Want the Big Blue Bus to meet the subway?

Westsiders: How would you like the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus to connect to the subway? That's the big topic up for discussion at BBB's round of annual community meetings. The BBB wants to take the Rapid 7 line that runs down Pico to go all the way east to meet the Metro Red Line at Wilshire and Western!

Other topics will include:

• Splitting the Sunset Ride into two routes, to have buses travel down 17th St. in both directions.
• Increasing service to Santa Monica High School via BBB lines 4 and 9.
• Info on the "Tri-Annual Analysis & Three-Year Service Plan," with details on ridership, on-time performance, and passenger loads, as well as the status of the new maintenance facility project and ordering of articulated buses.
• Info on upcoming BBB events, including BBB's 80th Anniversary celebration party on the Promenade April 14th at 11 a.m., and other community events such as Earth Day, Santa Monica Festival, Twilight Concert Series and Alt Car Expo.

Meetings will happen:

• Wed., April 2, 6 pm - 8 pm. Virginia Park (Thelma Terry Center), 2200 Virginia Ave., Santa Monica
• Sat., April 5, 10 am - noon. Ken Edwards Center (Room 100 A-B) 1527 4th St., Santa Monica
• Mon., April 7, 6 pm -8 pm. SM Main Library (Multi-Purpose Room, 2nd floor), 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica
• Tues., April 8, noon - 1 pm. UCLA (Ackerman Viewpoint Community Room), Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles
• Tues., April 8, 6 pm - 8 pm. Fairview Branch Library, 2101 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica

The Big Blue Bus has been getting more popular -- though the ridership stats don't sound particularly dramatic. Between 2004 and 2007, ridership increased overall by 2.3 percent -- which doesn't sound like much, but is higher than the national average. Weekday trips grew by 1.3 percent, while weekend trips went up by a more impressive 9.6 percent on Saturdays and 7.3 percent on Sundays. The Big Blue Bus' on-time performance record is now at 86 percent.

Comments

[Dan W.]

The Big Blue Bus is a class act.

It is a major part of how I was able to de-car.

I'd have it go to Wilshire/Vermont if possible, that will enable a transfer to both the Red and Purple Lines.

[Stephanie Zhong]

It would be great to see the Big Blue meet the Metro, at least in theory. The Metro lines don't really reach out to all the areas I'd like to go. But I'm interested in checking out a meeting and seeing what the master plan is.

Thanks for plugging me in about these upcoming mtgs. I for one have become a "get on the bus" gal this year and am amazed what the lack of road rage has done in my life, not to mention the recouped time for doing things like checking up on my e-mail, meditating or just enjoying the ride.

[Bob Zwolinski]

Living at Pico & 14th, this would be fantastic! I'd definitely go to downtown L.A. more often.
It will be interesting to see which boulevard they choose for the 3-mile northbound trek to Wilshire...
I hope the extra few miles in rush-hour don’t slow it down too much.

[Alek F]

The problem with Big Blue Bus - is that despite some improvements and additions, their leading bureaucrats still live in the past, and are not willing to face the present, specifically - a higher passenger demand... For instance, on some important routes, like #14 Bundy/Centinela, buses run only once in 30 minutes (!) during the mid-dady, the same time intervals they had 10 years ago!! I've written letters, requesting to consider increasing headways to at least 20-minute intervals, but I received no response.
You'd have to agree - NO ONE would dump their private car to a bus for which you have to wait for a whole 30 minutes! This is not anything remotely close to "reliable" service. I think public bus routes should have buses running at least (!) every 15-20 minutes, otherwise they will remain completely independable and unreliable.
So... I will only start respecting Big Blue Bus if they start not only listening (and NOT ignoring) to their customers' requests, but actually if they start adjusting all their schedules to meet current increased demand!
Alek

[Kate]

Similarly, Big Blue Bus's Super 12 line is run under contract with UCLA--but both institutions seem convinced that there is no need for that bus when classes are not in session. Never mind the people who ride it every day to get to work. Never mind how crowded the regular 12 buses get when the Super 12 is not available. There's obviously a need for this bus, but only the riders seem to care about that.

And why do Big Blue Bus's customer service lines shut down at 5 p.m., right as the rush hour makes the schedules most questionable?

