Big Green: Bus company building fuel-efficient fleet
By JASMIN PERSCH Special to the Daily Press
Passengers fearing their daily commute is about to get more costly, in light of soaring gas prices, may want to show their local transportation company some tokens of affection.
While the Big Blue Bus is expected to pay nearly $1 million more in gas this year, Big Blue officials aren’t planning to scale back services or increase fares.
Officials at the city-run bus system predict that fuel costs will be 26 percent higher than expected this fiscal year, which ends next August, said Big Blue Bus spokesman Dan Dawson.
According to Dawson, the estimated budget for gas was $2.8 million, but rising fuel prices have bumped it to $3.5 million. The Big Blue Bus will use capital reserves to make up the difference.
The transportation agency paid $2.22 per gallon for diesel fuel and 87 cents per gallon for liquefied natural gas this August, Dawson said. Both increased significantly since last August. Diesel fuel rose 50 percent and LNG jumped up 18 percent.
If high fuel costs persist, the transportation agency will consider reducing bus services and postponing improvement projects, he said. As a last resort, the Big Blue Bus will increase fares, but officials aren’t planning on it.
“In this time of rising gas prices, when public transportation is even more important, we will do everything possible to maintain and improve service for the community,” said Stephanie Negriff, director of transit services.
The Big Blue Bus is expected to add more fuel-efficient buses to its fleet next year.
The new buses — an experimental hydrogen bus and four hybrids — are expected to cost about $1.7 million, Dawson said.
The transportation agency is paying a portion of the price of the hydrogen bus, which costs about $345,000. A grant from the Air Quality Management District will cover the remainder.
The hybrid buses are 20-seaters that will travel short distances, connecting people to local places of interest, like neighborhoods to business centers or schools.
The fleet of around 210 buses is slowly being converted completely to LNG, with half of the buses running on the cleaner, less-toxic fuel.
“LNG is cleaner and better for the environment,” Dawson said. “It’s also quieter, so the buses aren’t as loud.”
The transportation agency hasn’t bought new diesel buses in five years, but it doesn’t retire the old ones until they flunk evaluations, he said.
In addition, the transportation agency is also planning for a series of technological improvements.
Global Positioning Systems will be installed in buses to count the number of riders getting on and off at individual stops. This will help Big Blue better plan how many buses to send out on busy lines, Dawson said, adding that ridership numbers have increased by 1 percent since last August.
The GPS systems will also allow dispatch operators to direct bus drivers to faster routes, while customer service staff will be able to give people who call in more accurate information on street conditions.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 18, 2005. Read the original PDF.