Approval of Brighter Blue
Five Year Service Plan for
Big Blue Bus
City Council Meeting
July 9, 2024
What is Brighter Blue?
Comprehensive Operational Analysis
Analysis of Existing Service
Public Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement
Five Year Service Plan
From January 2023 to June 2024
Transportation Management & Design, Inc
Arellano Associates
Fehr & Peers
Deliverables
Five Year Service Plan
(Route by Route Proposed Changes)
Brighter Blue Final Report
Public Outreach Summary Report
Existing Conditions Report
Public Outreach & Stakeholder Engagement
On-board customer survey
Online surveys
Focus group meetings
Project dedicated website and e-mail
Public workshops & hearings, virtual and inperson, live Spanish interpretation Meetings, flyers, surveys, etc., in English & Spanish Public Outreach (cont.)
“Brighter Blue Bucks” Results
Brighter Blue Service Plan Summary
Improve frequencies on most routes including 10
minutes or better service on select major routes
Expand service hours so most routes start earlier,
end later, and operate on weekends
Ensure connections to the new LAX/Metro Transit
Center and Metro Rail D Line extension, and
other essential destinations
Frequency Improvements - Weekday
Proposed Service Hours - Weekdays
Proposed Service Hours - Weekends
Route by Route
Proposed Changes
Route by Route Proposed Changes
Route Corridor or
Route Name Summary of Proposed Change(s)
Tentative
Implementation
Timeline
1 Santa Monica
Blvd/
Main St
Earlier/later service on weekdays & weekends. Minor re-route at UCLA. Aug ‘26 2 Wilshire Blvd Increase peak frequency from 20 to 10 minutes in 2027. Earlier/later service on weekdays & weekends. Minor re-route at UCLA.
Aug ‘26 (UCLA)
Aug ‘27 (D Line)
3 Lincoln Blvd Increase peak frequency from 13 to 10 minutes. Re-route at LAX. Earlier and later service on weekdays and weekends.
Dec '24
R3 Lincoln Blvd Discontinue Rapid 3; reinvest resources on Route 3. Dec ‘24 Local vs. Rapid Travel Time Comparison
Route 5
Proposed
Changes
Route Corridor or
Route Name Summary of Proposed Change(s)
Tentative
Implementation
Timeline
5 Olympic Blvd Increase peak frequency from 60 to 30 minutes. New weekend service. Discontinue Century City to Palms segment and discontinue service west of SMC.
Aug ‘25
Route by Route Proposed Changes (cont.)
Route Corridor or
Route Name Summary of Proposed Change(s)
Tentative
Implementation
Timeline
7 Pico Blvd Increase peak frequency of Route 7 from 14 to 7.5-10 minutes.
Earlier and later service on weekdays and weekends.
Aug ‘25
R7 Pico Blvd Discontinue Rapid 7; reinvest resources on Route 7. Aug ‘25 E7 Pico Blvd Discontinue Express 7; reinvest resources on Route 7. Aug ‘25 Route by Route Proposed Changes (cont.)
Route Corridor or
Route Name Summary of Proposed Change(s)
Tentative
Implementation
Timeline
8 Ocean Park Blvd Increase peak frequency from 30 to 20 minutes. Earlier/later service on weekdays & weekends. Minor re-route in DTSM and UCLA.
Aug ‘26
9 Pacific Palisades Increase peak frequency from 20 to 15 minutes. Earlier/later service on weekdays & weekends. Extend northern terminus to PCH and Sunset, pending new bus turnaround.
Aug ’25
TBD (extension)
R10 Downtown LA
Freeway Express
No changes currently proposed. N/A
R12 Westwood Blvd Increase peak frequency from 12 to 10 minutes. Earlier/later service on weekdays & weekends.
Aug ‘26
Route 14
Proposed
Changes
Route Corridor
or Route Name Summary of Proposed Change(s)
Tentative
Implementation
Timeline
14 Bundy Dr/
Centinela Ave
Increase peak frequency from 20 to 15 minutes. Discontinue service to Inglewood. New southern terminus in Culver City. Re-route to Westwood/VA Hospital Station in 2027.
Dec ’24 (Culver City)
Aug ’27 (D Line)
Route by Route Proposed Changes (cont.)
Route Corridor
or Route Name Summary of Proposed Change(s)
Tentative
Implementation
Timeline
15 Barrington Ave Increase peak frequency from 60 to 30 minutes. Re-route to serve Westwood/VA Hospital D Line Station in 2027.
Aug ’25
Aug ’27 (D Line)
16 Wilshire Blvd/
Bundy Dr –
Playa del Rey
Earlier/later service on weekdays. New weekend service. Re-route to Westwood/VA Hospital Station in 2027.
Aug ’25
Aug ’27 (D Line)
17 UCLA –VA –
Sawtelle - Palms
Increase peak frequency from 20 to 15 minutes. Earlier/later service on weekdays & weekends.
