[IMAGE]BBB-Bus-Stop-Rendering-full-1.jpg[/IMAGE]Following City Council approval on Tuesday, Santa Monica, Calif.’s Big Blue Bus announced it is ready to begin the next phase of its bus stop redevelopment project, which will eventually replace or enhance all 360 bus stops around the city. The agency’s goal is to have the first new stops in place by December 2010.

The proposed new stops will include a contemporary and creative design that utilizes sustainable materials, passenger-friendly maps and timetables, and improved amenities to enhance the rider experience. All stops will also be equipped with GPS-based technology to provide different kinds of real-time schedule information to waiting passengers.

Los Angeles design firm Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects (LOHA) was selected from among several top architectural firms to design the project. LOHA’s Santa Monica-inspired conceptual design, called “The Blue Spots,” is clean and unobtrusive, and was designed to enhance the city’s ambiance. The structures will be flexible and able to adapt to various sized locations around the city.

All of the new stops will feature:

• A simplified Big Blue Bus system map.

• A localized map showing areas within walking or biking distance.

• A listing of all bus lines that use that stop.

• A timetable and route map of lines stopping at that location.

• Estimated travel times to key points along the route.

• An ID number that will allow riders to access next bus arrival information via cell phone.

• A shelter canopy.

 In addition, locations with medium and high volume rider patterns will also receive:

• Signs that broadcast real time bus arrival information
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• Seating (select low volume stops may also receive seating)
  

• Trash and recycling containers
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• Lighting that illuminates the structure and waiting area.

The project has been budgeted at $6.9 million, with $3 million coming from Federal Transit Administration funds and nearly $2.5 coming from stimulus funds. The Big Blue Bus will provide the remaining funding.