CITYWIDE
After years of lackluster ridership numbers, the Big Blue Bus will officially retire the Tide Ride shuttle on Monday, Sept. 6 despite objections from business owners and residents in Ocean Park.
The Tide Ride, which is partially paid for by five local hotels as part of a development agreement with City Hall, was originally developed in 1993 as a way to serve the growing tourism sector and offset traffic impacts.
It is on the chopping block because of low ridership numbers and the loss of millions in state transit assistance funds. The shuttle, which can hold about 26 passengers at one time, only serves about half of capacity every hour, making it the lowest producing service in the system. The Big Blue Bus, based on rough figures, estimates that about 5 percent of boardings are for the hotels.
The shuttle operates from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and noon to 10:02 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Big Blue Bus Lines 1 and 2 will continue to service Downtown hotels, businesses and retail areas, including Main Street, and also the Santa Monica Pier. Complete schedule information is available at www.BigBlueBus.com, at Blue: The Transit Store located at 223 Broadway near the Third Street Promenade, or by calling Big Blue Bus Customer Service at (310) 451-5444.
Holiday schedule
All buses will run on a Sunday schedule on Labor Day, Sept. 6. Regular service will resume on Sept. 7.
