The Big Blue Bus on Thursday launched the "Travel Like a Local" campaign to encourage people to walk, bike or take the bus this summer to provide relief from commuting stress and traffic congestion.
"We always encourage people to take transit, but especially for the summer where it's expected there will be an increase in congestion," said Suja Lowenthal, government and community relations manager for BBB.
She said the plan is to take a page from the locals' book on how they navigate their city.
The American Public Transportation Association reported that 2012 experienced a 7 percent increase in Americans planning "staycations," where they vacation close to home. Traditionally, Santa Monica experiences an increase in the number of visitors during the summer months, city officials said.
In conjunction with the campaign, the Big Blue Bus is also encouraging riders to share videos or photos of their travels on social media sites like Instagram (@bigbluebus), Facebook (facebook.com/smbigbluebus) and Twitter (twitter.com/smbigbluebus). Make sure to use the hashtags #bbblocal or #ridebluegogreen.
