Grant to fund zero-emission fleet conversion, expanded transit service, and workforce training initiatives
The California State Transportation Agency announced Wednesday that Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus will receive a $53.3 million grant through the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) to advance fleet electrification, expand service, and enhance workforce training.
The funding supports the phased implementation of Big Blue Bus’s Fleet Electrification Master Plan, which is set to convert the current fleet to 100% battery-electric, zero-emission vehicles by 2031. This $35.5 million phase will focus on essential infrastructure, including electric utility upgrades and a charging canopy at Big Blue Bus’s depot that can fully recharge electric buses within four hours.
Another $17.3 million of the grant will fund the purchase of 73 battery-electric buses, replacing older compressed natural gas vehicles. The new buses will feature ADA-accessible seating for approximately 40 passengers and improved bike racks.
Workforce development is also prioritized, with over $400,000 allocated for advanced training in high-voltage safety, offered in partnership with the California Transit Training Consortium.
The grant will additionally support improved service on Big Blue Bus’s Route 2 along Wilshire Boulevard, connecting to L.A. Metro’s D Line by 2027. The improvements will include an increase in service hours and frequency, reducing wait times to 10 minutes.
The TIRCP, which awarded funding to 27 transit agencies this cycle, aims to support projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle miles traveled, and traffic congestion. In 2023, Big Blue Bus received $22.9 million in TIRCP funding to launch earlier phases of its Fleet Electrification Master Plan.