Aug ‘26
18 UCLA - Montana Ave –
4th St -
Marina Del Rey
Increase peak frequency from 30 to 20 minutes. Earlier/later service on weekdays & weekends. Minor re-route at UCLA.
Aug ’26
TBD (extension)
Route 41
Proposed
Changes
Route Corridor or
Route Name Summary of Proposed Change(s)
Tentative
Implementation
Timeline
41 SMC & Montana Ave
& 14th St & 20th St
Increase peak frequency from 20 to 15 minutes. Earlier/later service on weekdays. New weekend service. Re-route to serve Ocean Park Blvd./Sunset Park neighborhood.
Aug ‘25
Route by Route Proposed Changes (cont.)
Route Corridor or
Route Name Summary of Proposed Change(s)
Tentative
Implementation
Timeline
42 SMC & Montana Ave
& 14th St & 20th St
Discontinue Route 42. Reinvest resources on Route 41. Aug ‘25 43 San Vicente Blvd
& 26th St
Extend northern terminus to San Vicente Blvd. and 7th St. Aug ‘25 44 SMC Connector Re-route to serve Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center. Aug ‘25 Ridership Impacts
Approx. 650 customers (~2% of
all customers) will now be more
than 1/4 mile from a bus stop.
About 520 of those board at
Aviation/LAX Station but will
now board at the new LAX/Metro
Transit Center.
The remaining 130 (~0.6% of all
customers) will need to walk
further or use another service.
Title VI Service Equity Analysis
Determine disparate impacts or
disproportionate burdens on
disadvantaged populations
Proposed changes exceed thresholds in
BBB’s Policies
Final service plan proposes mitigations &
provides rationale (e.g., Route 7 service
frequencies)
Tentative Implementation Timeline
Timeline Proposed Change(s) Routes
December 2024 Changes impacted by opening of the LAX/ Metro Transit Center 3, R3, 14 August 2025 Changes to SMC service routes 5, 7, R7, E7, 9, 16, 41, 42, 43, 44
August 2026 Changes to UCLA serving routes 1, 2, 8, R12, 17, 18 August 2027 Changes to Westwood/ VA Hospital Station serving routes 2, 14, 15, 16 2028 Remaining frequency & service hour changes (if any) TBD Corridors Targeted for Improvements
Corridor Segment City Routes(s)
4th Street Wilshire Blvd. to Colorado Ave. Santa Monica 1,2,3,7,9,18 Bundy Dr Wilshire Blvd. to Ocean Park Blvd. Los Angeles 14,15 Lincoln Blvd Rose Ave. to Mindanao Way Los Angeles 3
Ocean Park Blvd 25th St. to Centinela Ave. Santa Monica 8,44 Ocean Park Blvd Centinela Ave. to Bundy Dr. Los Angeles 8,44 Pico Blvd 16th St. to Centinela Ave. Santa Monica 7
Pico Blvd Centinela Ave. to Sepulveda Blvd. Los Angeles 7 Pico Blvd Ave. of the Stars to Crenshaw Blvd. Los Angeles 7 Santa Monica Blvd Centinela Ave. to Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles 1 Wilshire Blvd Bundy Dr. to Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles 2,17,18 DOT Initiatives Supporting Plan
Safety and Security including
new Transit Safety Officer
Program
Transition to Zero Emission
Fleet & building of charging
infrastructure
Recruitment and retention of
Motor Coach Operators
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
• No immediate financial impact or budget action necessary. • Increases related to labor and maintenance expected over FY2025-27 Biennial Budget period.
• Staff will return to Council if budget actions are required in future.
Recommended Action
Staff Recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
2. Approve the proposed Brighter Blue five-year service plan for Big Blue Bus.
UCLA Route Changes
• Decision primarily made to directly serve UCLA campus and Medical Center (Routes 1, 2, 8, R12, 17, 18). • All UCLA-serving routes would operate on campus, instead of periphery of the campus, where Hilgard Terminal is located. • Routes would terminate at:
o Gateway Plaza (Route 8 and Rapid 12), Macgowan Hall Terminal (Route 17), or Parking Structure 2 (Routes 1, 2 and 18). • Feedback from North Westwood Neighborhood Council (NWNC) and others incorrectly suggests that Big Blue Bus is removing service from the North Campus. Route 17 still serves North Campus. • Seating and real-time information signs do exist at Parking Structure 2. Staff has received assurances from the UCLA Transportation office to work on adding more amenities if the changes are approved. • Notably, Hilgard Terminal is inaccessible to people with disabilities; accessing campus from this stop requires taking stairs. • Restroom facilities at Parking Structure 2 are available and preferred by our motor coach operators • In our survey, 72 percent of riders prefer a longer walk if it means more frequent service. From Gayley/Strathmore:
• 5-minute walk to UCLA Gateway Plaza gets riders access to Big Blue Bus service that will operate every 6.7 minutes • 8-minute walk to the UCLA Medical Center gets riders access to Big Blue Bus service that will operate every 2.3 minutes. • As an alternative, riders can still take Metro Line 602 at Gayley/Strathmore to reach Westwood Village.