Improve big blue bus stops to enhance the rider experience

The Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration awarded the City of Santa Monica, operating as Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, $2.347 million on August 3, 2026, under the Federal Transit Formula Grants program (CFDA 20.507) to improve bus stops and enhance the rider experience. The recipient will install or upgrade lighting, signage, shelters, benches, landscaping, trash receptacles, ADA accessibility improvements, and real-time arrival information displays at Big Blue Bus stops. Activities span California with a period of performance through December 31, 2030. The improvements are intended to increase safety, accessibility, comfort, and usability for current and potential riders, including residents, visitors, commuters, students, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. No sub-recipients are involved in this award.

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to improve big blue bus stops to enhance the rider experience. Improvements include lighting signage shelters americans with disabilities act (ADA) accessibility enhancements real-time arrival information displays landscaping trash receptacles benches and other stop-related improvements that increase safety accessibility comfort and usability for transit riders.

Activities

Activities include installation or upgrades of lighting signage shelters benches landscaping trash receptacles ADA accessibility improvements and real-time arrival information displays as well as other stop-related enhancements intended to improve safety accessibility comfort convenience and the overall rider experience for transit users.

Expected outcomes

Expected outcomes of this project include improved safety accessibility comfort and usability at big blue bus stops through improvements such as upgraded shelters lighting signage seating ADA improvements and real-time rider information.

Intended beneficiaries

The intended beneficiaries are current and potential big blue bus riders which includes residents visitors commuters students seniors and individuals with disabilities.