Big Blue Bus breaks ground on a new maintenance facility in town
DOWNTOWN With yellow hard hats on their heads and blue shovels in their hands, city officials broke ground earlier this week on a new, eco-friendly maintenance facility for the Big Blue Bus that will allow for the addition of longer articulated buses to the fleet.
The three-year construction project, located at 612 Colorado Ave., is expected to begin in February 2008 and be completed in early 2010, said Stephanie Negriff, the director of BBB.
“The key thing about this facility is that it will really allow for us to expand the service options we provide … and enable us to grow in the future,”said Negriff,who mentioned that the facility will have room for three articulated buses, which are capable of carrying more passengers.
“We are particularly excited about the environmental features of this building,” which will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, Negriff said.
The $56 million project, which was designed by HOK Architects, will include sustainable features such as solar panels, a reclaimed water irrigation system for landscaping and light colored concrete in the bus yard to cool air temperature and reduce the “heat island” effect.
The 66,000-square-foot facility will have 5,000 square feet of offices, 20 new repair bays including two chassis wash bays, lock-
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 26, 2007. Read the original PDF.