Editor:
Bill Davids in his letter to the editor claims that the Big Blue Bus (BBB) provided no advance notice of its GLOW-related detours and shuttles ("Too environmentally friendly," Letters to the Editor, Oct. 3). This simply is not true. We are so sorry that any customer may have had a bad experience. However, we want to set the record straight with regard to planning detours and shuttles for GLOW and the dissemination of public information.
BBB served on an inter-departmental planning team for GLOW organized by the Community and Cultural Affairs Division. This team consisted of representatives from the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), traffic engineering, and Community and Cultural Affairs, to name a few. BBB staff provided detailed information regarding our detours and shuttles to each member representing their respective departments. In fact, we informed SMPD of Metro's detours as well to ensure that they were aware of the overall transit plan for GLOW.
The dissemination of information to the public began 10 days prior to the event. We began posting information related to GLOW on Sept. 19 on our website. On Sept. 24, per our communications plan, we distributed detour information through these channels:
• BBB Facebook page;
• BBB Twitter feed;
• BBB digital screens located on Broadway and Santa Monica Boulevard between Second and Fifth streets;
• Via dedicated e-mails to our subscriber and community partners in Downtown, including the SMPD and the city's Cultural Affairs Division;
• Onboard signs on the newer buses; and
• In the final 24 hours before GLOW, printed detour maps were attached to bus stops along the routes impacted by the detours throughout Downtown.
Again, we regret that any customer had a negative experience. We always take opportunities with events to garner lessons learned so that we can do better with future events and detour planning. We appreciate the feedback and hope the next experience is positive.
Edward F. King
Director of Transit Services
City of Santa Monica Big Blue Bus