[Mark Panitz]

The problem with Big Blue Bus - is that despite some improvements and additions, their leading bureaucrats still live in the past, and are not willing to face the present, specifically - a higher passenger demand... For instance, on some important routes, like #14 Bundy/Centinela, buses run only once in 30 minutes (!) during the mid-dady, the same time intervals they had 10 years ago!! I've written letters, requesting to consider increasing headways to at least 20-minute intervals, but I received no response.
You'd have to agree - NO ONE would dump their private car to a bus for which you have to wait for a whole 30 minutes! This is not anything remotely close to "reliable" service. I think public bus routes should have buses running at least (!) every 15-20 minutes, otherwise they will remain completely independable and unreliable.
So... I will only start respecting Big Blue Bus if they start not only listening (and NOT ignoring) to their customers' requests, but actually if they start adjusting all their schedules to meet current increased demand!
Alek

Posted by: Alek F | March 17, 2008 at 03:13 PM

now if you attend some of the meetings they like
to see faces not just letters
to ask this
and the 14 does run every 15 mitnues during rush hours
plus they add service till 8:45 (last bus leaaves att his time going south from Wishire and las bus depats
Culver about 9:05pm

[Dan W]

My understanding is that Big Blue Bus is tapped out in resources. It's not that they don't want to run more frequent service. Everything is extended to the max.

Quite frankly, I wish the Big Blue Bus would raise fares to $1 or even $1.25 and match the MTA, and then use the extra revenue to expand service frequency. But that's just me. BBB probably likes have cheaper fares than the MTA.

[Kate]

"My understanding is that Big Blue Bus is tapped out in resources. It's not that they don't want to run more frequent service. Everything is extended to the max."

I suppose that explains why, when a bus has maintenance issues, that part of the schedule isn't met. But if they can't have a bus or two in reserve, they aren't running their business properly. Maybe they do need to increase fares--and frankly, I'd rather hand over a $1 bill than quarters.

[cph]

Extending the #7 to Wilshire/Western? I told them they should be doing that more than 10 years ago. The Pico/Rimpau terminal, in its old or new form, is an anachronism....

[Dan W.]

Thank you so very much for the kind words and the thoughtful ideas. I will make sure your comments are included in the public record and forward them on to our planning department.

I just received the following note from Dan Dawson, Customer Relations Manager at the Big Blue Bus:

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"We hope to be able to connect to the Red line with the Rapid 7, but Metro has not given us the 'green light' to operate in their service area. We are trying to make a case that allowing us to connect to the Red line (or other lines as you suggested) explaining to metro that it is a benefit to transit riders who use both our systems. But, to date, we can not get Metro to allow this. If you are so inclined, a letter of support to your City Council person and/or to Pam O'Conner who is the Chiar of the MTA and also a Council member for the City of Santa Monica would help to show public support."

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I was once told in confidence by a member of the San Fernando Valley Service Sector Council that the reason why the 761 Rapid is so weak and poops out at Wilshire Blvd., instead of going to Pico, Venice, Washington or even LAX is because of "turf disputes". "That's always been part of that service area."

That is ridiculous. There shouldn't be ANY turf wars. The only thing that should matter is providing the best possible customer service to transit riders regardless of "turf".

Let's ask the MTA to give BBB permission to go to Wilshire/Western or Vermont and let's ask the BBB and Culver City Bus to give the MTA permission to extend the 761 Rapid south or create a 961 that covers more distance, say LAX to Metrolink in the Valley.

Most riders have no idea that their service on the Westside may be limited by "turf" decisions rather than transit need decisions. That has to stop pronto. I'm firing off my letter to the MTA pronto. Please do likewise.

[Pico Rider]

Once again, we have transit agencies spending millions on PR and doing nothing about transit.

BBB implemented a "Rapid 3" service on Lincoln, which is no faster than standard 3 service, despite the bluer color. The agencies should concentrate on getting bus laneage and signal pre-emption before they go shooting their mouths off with meaningless, but costly, proposals.

On Pico, if a "Rapid" is to implemented, it should be run by one agency, not two, so it is a single-seat ride from downtown to the beach. The 333, 704, and 720 operate this way - I don't see why BBB (who enjoys running its buses slower) needs to waste more millions on a non-improvement.

[Dan W.]

"On Pico, if a "Rapid" is to implemented, it should be run by one agency, not two, so it is a single-seat ride from downtown to the beach."

Logically, that makes the most sense. However, that would require the Rapid BBB7 going downtown or the MTA Rapid 730 going to the beach.

If we could get the BBB7 to Wilshire/Vermont, it would create a direct transfer from the Red Line to the Pico Blvd. line, making travel between the Westside and the Valley easier -- something the MTA seems to currently want to ignore or make utterly inconvenient by public transit. Ignoring the demands for a transit alternative between those who live/work in the Valley and those who live/work on the Westside is the single biggest hole in the MTAs draft Long Range Transportation Plan.

At the moment, it seems "turf disputes" are limiting service improvements more than we realize. Blaming the MTA or the BBB is pointless. We need the laws changed to take away these artificial boundaries thank stop the BBB7 at Pico/Rimpau and the 761 Rapid at Wilshire/Westwood. Both of which force unnecessary and inconvenient transfers onto riders.

Write to the MTA and the BBB, but write to your elected officials to make it easier for lines to operate into each others' "turf" so we don't have these ridiculous, bureaucratically-forced bus transfers.