SANTA MONICA—The city of Santa Monica announced on its website on Monday, September 25, that Stephanie Negriff, former director of Big Blue Bus, died earlier this month at the age of 67.
Negriff became the Big Blue Bus director in August 2002, previously served in various capacities, including assistant director of operations, manager of transit development and intergovernmental relations and senior administrative analyst. She retired from Big Blue Bus in 2011, after 25 years of service. Before joining Big Blue Bus, she held roles with transit agencies in the states of Texas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
“Stephanie was a visionary leader who helped establish a bedrock of enduring programs and services that continue to support our community’s transportation needs,” said Anuj Gupta, Interim Director of Santa Monica’s Department of Transportation. “She led with care and compassion for Big Blue Bus staff and customers, and embodied the agency’s values of teamwork, community service, integrity, innovation, and continuous improvement. She will be greatly missed.”
As the director of Big Blue Bus, Negriff’s responsibilities included the creation of Downtown Santa Monica’s Transit Mall, the implementation of two bus rapid transit lines, and the completion of the Big Blue Bus campus expansion project. She oversaw development of an award-winning, state-of-the-art bus maintenance facility, and the implementation of student and regional fare programs through innovative partnerships with Santa Monica College, UCLA, and LA Metro.
She helped guide Big Blue Bus’s transition to a clean energy fleet, which included gas/electric hybrid, biodiesel, and compressed natural gas vehicles. She helped in negotiating funding policies for the distribution of Prop C, Measure R and other regional transportation formula programs, to ensure economic sustainability for Big Blue Bus and other municipal transit systems in Los Angeles County.
The Big Blue Bus won the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award in 2011 while Stephanie was the director and she was named APTA Outstanding Public Transit Manager. Her funeral will be held on Friday, September 30 at 10 a.m. at Chapel of the Gardens, Mountain View Mortuary, 2300 N. Marengo Avenue in Altadena. Her family is requesting donations be made in Negriff’s name to the Westside Family Health Center, where she served on the Board of Directors until her passing. She is survived by her husband, Larry, stepchildren Sonya and Liza, and one grandchild.
By Trevor