Sustainable Santa Monica NewsletterDecember 2010
Header Dec2009
Greetings!
Thank you for receiving this Newsletter-- Keeping you informed of everything Sustainable in Santa Monica, from community events, news, and resources, to business and educational opportunities!

The purpose of this Newsletter is to provide Santa Monica residents, businesses and organizations with the information and resources needed to help meet the goals of the Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan in eight target areas: Resource Conservation, Environmental and Public Health, Transportation, Economic Development, Open Space & Land Use, Housing, Community Education & Civic Participation, and Human Dignity.

You are sure to find inspiration this month as December offers some amazing ways to participate in our sustainable community!!
Santa Monica Office of Sustainability & the Environment Featured Article
GETTD logoThe City of Santa Monica's Office of Sustainability & the Environment partnered with Sustainable Works and Green Business Networking to host the 2010 Los Angeles Region Green Economy Think Tank Day in August at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Over 120 sustainability leaders and decision makers working in various sectors of the economy convened for this event.  The purpose of the Think Tank Day is to forge new and deepen existing connections to identify issues and opportunities in supporting LA's regional green economy.
Attendees were challenged to develop solutions that result in action and tangible outcomes over the next 12 months.

Click here to learn more about the event.

Click here for the 2010 Outcomes Report.     

 
FEATURE- Santa Monica Small Business Development Center
Free Low-Cost Workshops for small businesses and business start-ups! The Santa Monica Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers free confidential business counseling, quick
community express loans, low cost business-growing workshops, lease modification assistance, and customized strategic planning! The SBDC is based at Santa Monica Airport. For more info, contact (310) 434-3566 or visit www.smc.edu/sbdc.
In This Issue
LA Region Green Economy Think Tank Day
Santa Monica Small Business Development Center
Nominations Due December 16th- 2010 Sustainable Quality Awards
Santa Monica's Local Drinking Water
8 Simple Steps to Greening the Holidays
Big Blue Bus & American Red Cross 15th Annual Food Drive
'Tis the Season for a Green Commute
Rent a Living Tree This Holiday Season
Green Girls' Night Out at The Green Life
Can We Talk? Meet City Manager Rod Gould
PICO Library Community Planning Workshop
Santa Monica Local Business Holiday Festivities
Winterlit Celebration & Tree Lighting
"California's Next Million Acre-Feet: Saving Water, Energy, & Money"
Green Schools Summit & Expo
Bicycle Action Plan Community Meeting
2010 Sustainable Landscape Design Series for Professionals
Green Business Networking
Santa Monica Pub Crawl and Food Drive
Last Fridays on Main Street
Recycle Your Christmas Tree
Buy Local Santa Monica
Santa Monica Visitor Center Gift Ideas for the Holidays
New Leaf Blower Ban
City of Santa Monica- 2010 Sustainable City Report Card Released
Big Blue Bus Partners with Google Transit
Join Our Mailing List!
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FEATURE- Nominations Due December 16th- 2010 Sustainable Quality Awards

SQA logoJust a reminder to send in nominations for the upcoming 2010 Sustainable Quality Awards!!


Download SQA 2010 Nomination Form Here

 

Nomination Deadline--Thursday December 16th

 

 


Since 1995, the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Santa Monica have honored local businesses and organizations that make extraordinary contributions by enhancing our economy, community and environment with the Sustainable Quality Award (SQA).

 

*Over 50 Business Greening Program participants have won the grand prize SQA or an Excellence award in the last 10 years!

 

You can nominate any business or organization (including your own):

- located in Santa Monica

- Santa Monica Chamber member if outside Santa Monica

- Must be in operation for minimum 3 years


For more information visit www.smsqa.com.



NEWS- Santa Monica's Local Drinking Water

water dropA reliable supply of clean, freshwater is vital for every living being, but importing Santa Monica's drinking water from the farther reaches of California is expensive and energy-consuming. For that reason, reducing our city's dependence on imported water has been an important financial goal and Sustainable City Plan objective for many years. By January 2011, Santa Monica residents and businesses will once again be enjoying drinking water from our own underground water supply.


