Santa Monica Celebrates Over 20 Million Bus Rides

SANTA MONICA— On September 15, news of a phenomenal milestone began to circulate as locals celebrate over 20 million rides on Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus in the last two years. According to the Big Blue Bus website, the bus fleet has 195 recently upgraded buses in operation that have delivered over 10 million passengers a year for two years in a row. Their final destinations vary. Some traveled to the Farmers Market, the Metro Station, or into Santa Monica, and carried another 12,000 FIFA spectators from Downtown Santa Monica to the FIFA World Cup events held at SoFi Stadium aka “Los Angeles Stadium,” in Inglewood, California. Californians have taken advantage of the city bus since the early 1900s when the Pacific Electric Railroad ran a trolley between Downtown Los Angeles into nearby communities. In 1921, after the population of Santa Monica nearly doubled, Bay City Transit Company took over the bus line. In 1928, the City of Santa Monica launched Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines that carried 16,000 passengers in their first week. The buses had a blue color scheme from the start. The number of transports continued to grow over the decades until the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath of shut-downs threw California into a slump. The Big Blue Bus line touted 12.5 million bus rides in 2019. In 2020, the number of bus riders dwindled to 5,000. During the first years following the pandemic, numbers rose slightly, never reaching 7,000 passengers. An increase in crime on the buses kept some of the riders from coming back. Santa Monica Transportation has since upgraded their buses and heightened their security for the safety of the riders. According to the numbers, business is booming again.  The public transportation offered through the Big Blue Bus line is paid for through grants. According to bigbluebus.com, the bus fares are incredibly low. The following information came directly from the website. Customers who make contactless payments with a TAP, credit/debit card, or mobile ticket can ride BBB for just $1.25 one-way. Visit the website for more details or to pay with pre-loaded TAP card, learn more about college, senior, disabled, or Medicare discounts. Children under the age of five, ride for free. By Sharon