City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: June 10, 2025
Agenda Item: 4.C
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Anuj Gupta, Director of Transportation, Department of Transportation, Transit Maintenance
Subject: Approval of Donation of Retired Buses to Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effects pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a Memorandum of Understanding with Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) for donation of decommissioned transit buses in support of the LA28 Olympic Games. This recommended award is made as an exception to the competitive bidding process as LA Metro has requested donations of decommissioned transit buses for use in the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games.
Summary
The Santa Monica Department of Transportation (DOT) is purchasing 15 battery electric buses for the Big Blue Bus fleet that will replace an equivalent number of 2010 and 2011 buses that have reached the end of their useful life. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) is supporting the LA2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games by providing a Games Enhanced Transit Service (GETS) that includes up to 2,700 buses that will provide transportation services for the spectators and workforce attending the games. This ambitious goal exceeds the number of buses that LA Metro has available, and LA Metro has asked transit agencies throughout Los Angeles County to provide buses in support of the games. The estimated value of the 15 buses that DOT is retiring from the Big Blue Bus fleet is 2 of 4
between $2,000 and $4,000 each. To support LA Metro’s goal of providing safe, efficient, inclusive and sustainable transportation for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, staff recommends the City Council approve the negotiation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with LA Metro to donate DOT transit buses that have reached the end of their useful life and have been decommissioned through 2028. This MOU will provide for ongoing donation of any DOT transit buses decommissioned through 2028.
DOT plans to decommission as many as 88 transit buses during this period.
Discussion
Transit buses have a useful life cycle of 12 years, at which time it becomes cost prohibitive to maintain these vehicles as they require more parts and labor to keep them in operation. DOT is in the process of replacing its fleet of 15 El Dorado 29-foot compressed natural gas-powered buses dating from 2010 and 2011 with new 35-foot battery electric buses. As the new buses are received, DOT will begin decommissioning its 29-foot El Dorado buses. This process involves removing any equipment that can be reused to support DOT’s new bus fleet including the radio, computer dispatching system, the farebox, and fare media reader systems. Additionally, all Big Blue Bus branding is covered with paint to prevent the public from mistaking the vehicle for one of its buses in service.
LA Metro is the regional transportation provider for Los Angeles County and has been a strong partner to DOT. LA Metro coordinates with DOT on bus service, integration to regional light rail lines, regional transit centers, and funding. LA Metro will be supporting transportation for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles by providing a Games Enhanced Transit Service of 2,700 buses to provide transportation services for spectators and workers attending the games. To support these efforts, LA Metro has asked its regional partners to assist in providing buses for use by donating retired buses to LA Metro for use in their enhanced service.
DOT supports LA Metro’s goal of providing transit-oriented service to the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games and the donation of its retired buses would demonstrate how the region’s transit agencies work in partnership to provide clean, safe, and reliable transportation services. DOT will cover all Big Blue Bus branding and 3 of 4
LA Metro will wrap each donated bus with Olympic-specific branding. Any buses donated by DOT would be provided in “as-is” condition, with no warranties expressed or implied, and the City of Santa Monica would be indemnified from any claims arising from the performance or use of the vehicles.
The estimated value of decommissioned buses is between $2,000 and $4,000 each based on DOT’s past auctions of decommissioned vehicles. DOT anticipates that it will decommission up to 88 transit buses through 2028 based on the current age of its fleet of transit buses. Staff recommends that an agreement be executed with LA Metro for donation of decommissioned transit buses through 2028 for use in the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games as an exception to the competitive bid process. This agreement would extend to any buses decommissioned in the period between its execution date and the 2028 Games.
Vendor Selection
Exception to Competitive Bidding
Staff recommends executing an MOU with LA Metro for a donation of decommissioned DOT transit buses to LA Metro for use in the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games through 2028 as an exception to competitive bidding per Muni Code 2.24.250 (f). This exception would cover only buses donated to LA Metro under this agreement for use in the 2028 LA Olympics and Paralympic Games. In the last ten years, DOT has only fielded two requests for donation of decommissioned transit buses as most requestors are unable to support the maintenance of the vehicles at end of life. The donation of these buses would come at no cost to the City and would support DOT’s goal of supporting our regional partners in showcasing our regional public transit services by providing clean, safe, and reliable transportation to spectators and workers of the 2028 Games. DOT’s decommissioned transit buses have traditionally been auctioned for very minimal revenue, and LA Metro would be responsible for all costs associated with repairing and maintaining these vehicles through the event. The decommissioned buses will remain LA Metro property after the 2028 Olympics and the City will have no ongoing liability, nor will it receive any financial compensation on final disposal of the donated buses.
f. special conditions to a grant, donation, gift that require the use of particular goods and/or services;
Environmental Review
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The agreement to donate DOT decommissioned transit buses to LA Metro for use in their supplemental bus system for the 2028 Games is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines. The donation of buses to LA Metro is covered by the commonsense exemption which states that CEQA does not apply, “where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” The donation of transit buses would not result in any adverse physical impacts on the environment, and as such, is exempt from CEQA.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
The donation of DOT’s decommissioned transit buses to LA Metro would not have any financial impact. All buses will be provided to LA Metro in “as-is” condition with no warranties expressed or implied, and the City will negotiate language into the MOU that the City of Santa Monica will be indemnified from any claims arising from the performance or use of these vehicles.
Prepared By: David Nanjo, Administrative Analyst
Approved Forwarded to Council