sawtelle Boulevard, Palms Boulevard	Daily service
	West Los Angeles (weekends) VA West Los Angeles Medical Center
18	UCLA‡ (weekdays/Saturday)	Marina Del Rey Admiralty Way and Via Marina	Montana Avenue, 4th Street/Avenue	Daily service
	Brentwood (Sunday)San Vicente Boulevard & Bringham Avenue
41	Santa Monica 17th Street/Santa Monica College station		14th/20th Streets	Daily service	Service operates in a clockwise loop and terminates at 17th Street/SMC Expo Line Station Operates in the opposite direction of Line 42
42	Santa Monica 17th Street/Santa Monica College station		20th/14th Streets	Daily service	Service operates in a counterclockwise loop and terminates at 17th Street/SMC Expo Line Station Operates in the opposite direction of Line 41
43	Santa Monica Stewart Street and Pennsylvania Avenue	Santa Monica San Vicente Boulevard and 14th Street	26th Street and San Vicente Boulevard	Weekdays only during peak hours	Select eastbound trips to San Vicente Boulevard and 14th Street deviate to serve Paul Revere Middle School.
44	Santa Monica 17th Street/Santa Monica College station	Santa Monica Santa Monica College Bundy Campus	Ocean Park Boulevard	Weekdays only	Service connects the 17th Street/Santa Monica College station, the Santa Monica College Main Campus and the Santa Monica College Bundy Campus.

• # Sunday schedules are operated on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
• ‡ On the non-rapid routes, weekday trips between 7am and 8pm serve UCLA Transit Center / Hilgard Terminal; weekday trips from 8p-7a and all weekend trips serve Charles E Young/P2 Hub (Charles E. Young Dr. between Westholme Ave. and Manning Ave.). Rapid 12 always serves Charles E Young/P2 Hub.

Fares

Fare Type†	Adult	Student‡S	Senior(62+)/Disabled/Medicare‡
Local	$1.25		$0.50
Express	$2.50		$1.00
Interagency Transfer	$0.50		$0.25
Day Pass	$4.00		$1.50
13 Ride Pass	$14.00		$6.00
Local 30 Day Pass	$50.00	$28.00	$24.00
Express 30 Day Pass	$89.00		$40.00
Rolling 7-Day Pass	$14.00		N/A

• † Children five years of age and under may ride free (maximum 2 children with accompanying adult).
• ‡ Proper identification must be presented to obtain the reduced Student and Senior/Disabled/Medicare fare.
• S Santa Monica College students and staff may ride free with college I.D. and valid semester sticker.
• The BBB ended intra-agency transfers on January 1, 2014.

UCLA students and staff

Santa Monica Big Blue Bus and Culver CityBus participate in BruinGo program, in which UCLA students and staff can swipe their BruinCard (university I.D.) on the farebox, so that the university pays a part of the fare.

Type	Fare
One-way (not available during summer quarter)	US$0.50
BruinGo! Flash Pass	US$33.00 per quarter

