Santa Monica transit services will be the focus of attention if City Hall hires Perteet Engineering, Inc. (PEI) to undertake a line-by-line analysis for service improvements.
The Big Blue Bus conducts an analysis every three years to identify possible modifications for schedules and routes in the Short Range Transit Plan. Passenger surveys and passenger counts are included in the analysis, which was last completed in 2003. The new analysis would study the potential opportunities to “expand the employer sponsored transit card program and improve transit connections between neighborhoods within the City,” a city staff report said.
A Request for Proposal was sent to 17 different consulting firms who specialize in transit operations analysis, transit planning and financial planning, but only one proposal was submitted from PEI. The company has a record with similar transit agencies as well as with the Big Blue Bus in 2003. Staff from the organization will offer a series of community outreach meetings conducted by the Big Blue Bus to show findings from the line-by-line analysis and hear concerns and suggestions from riders and members of the community in the winter of 2007.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 26, 2006. Read the original PDF.