U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D‐CA) met with Big Blue Bus Director of Transit Services Ed King on July 18 in Santa Monica to discuss Big Blue Bus’ (BBB) Expo Integration Plan.
While taking a tour of the Downtown Santa Monica Expo Line Station, King briefed Boxer on the BBB service integration plan named, "Evolution of Blue." The new plan will inaugurate six new routes, 53,000 new annual revenue service hours, install more than 230 new stops and expand the BBB fleet. These improvements are necessary to ensure that BBB provides first-last mile connectivity to the seven new Expo Line stations in its service area. King added, "The Senator was very interested in learned how the new Big Blue Bus service was going to integrate with the Expo Line and how the first-last mile connections were being made."
Boxer also reviewed a newly wrapped Big Blue Bus promoting BBB’s clean fuel campaign message and highlighting the fact that all BBB buses are now fueled with Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) called Redeem. Redeem is rated 90 percent cleaner than diesel and is considered the cleanest transportation fuel available. Redeem is non‐fracked methane harvested from organic waste in landfills.
Boxer called on Santa Monica to support her proposal named Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act, S.1647. DRIVE is a six-year Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill which would increase funding above current levels and would help address the nation’s massive infrastructure investment backlog.