Fleet

Current

Order Year	Manufacturer	Image	Model	Length (ft.)	Fleet Series (Quantity)	Powertrain (Engine/Transmission)	Fuel Propulsion	Notes
2004-05	NFI		L40LF	40	4038-4089 (41) (10 retired)	Cummins Westport C-Gas Plus ZF Ecomat 6HP602	LNG	4070-4072, 4078, and 4080-4089 are in big blue bus livery, but retain the rapid blue paint. As of Jan 17, 2017: 4049, 4060, 4064, 4069, and 4079 ( 3 light-blue and 2 ex-rapid blue livery) have been retired. As of Feb 25, 2017: 4042, 4044, 4054, 4075, and 4077 (light-blue livery) have been retired, but still remain in the yard.
2006			L40LF	40	4090-4099 (10)	Cummins Westport C-Gas Plus ZF Ecomat 6HP602	LNG	4091-4099 are in big blue bus livery but retain the rapid blue paint Last New Flyer L40LF buses ever built Soon to be retired
2010/2012	ElDorado National		E-Z Rider II BRT	32	2900–2914 (15)	Ford Triton V10 ISE Thundervolt TB40-HG Cummins Westport ISL-G Allison B300R	CNG	Buses 2900-2904 have been converted to big blue bus livery, previously operating in Mini Blue livery. 2900-2904 are 2010 models and have been converted to CNG from hybrid 2905-2915 are 2012 models powered by CNG Weekdays: used on lines 8,15,16,18,41/42,43 (routes are not exclusively 30 foot buses; 40 foot buses run them too) Weekends: used on lines 2,5,8,9,15,18,41/42 (routes are not exclusively 30 foot buses; 40 foot buses run them too)
2010/2012	NABI		60-BRT	60	5300-5320(21)	Cummins Westport ISL-G Allison WB-500R	CNG	Used exclusively on Rapid 3, Local 3, Rapid 7, Rapid 10, and Rapid 12 service. 5300-5315 are 2010 series & 5316-5320 are 2012 series models
2011	NABI		40-LFW	40	3868-3876 (9)	Cummins Westport ISL-G engine 44' turning radius Allison WB-400R Generation IV	CNG	Replaced 1997-98 New Flyer D40LF's and some 1995 Novabus Classic's these were an option of 58 units but was canceled after 9 units were delivered
2012	Gillig		BRT	40	1300(1)	Cummins Westport ISL-G Voith D864.5	CNG	Replaced 1997-98 New Flyer D40LFs
2013	Gillig		BRT	40	1301-1344(44)	Cummins Westport ISL-G Voith D864.5	CNG	Replaced 1997-98 New Flyer D40LFs
2014	Gillig		BRT	40	1345-1357(13)	Cummins Westport ISL-G Voith D864.5	CNG	Replaced some 2002 NABI-40 LNG LFWs
2015	NFI		XN60	60	1560-1566 (7)	Cummins Westport ISL-G Allison B500R	CNG	Replaced some 2002 NABI-40 LNG LFWs Used exclusively on Rapid 3', Local 3, Rapid 7, Rapid 10, and Rapid 12 service. On very rare occasions on line 8
2015	Gillig		BRT	40	1500-1510 (11)	Cummins Westport ISL-G Allison B400R	CNG	Replaced some 2002 NABI-40 LNG LFWs These Gillig buses were ordered with Allison Transmissions instead of Voith Transmissions, which power the original 1300 series.
2016	Gillig		BRT	29	1600-1603 (4)	Cummins Westport ISL-G Allison B400R	CNG	Replaced some 2002 NABI-40 LNG LFWs All seats on board do not face forward except those in the very back Run on same routes as the El Dorado E-Z Rider II BRTs The buses were purchased to run on new lines introduced in 2016 such as 16, 18, 42 and 43. These Gillig buses were ordered with Allison Transmissions instead of Voith Transmissions, which power the original 1300 series.
2017	Gillig		BRT	40	1701-1725 (25)	Cummins Westport ISL-G NZ Allison B400R	CNG	Replacing the last 6 2002 NABI 40-LFWs. These buses are part of a deal to phase out LNG buses. These 1700 series buses are part of an order for 25, 40ft and 7 30ft buses. These Gillig buses were ordered with Allison Transmissions instead of Voith Transmissions, which power the original 1300 series. As of Feb 24, 2017, all 25 buses have been delivered to the big blue bus yard, have been equipped with the three-slot bike rack, and are now in service.

