SANTA MONICA—In 2012, the city of Santa Monica took ownership of Lincoln Boulevard from Caltrans. Since then, steps have been taken to improve infrastructure and transit efficiency. A lane of Lincoln Boulevard has been dedicated for Route 3 of the Big Blue Bus also known as LiNC.
Over the next several months, between the I-10 freeway and city limits of Ozone Avenue, the Big Blue Bus will have a lane of its own on Lincoln Boulevard operational during rush hours (7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.). The purpose is to reduce overall traffic on Lincoln Boulevard which is recorded to have 50,000 commuters traveling on it per day.
“It is critical to improve service quality through faster trip times for our customers,” says Edward F. King, Director of Transit Services for the Big Blue Bus. One of King’s goals is to reduce single occupancy car trips for individuals who drive alone, and have them take the bus instead. In turn, King says that they can leave their cars at home, and save on gas.
King has noted the possibility of a bus route for Wilshire Boulevard, with a lane traveling westward, as well as 4th St. and Pico Boulevard. Though the change is new to the city, feedback from the public is welcome to assess the efficiency of the dedicated lane.
