Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus Wins $36.6 Million State Grant to Build Fleetwide Charging Infrastructure and Add 8 Electric Buses
The City of Santa Monica, California, announced on Nov. 13 that its Big Blue Bus has been awarded $36.6 million through the California State Transportation Agency's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) to build charging infrastructure able to charge the entire fleet simultaneously and to expand zero-emission transit service.
Of the award, $13,135,000 will buy eight battery-electric buses to replace compressed natural gas vehicles, and $23,424,000 will fund charging canopies capable of charging the whole fleet at the same time.
The funding will also add about 9,000 annual service hours on Route 2 (Wilshire Boulevard) and Route 17 (UCLA/VA Medical Center), which will connect with two Metro D Line stations opening in 2027.
The award completes all seven phases of the Big Blue Bus Charging Infrastructure Master Plan, and the city plans a fully electric fleet by 2032. The program previously received TIRCP awards of $22.9 million in 2023 and $53.3 million in 2024, bringing total state electrification investment in the system to more than $112 million.
CalSTA Secretary Toks Omishakin, Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis and the city's Department of Transportation Director Anuj Gupta all issued statements on the award.
Source: City of Santa Monica
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Photo: 图：圣莫尼卡市 Big Blue Bus 的1603号巴士，车身标有该市公交服务字样。来源：City of Santa Monica，公共领域，维基共享资源。 / Photo: Santa Monica Big Blue Bus No. 1603. Credit: City of Santa Monica, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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