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Santa Monica Big Blue Bus


Nabinut

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The third stop on the tour brings us to the Big Blue Bus of Santa Monica. This system on the western edge of Los Angeles serves the city and surrounding areas with UCLA as a major service hub in West LA. BBB's fleet consists of MCI Classics from 1995, New Flyer D40LFs from 1997, NABI 40LFW CNGs from 2001-2003, MCI D4000s, New Flyer L40LFs from 2005 & 2008 as well as Thomas SLF 230s used for the Tide Ride service.

New Flyer D40LF #3838 is seen outside of Union Station on Route 10 express which runs from Downtown LA to Downtown Santa Monica.

This is one of 67 NFIs and the first low floors in the system:

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New Flyer L40LF #4066 in Downtown Santa Monica near the end of the Route 10 Express. This is one of 61 L40LFs presently in the fleet:

WCT3059.jpg

NABI 40LFW #4010 at the LAX City Bus Center on Route 3. This is one of 37 NABIs operated by BBB and the first LNG buses in the system:

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New Flyer D40LF #3818 at the UCLA Terminal. 3818 is one of maybe a handful of NFIs with orange signs. This series is soon to be replaced by NABI 40LFW restyles and NABI 60BRTs:

WCT3068.jpg

Videos:

New Flyer L40LF #4066 on Route 10 Express: Cummins C Gas/ZF Ecomat

New Flyer D40LF #3854 on Route 3: DD50/Allison B400R:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18kvjbVgRVU

NABI 40LFW #4010 on Route 3 (Audio Recording): DD50G/Allison B400R

NFI #3818 leaving UCLA Campus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BanGf1C2w-M

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I ride Santa Monica's buses every Friday and Sunday, as such I've made a lot of videos and audio clips (pictures in the audio clips thanks to Robert McConnell):

on Line 7 to Santa Monica
on Express Line 10 From Downtown LA

Santa Monica New Flyer L40LF #4055 (Ride Video) on Express Line 10 to Downtown LA

Santa Monica New Flyer L40LF #4081 (Ride Video) on Rapid Line 3 to Santa Monica

Santa Monica New Flyer L40LF #4099 (Ride Video) on Rapid Line 7 to Santa Monica

(Note: This was the last New Flyer L40LF ever built with the old style)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Today i spotted one of the ten gasoline electric hybrid El Dorado EZ Rider II BRTs that BBB has purchased. The bus, #2902, was training today between 20th st and the yard, and here are some pictures

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Nice photo. Didn't know Eldorado threw their hat into the Hybrid ring. Is that GE or DE?

Gas Electric, I believe these are the second set of hybrids that El Dorado has produced, the first going to SunLine Transit Agency in Palm Springs, CA.

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Hmm, I must have been thinking of something else (probably due to my usual lack of proper sleep...). In that case, I take back my statement about SunLine, it seems Santa Monica got the first hybrid El Dorado :). Well, I'm off to sleep again for a few hours...

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've did a bit of traveling around West Los Angeles yesterday during rush hour around 3 in the afternoon, I spotted 2 NovaBus Classics on Pico Boulevard, #4805 on Line 7 heading east, and another unit on Line 5 also heading east (I didn't catch the number). When I got into Santa Monica, I passed by the Big Blue Bus yard and spotted 3 Classics ready to leave the yard for service. I rode #4812 on Line 3 bound for LAX Green Line Station from 4th/Santa Monica to Venice Boulevard. I didn't have my film equipment on me, so that was sort of useless...

However from my observations overall from the past few weeks:

-The 3800-Series New Flyer D40LF's are now primarily used on weekdays, but seeing limited use on weekends

-The 4080-Series New Flyer L40LF's dedicated to Rapid Blue service have luggage racks

-The 4800-Series NovaBus Classics are now Rush Hour-only buses

So now on to new fleet acquisitions:

The hybrid El Dorados should be entering service any day now, so expect the Thomas/Dennis SLF230's to be out of service soon. In total, 15 were ordered.

The NABI 60-BRT's should be delivered some time in November/December and enter service before March 2011. 15 were ordered with contract options for 10 more.

Source: Big Blue Notes (Early Spring 2010 Edition)

However, it is interesting to note that the artwork in the newsletter depicts both buses in the 3800-Series.

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However from my observations overall from the past few weeks:

-The 3800-Series New Flyer D40LF's are now primarily used on weekdays, but seeing limited use on weekends

-The 4080-Series New Flyer L40LF's dedicated to Rapid Blue service have luggage racks

-The 4800-Series NovaBus Classics are now Rush Hour-only buses

So now on to new fleet acquisitions:

The hybrid El Dorados should be entering service any day now, so expect the Thomas/Dennis SLF230's to be out of service soon. In total, 15 were ordered.

The NABI 60-BRT's should be delivered some time in November/December and enter service before March 2011. 15 were ordered with contract options for 10 more.

Very interesting bus usage on the number of routes that it is putted on. An improvement with the utilization of buses that provides improvement to passenger for the Rapid Blue Service branded L40LF which includes luggage rack there and as well as for the new buses on order and others place in service.

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The newer rapid buses don't have the racks, I also see rapid buses often on line 10 now because they're running short.

I can't wait to ride the new El Dorado EZ Rider II BRT's.. I understand that Long Beach has ordered the buses to replace their Chance Opus buses. I'll be sure to take some video of this!

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The newer rapid buses don't have the racks, I also see rapid buses often on line 10 now because they're running short.

Some of the L40LF's from #4080-4089 have them, #4091-4099 don't

I took photos onboard #4082 (Sorry about the blurriness, I took them with my cell phone and I haven't had the chance to edit them yet):

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And yeah, they have been using some of the Rapid Blue New Flyers on Line 10 for a while now. They even bring out the NovaBus Classics during the heaviest part of rush hour...

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