January 12, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Is Cash Coming Back for the Big Blue Bus?

Santa Monica City Council discusses possibility of restoring cash service for buses 

By Dolores Quintana

Santa Monica lawmakers recently discussed the possibility of restoring cash payments for Big Blue Bus rides. 

Since July 12, 202, Santa Monica Big Blue Buses have ceased to accept cash payments because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an attempt to minimize contact between drivers and passengers for safety, it may have made it more difficult for members of vulnerable groups to ride the city bus. People among the low-income, elderly, disabled, student and homeless individuals in the community have had issues because they lack access to MTA Tap cards or find it equally as hard to reload those cards even if they acquire them. While Big Blue Buses are supposed to give rides to anyone who needs them regardless of their ability to pay, some people report that this is not always the case. 

On September 14, Santa Monica City Council discussed how to remedy this issue and make bus rides accessible to all community members with item 13B on the agenda. Councilmembers Phil Brock, Oscar de la Torre and high school student Olivia Landon co-authored this discussion item. The item requested that equity be restored to the Santa Monica bus system by directing the City Manager to reintroduce cash payments to Big Blue Bus lines or to make buying and reloading TAP cards more convenient and accessible by adding more locations where members of the public can acquire and recharge these cards locally at a low cost. 

Councilperson Phil Brock presented the item and gave the example of his elderly mother who has never had a credit card and always uses cash or checks. He stated that she is not proficient with smartphones and would be unable to ride as things stand today. Councilperson 

“The reason for this motion is simple. We need to make sure that the least among us always have access to public transportation,” Brock said. 

Councilmember Gleam Davis asked Brock about residents’ ability to buy TAP cards in different retail locations and Brock pointed out that calls were made to retail outlets on the Big Blue Bus website that claimed to sell TAP cards and the result was disappointing. Out of the 15 retail stores that were contacted, only one sold TAP cards and refills, one claims to have TAP cards but does not refill them, one only refills TAP cards in prohibitively large amounts of $20 to $25, 6 had incorrect contact information, 6 say that they do not sell TAP cards at all despite being listed on the BBB site. 

There were a number of comments from community members that highlighted the different aspects of this issue. Landon, co-writer of the item, pointed out that she believes the survey that the Department of Transportation wants to do on bus riders is unfair. She said, “The people who don’t have access to the Internet, phones, or a TAP card are the ones who won’t be able to answer the survey. The results are bound to be skewed and in favor of cashless payment because of this.”

Eric O’Connor, Assistant Director of Transportation for Santa Monica, said that there are 91 TAP outlets in the service area and that the City will be auditing the outlets to make sure they have TAP cards available. He stated that while there are reported incidents of community members being refused rides for not having the fare, he noted that Big Blue Bus drivers are not coached to refuse riders. According to O’Connor, going cashless frees up 9,000 hours of wait time. 

Councilperson Lana Negrete asked about the bus drivers refusing service. O’Connor stated that it has always been the policy of the Big Blue Bus to provide service if a rider is unable to pay. In addition, O’Connor stated that cash fares are not a moneymaker and in fact cost more than they earn. Negrete asked if fare-less rides were in the future in reference to a previous item, fare-less bus rides for school children, and O’Connor stated that the negotiations were ongoing. 

Mayor Sue Himmelrich argued that if it costs the City more to take cash than it does to run cashless buses, it would seem counterproductive to reintroduce cash to the bus fare system. She said that they need to fix whatever part of the policy that has fallen short. 

Councilmember Brock asked to reinstate cash payments temporarily. Councilmember Davis pointed out that she was uncomfortable with making a decision like this without a more comprehensive discussion. Councilperson de la Torre suggested that maybe it would be a good idea to hand out pre-loaded TAP cards on buses and Mayor Himmelrich agreed. Mayor Pro Tem Kristen McCowan agreed that the item should go back to staff so that it could be analyzed further and that there should be an attempt to reiterate the policy to avoid potential refusal of service to riders. 

Mayor Himmelrich amended the item, which eventually passed unanimously, to direct staff to reinforce the policy that non-payers can still ride. In addition, the amended item instructs officials to distribute TAP cards more widely to as many people as possible. As a third part of the revised item, staff was instructed to come up with other means of obtaining TAP cards.

