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# No more free rides
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/no-more-free-rides/
- Published: 2008-01-08T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T17:52:54.000Z
- Author: Melody Hanatani
- Tags: Business, Downtown, #archive-import

*Farmers’ Market bus routes prove no moveable feast*

More than a year after going into service, two Big Blue Bus shuttles — the Downtown Farmers’ Market Ride and the Pico Farmers’ Market Ride — are expected to be discontinued due to low ridership.

The Pico Farmers’ Market ride, which operates only on Saturdays, averages about 1.5 passengers per vehicle per hour, while the Downtown market ride, which runs on Wednesdays and Saturdays, averages about four passengers per vehicle service hour. The annual savings from canceling both services is estimated at $87,000.

“The Farmers’ Market Rides have been a useful experiment in the offering of a short distance shuttle serving a specific event that draws visitors from a large area,” according to a staff report. “It demonstrated the challenge of attracting a significant number of riders from a small service area where there are competing transit services and the possibility of reaching the destination by walking.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 8, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/010808.pdf?ref=smdp.com)