Retired

Make/ Model	Thumbnail	Year	Numbers (Quantity Ordered)	Engine/ Transmission	Fuel Propulsion	Retired	Notes
General Motors Diesel Division T8H-5307A		1982	5101-5122	Detroit Diesel 8V71N Allison	Diesel	1998	Some sold to Brampton Transit Barrie Transit and STCUQ (RTC) and refurbishing Companies.
General Motors Diesel Division T8H-5307A		1985-1986	5123-5180	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA Allison V730	Diesel	1998-2005	Some sold to Brampton Transit STCUQ (RTC) and Private owners and more. 5180 remained on BBB property as a historical bus until 2013. Last order of GM New looks. 5162 is now owned by a private party. (BBB 5162 Website) 5180 Sold to the Museum of Bus Transportation in Hershey, PA (July 2013).
MCI TC40-102A Classic		1988-1991	5181-5210, 4951-4960 (40 buses)	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA Allison V731	Diesel	2005-2006	Many are still used in secondhand service by Canadian bus operators. Sold to Woodstock Transit Timmins Transit SCT and Mont Tremblant Autocars de chutes and more.
Nova Bus TC40-102A Classic		1995	4801-4821 (21 buses)	Detroit Diesel Series 50 Allison B400R	Diesel	September 2011	Last high floor buses to be Retired.
Thomas Built Buses SLF 230		2000	2606-2615 (10 buses)	Cummins B5.9 Allison AT-545	Diesel	July 2010	Formerly used for Mini Blue service.
New Flyer D40LF		1997-1998	3801-3867 (67 buses)	Detroit Diesel Series 50 Allison B400R	Diesel	2011-2014	The first low floor buses purchased Replaced 1982 GM T8H-5307A 5101-5122 buses. 3804 & 3855 remain in yard
NABI 40-LFW		2002	4001-4037 (37 buses)	Detroit Diesel Series 50G Allison WB-400R	LNG	2014-2017	First Natural Gas. buses

In popular culture

Speed

Main article: Speed (1994 film)

The most famous Big Blue Bus is probably the one rigged with a bomb in 1994's hit movie Speed. Driving through Los Angeles at rush hour, the bus has to keep its speed over 50 mph (80 km/h) or the bomb on the bus will detonate.

The bus operator in the movie is called the Santa Monica Intercity Bus Lines, a barely fictionalized version of the Big Blue Bus's official name, the Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines. Even more tellingly, the bus in the film is a General Motors "New Look" bus, introduced in 1959 but kept in prominent and active service by Santa Monica until early 2005, long after most other American cities had retired the retro-looking bus.

In another effort to differentiate the movie's bus from any real-world bus, the headsigns on the Speed bus display:

33 DOWNTOWN | VIA FREEWAY

However, number 33 buses are operated by Metro, not Big Blue, and run on Venice Boulevard, not the Santa Monica Freeway. The closest thing to the movie bus's routing is Santa Monica's number 10 express route.

The bus number was 2525, not within any equipment number range operated by the real company at that time.

It should also be noted that at the time the movie was released, Santa Monica's GM New Look fleet were the Canadian-built versions with wheelchair lifts; the US-built version were retired in 1990 to make room for the Classics.

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

In an episode that originally aired on May 15, 2007, the ABC late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, was filmed on a New Flyer L40LF model LNG bus. In this episode, titled Jimmy Kimmel Live on a Bus, Kimmel sat behind the desk, which was rigged to fit in a bus. This particular Santa Monica Big Blue Bus that was used in the episode was driven by veteran bus driver Erskins Robinson, who picked up unsuspecting passengers along his route. The celebrity guests who appeared in the Jimmy Kimmel Live on a Bus episode were Paula Abdul, Flavor Flav, and musical guest Feist.

The Doors

A Blue Bus is referred to twice in The Doors's classic 1967 song "The End", when singer Jim Morrison says "The blue bus is calling us", and "Meet me at the back of the blue bus".

Raymond Chandler

In Raymond Chandler's novel Farewell, My Lovely, first published in 1940, he writes as protagonist Philip Marlowe, describing a scene in Bay City (Chandler's version of the City of Santa Monica):

"Outside the narrow street fumed, the sidewalks swarmed with fat stomachs. Across the street a bingo parlor was going full blast and beside it a couple of sailors with girls were coming out of a photographer's shop where they had probably been having their photos taken riding on camels. The voice of the hot dog merchant split the dusk like an axe. A big blue bus blared down the street to the little circle where the street car used to turn on a turntable. I walked that way."

Further reading

Ayer, Bob. History of Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus. Santa Monica, CA: City of Santa Monica, 1992.

External links

• Big Blue Bus homepage
• Google Map of Routes (last updated 2007)