Santa Monica Mayor Pro Tempore Pam O'Connor and City Council Members Kevin McKeown cut the ribbon during the Big Blue Bus grand opening ceremony of their new, state-of-the-art maintenance facility on Seventh Street on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.
After nine years of planning, and nearly three years of design and construction, Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus is ready to turn the key on its new state-of-the-art, environmentally significant maintenance facility. The project came in under budget and on time, and features the latest in sustainable transit maintenance technologies.
A dedication ceremony and public open house was held on September 23. The special event featured a ribbon cutting by city officials, self-guided tours of the facility, a large display of vintage photos covering the past 80 years of the Big Blue Bus, a 3-D video presentation showcasing how the project was designed and a variety of equipment demonstrations.
The new facility, which was financed entirely by public transit funds, is part of an expansion project that will also include the demolition of the existing 40-year-old maintenance facility and a reorganized, more efficient bus yard. The project was extensively planned and multi-phased so that daily bus operations could be maintained while the project was under construction. The total cost of this phase, including the demolition and new parking area, will be $60 million.
“This project has exceeded our expectations, both in its environmental and functional design and in its overall execution,” said Santa Monica City Manager P. Lamont Ewell.
“This new facility and its increased capacity yard will allow the Big Blue Bus to smoothly transition into the future so we can better serve the community for many years to come,” he added.
“While the old facility has served us well for over 40 years, we live in a different world now and need a facility that can maintain our larger and more technologically diverse fleet, which includes many different types and sizes of cleaner burning alternative fueled vehicles,” said Stephanie Negriff, director of transit services for the Big Blue Bus.
Negriff noted that the project also provides for much needed additional space for bus parking, and longer bays to service the larger articulated buses expected in 2011. The articulated buses will be used on the Rapid 3 and 7 lines, which are currently the agency’s busiest and most popular routes.
The new facility encompasses 66,000 square feet of workspace and offices along a 450-foot long structure. It includes 21 service bays, which can handle the maintenance and repair of up to 20 buses a day, and has three extended bays to service the new 60-foot articulated buses and two bays dedicated to maintaining Santa Monica Fire Department vehicles. The facility will operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In keeping with the Big Blue Bus’ and city’s commitment to a sustainable environment, the facility will include many eco-friendly and energy efficient features, such as:
600 80-kilowatt photovoltaic panels on the roof to help reduce energy costs by up to 15% a year. Highly reflective concrete paving in the bus yard to keep the facility’s microclimate cooler. An urban runoff system to filter storm water. Reclaimed water for landscape irrigation. Recycled content in major constructions materials, including concrete, structural steel, carpeting, gypsum board, finishes and insulation. Light colored single-ply roofing to reflect heat away from the building. Low/no-VOC off-gassing materials and finishes. Energy efficient measures, including minimum energy water heaters and lighting. Workspaces designed to utilize natural ventilation so less air conditioning is required. Electric vehicle charging stations.
The facility also incorporates a 200-foot long programmable art wall utilizing special glass panels that can change from transparent to semi-transparent shades of blue, with the patterns simulating movement along its glass skin. The wall, designed by noted artist Dan Corson, will help provide privacy for the expanded lot, and will be visible both day and evening hours. In addition to its glass panels, the wall will also incorporate a unique bus stop at one end.
The Los Angeles office of HOK, an internationally recognized leader in sustainable design, served as the facility’s architect.
Morley Construction Company was awarded the contract to build the project, and was pleased that it was completed on time and within budget.
"We've greatly appreciated the opportunity to be the design-builder with our architectural partner HOK, the City of Santa Monica and the Big Blue Bus team on this sustainable facility," said Project Executive David Selna.
"This particular project had many interesting challenges, including phasing work in an area that was fully operational at the same time we were building, high-end architectural building skins, solar roof treatment and the inclusion of an illuminated glass art wall.”
“The City of Santa Monica now has a solid, new state-of-the-art facility that will serve them well for years to come," said Selna.
In addition to the new building, larger bus yard and demolition of the old facility, the full expansion project also includes a natural gas fueling station and a recycled-water bus wash, which were completed in an earlier phase.
The new Big Blue Bus maintenance facility is located at 1620 7th Street at the corner of Colorado Avenue, and is serviced by Lines 3 and 5. Public parking for the event will be available along city streets in the area. For more information about the Big Blue Bus, visit www.bigbluebus.com or call 310-451-5444.
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