Related Posts

Breaking News: The Palisades Fire Mandatory Evacuation Area Expanded in Brentwood

January 10, 2025

January 10, 2025

LA Fire Expands Evacuation Orders in Brentwood, and Evacuation Warnings in West LA As of 7:00 p.m., the previously announced...

Beverly Hills Schools to Stay Closed Friday Amid Ongoing Fire Concerns

January 10, 2025

January 10, 2025

Superintendent Dr. Bregy Cites Safety Concerns and Expresses Gratitude The Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) has announced that the...

Blame and Questions Surround Palisades Fire Response as Caruso Admits Hiring Private Firefighters

January 10, 2025

January 10, 2025

Critics point fingers at Mayor Bass and Local Officials During the First Night of the Inferno By Dolores Quintana There...

Breaking News: 6% Containment Achieved in Palisades Fire; Tragic Death Confirmed, Federal Government to Cover Costs

January 9, 2025

January 9, 2025

Firefighters Battle the Destructive Blaze With Reinforcements From Multiple States  On the third day of the Palisades Fire, at last,...

Disaster Assistance Available for L.A. County Wildfire Victims Through FEMA

January 9, 2025

January 9, 2025

Apply Online or by Phone; Emergency Shelters Open for Displaced Residents Los Angeles County residents impacted by recent wildfires can...

Palisades Village Area Unrecognizable As Smoke Clears

January 9, 2025

January 9, 2025

Several Businesses are Skeletal Embers of Themselves By Zach Armstrong Downtown Palisades is unrecognizable with several beloved businesses and structures...

Westwood Village Businesses Shut Down Amid Fire Crisis: Latest Updates from Councilmember Yaroslavsky

January 9, 2025

January 9, 2025

Parking Enforcement Eased, Businesses Closed, and BHUSD Closes Schools  The Beverly Hills School District has canceled classes and released a...

Beloved Westside Restaurants Destroyed in Palisades Fire

January 9, 2025

January 9, 2025

Iconic eateries like Moonshadows Lost to Destructive Blaze Sadly, several historic and well-loved restaurants were lost in the Palisades Fire....

Breaking News: Day Two of the Palisades Fire: Updates and Latest Information

January 9, 2025

January 9, 2025

This Devastating Fire Has Spread to Santa Monica and With Zero Containment After 24 Hours By Dolores Quintana In one...

Road Rage Caught on Camera: Cyclists Clash with Mercedes Driver in LA

January 8, 2025

January 8, 2025

Mid-Wilshire Streets Turn Chaotic as Erratic Driving, Heated Confrontation Authorities are investigating a road rage incident involving a group of...

Palisades Fire Erupts Amid Severe Windstorm in Moving Towards Santa Monica, Brentwood and West LA

January 8, 2025

January 8, 2025

Pacific Palisades Wildfire at 2920 Acres, Mandatory Evacuations Ordered in Multiple Areas This article will be updated as events unfold....

Gov. Newsom Deploys Firefighting Resources to Southern California During Severe Windstorm

January 7, 2025

January 7, 2025

State Pre-Positions Crews, Aircraft, and Equipment To Los Angeles County  Because of the Red Flag and severe windstorm warning issued...

(Video) At Vistamar School – Discover the way high school should be

January 7, 2025

January 7, 2025

Students achieve remarkable outcomes with our strong academics, small classes, andpersonalized approach. Our graduates don’t just attend college—they excel. Vistamar’sunique...

Severe Windstorm and Extreme Fire Weather Predicted to Hit All of Los Angeles Starting Tuesday Afternoon

January 6, 2025

January 6, 2025

Life-Threatening Conditions Expected Tuesday Through Wednesday, Wind Gusts Between 50-100 MPH A powerful and potentially life-threatening windstorm is forecast to...

Beverly Hills Man, Accomplice Indicted in $22M Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme, Stalking Case

January 6, 2025

January 6, 2025

Alleged Rug Pull Schemes Targeted Investors; Defendants Face 20 Year Sentence Two Southern California men have been charged with defrauding...