FIVE SANTA MONICA WELLS RE-OPEN IN JANUARY
In 1996, five wells located at the Santa Monica-owned well field in the Mar Vista area of Los Angeles were shut down when testing revealed the presence of a gasoline additive, Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE). The contaminant leaked from underground storage tanks and product pipelines in the area surrounding the well field. Since then, the City has had to import 80% of its drinking water supplies from the Metropolitan Water District to make up for the loss of the wells in order to meet the demands of its residents and businesses. In December 2006, a comprehensive settlement agreement with the responsible oil companies provided the funding to design and construct a
state-of-the art water treatment facility that uses granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration to remove contaminants from the wells. Additionally, improvements have been
made to the disinfection and softening process at the water treatment facility, including
installation of a reverse osmosis system, pressure filtration vessels, a backwash system,
new electrical services and emergency generators, and a new sewer line to serve the facility.
 


After many years of successful city efforts in legal negotiations, design work and
environmental studies and 18 months of construction, the city's engineers and water
resource professionals are nearly ready to turn the local water supply back on! Look forward to the grand opening of the Santa Monica Water Treatment Plant early next year.

For more information about this project, please visit www.smgov.net/engineering or contact City Engineering staff at 310.458.8721 or Water Resources staff at 310.826.6712.



RESOURCE- 8 Simple Steps to Greening the Holidays

SW logo for CC revised
Believe it or not, the holidays are upon us. Whether you are heading
out of town or staying at home in Santa Monica, we hope you will be making this holiday season the greenest ever. Read on to learn a few simple steps you can take to make your holidays more sustainable while helping to support our Sustainable City Plan. You can reduce your ecological footprint, conserve our natural resources, and keep the planet healthy for present and future generations. You may even save a little money along the way.

1) REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE! Make your holiday celebrations
more sustainable by going back to the three basics. Reduce the amount of waste you produce by buying only as much as you need
and choosing products that come in packaging that can be recycled or have high post consumer recycled content. Bring your reusable bag when holiday shopping.

2) MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY MEALS LOCAL & ORGANIC Buying locally grown food is one good way to have a sustainable Holiday. Choosing local foods supports local economies and reduces pollution
from transportation.

3) GO VEGGIE Consider a meat-free holiday meal full of fruits, veggies and grains. Raising animals for food requires more than half the water used in the United States and is the biggest polluter of our water and topsoil.

4) GIVE GIFTS WITHOUT GARBAGE Every year Americans throw
away four million tons of gift wrap and shopping bags. Consider giving gifts with little or no packaging, such as houseplants,
movie or concert tickets and gift certificates. Or wrap your gift in a reusable bag and make a gift to the environment as well.

5) GIVE GIFTS FROM THE HEART OR GIFTS OF HOPE Most of us have more stuff
than we need and wish we could do more to help others. Consider giving the gift of your time or talent to loved ones this year, or making a donation to a charitable cause in a friend's name.

6) DECORATE GREEN LED Lights use 90 percent less energy than conventional holiday lights, and can save you up to $50 on your energy bills during the holiday season. And reconsider the traditional tree - each year, ten million Christmas trees end up in the landfill. Consider renting a tree or buying a potted, living tree to use year after year. If you do buy a cut tree, remember to recycle it. Santa Monica's "Park Your Tree" program allows city residents to drop off their Christmas trees at
local parks free of charge at the end of December and throughout the month of
January.

7) BE A GREEN TRAVELER Holiday travel can greatly contribute to global warming pollution. So do some research and consider greener modes of transportation based on the distance you're traveling and the number of people accompanying you. The Santa Monica Airport's website, www.santamonicaairport.org has information on offsetting your carbon dioxide emissions.

8) JOIN A GREEN LIVING WORKSHOP Now that you are warmed up with green holiday ideas, join a Green Living Workshop by Sustainable Works for a full package of sustainable solutions. Here you will learn everything you need to know about green lifestyle choices, protecting the planet and saving money. The money you save in reduced energy bills can be put towards a much needed
post-holiday massage. Visit www.sustainableworks.org for more information.
SustainableWorks is a non-profit environmental education organization
working to foster a culture of sustainability in cities, colleges, and businesses.

