> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Stephanie Negriff: No ‘mini’ feat - URL: https://www.smdp.com/communityprofiles-stephanie-negriff-no-mini-feat/ - Published: 2007-08-06T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-25T00:32:08.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: Business, Ocean Park, #archive-import *Running a major bus service isn’t always easy as it may seem* *By EMILY SKEHAN Special to the Daily Press* SANTA MONICA For Stephanie Negriff, deciding to move to Santa Monica and work for the Big Blue Bus wasn’t all that difficult. “I had very fond memories of growing up here, and Santa Monica of course I remembered as the place with Pacific Ocean Park, which I always loved to go to as a girl”she said. The Los Angeles native, who left her position with the MTA in Austin, Texas 21 years ago to join Santa Monica’s local transit company, was drawn back to her childhood home because of all the great memories. Plus, the job offer wasn’t too shabby. “Realizing that I had the opportunity to work with one of the best public transit systems in the country,” said Negriff, “and one that had such a strong public image and a lot of community support, was just really unique and exciting.” Negriff is the Director of Transit Services in Santa Monica, a position that has allowed her to spearhead such projects as the new “Mini Blue” lines and a partnership with Santa Monica College. “Public transportation is one of those things that kind of just grabs you,” she said. “When you work in this field you either love it or hate it, and most people that like it just stay in it — that’s what I’ve done.” Negriff attended the University of Austin — though her degree is from Cal State Northridge — and with her focus on intergovernmental relations landed a public transport internship in Texas, which led her to jobs in Oklahoma City and St. Louis, working on the creation of light rail lines. But the West Los Angeles resident could-n’t stay away from Southern California for long. “I found it way too cold in St. Louis, being a West Coast girl!” she laughed. After working again with the Austin MTA, Negriff accepted a Senior Administrative Analyst position with the Big Blue Bus in 1986, and hasn’t left since. Negriff served as Big Blue Bus interim director starting in October 2001 when former director John Catoe left to take the number two position at the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The next year, she accepted the post permanently. Negriff highlighted the newest project that the Big Blue Bus has undertaken — a big idea in a mini package. A new service of neighborhood-oriented “Mini Blue” busses debuted this summer; an innovation that Negriff thinks will be of great benefit to local commuters. “We wanted to look for ways to serve our customers within the city,” she said. “The Big Blue Bus operates over a 55-square-mile service area, but we really wanted to look at ways that we could enhance the quality of transportation within the Santa Monica community.” Big Blue bus interviewed over 600 community members about what qualities and factors of a new system would get people — particularly those who weren’t regular transit users — out of their cars and onto public transport. “Santa Monica is known as a very sustainable city interested in preserving the environment, and that came up a lot,” said Negriff. “The Big Blue Bus is an important way to improve the city’s overall sustain-abilty, and that was something we focused on with the Mini Blue lines.” The new service, which includes short trips to and from the beach, schools, markets and special events all in Santa Monica, runs every 15 minutes along five routes. Each bus is less than 30 feet long, and powered by eco-friendly bio-diesel. Unlike the usual Big Blue coaches, Mini Blue rides are free of advertisements and boast a clean, bright blue and green surface. “Promotionally, we wanted to make the whole package as neighborhood friendly and visually appealing as possible,” said Negriff. So what’s in store for the Big Blue Bus? Negriff has many ideas, from a joint light rail project with the MTA, to fixed streetcars or trolleys throughout the city. “Expo is definitely the next exciting thing that’s going to happen,” said Negriff, refer-ring to the rail system that would connect Downtown Los Angeles with Santa Monica, “I’m optimistic that the decisions about it will be made this year and that the alignment is going to come straight through our city.” However, everything isn’t peachy keen when it comes to negotiating such a complicated endeavor. The California state budget, which has yet to be approved, might divert up to $314 million from the Expo line in an attempt to close the state’s financial gap. “We certainly don’t need any more diversions of funds from public transport at all,” Negriff added. The transit director is also pumped about a partnership with SMC — the Big Blue Bus recently opened Line 6, a service that runs from the densely populated Palms neighborhood to the Bundy campus. The Sunset and Crosstown Mini Blue lines also run to the college, and because of SMC subsidies, students and faculty can ride for free. “It’s a really great partnership,” Negriff said.“Students don’t have to worry about the fare or the price of parking near campus.” There are many challenges and ventures in Negriff’s future, but in the mean time she’s happy to spend a weekend night at the movies in Santa Monica with her husband, or at home with her two dogs. Along with all her accomplishments with the Big Blue Bus, she is very proud of her stepdaughters — one just received her doctorate from USC, while the other will be attending law school in Colorado. Negriff, who moved to West Los Angeles from Santa Monica five years ago, still loves to dine in the beach town. “When you live near Santa Monica, there are just so many options for great places to eat,” she said, adding that she loves grabbing lunch at Fritto Misto, which is just across from the Big Blue Bus headquarters on Seventh Street. Negriff’s office balcony looks out on the fleet of bright blue coaches that each day take off across the city. But does the transit director ever frequent the service? “I ride the bus as much as I can,” said Negriff, who takes lines 5 and 12 from her house to work.“One of my criteria when we moved was that we have to live along a bus route.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 6, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/080607.pdf?ref=smdp.com)