*2010 Holiday Shopping Guide for Finding Greener Electronics

NEWS- Big Blue Bus & American Red Cross 15th Annual Food Drive

BBB Text LogoThe Big Blue Bus is rolling out the holiday spirit to local streets once again with its annual food drive, which takes place November 26 to December 17. The goal is to provide assistance to the ever-increasing number of families and individuals impacted by the worst economic recession since the Great Depression.

This year's food drive combines the efforts of not only city employees, but the public as well. The American Red Cross of Santa Monica is also joining in to help get the word out to local residents and businesses. All contributions will benefit those in need in Santa Monica and around the Westside.

As in past years, the Big Blue Bus is hosting a food drive competition that pits Santa Monica city departments against each other to see who can raise the most cash donations. In addition, the Santa Monica branch of the American Red Cross is hosting an on-line donation center for monetary contributions, which can be accessed at www.redcrossofsantamonica.org.

 Last year's food drive collected over 42,000 pounds of food for charitable organizations. The Big Blue Bus and other city departments are hoping to increase that amount to 44,000 pounds this year, which equates to nearly 62,000 hot meals.

Those who would prefer to donate canned food can drop off donations at any one of the following locations:

 Santa Monica Main Public Library - 601 Santa Monica Blvd.

Fairview Branch - 2101 Ocean Park Blvd.

Montana Ave Branch - 1704 Montana Ave.

Ocean Park Branch - 2601 Main St.

City Hall Lobby - 1685 Main St.

Public Safety Facility Lobby - 333 Olympic Dr.

American Red Cross of Santa Monica - 1450 11th St.

 
Visit www.BigBlueBus.com for more details, or call the Customer Service department at 310-451-5444.
                         NEWS- 'Tis the Season for a Green Commute                      
green commute    We all know improving our commute means improving our quality of life, but it's not just the work commute that makes us grip the steering wheel in frustration-it's the "life trips" as well.  Picking up the kids from school, running errands, and this time of year, holiday shopping, are all life trips we make on a weekly-and sometimes daily-basis.  While it seems the most efficient way to make these trips is driving alone in our cars, that's not always the case.

Think about the time and expense of sitting in traffic and looking for parking-not to mention the air pollution spewing out of your car's tailpipe.  Think about how efficient it would be to team up with other parents and create a school carpool program.  Older kids could ride the bus, bike or walk to and from school.  When running errands, think locally-what businesses can you walk, bike or take the bus to?  It's a great way to rediscover your neighborhood and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.

The holidays are a wonderful time for getting together with friends and family and a green commute can turn a hectic shopping trip into a great social outing.  Plan a shopping trip with friends and meet up at a Big Blue Bus stop to do your holiday shopping together, or carpool to that out of the way outlet mall or special holiday destination.  Not only will you save money by commuting greener, you'll enjoy the holiday camaraderie instead of fighting the holiday traffic.
For great shopping, dining and entertainment destinations, go to the Big Blue Bus website at www.bigbluebus.com.  There you can get detailed information about bus lines, bus stops and schedules.

RESOURCE- Rent a Living Tree This Holiday Season

 living christmas logoYou can have a live, potted tree delivered to your doorstep! It's fun, it's easy, and it's great for your home and the environment. Simply choose one of our varieties of locally-grown trees and we'll deliver it to your home or business. After Christmas we will pick up your tree and return it to our nursery until next year. You can even watch your tree grow as your family grows by adopting the same tree year-after-year.

Click here for the website!

EVENT- Green Girls' Night Out at The Green Life

The Green Life LogoGrab your gal pals for a night of beauty, shopping, cocktails & organic treats- all to celebrate the arrival of W3LL People make-up and Priti nail polishes to The Green Life.

Sample these eco-chic beauty products and get mini makeovers from W3LL People's make-up artist. It's the perfect time to get a jump start on your holiday shopping, especially with 20% off the entire lines of W3LL People and Priti NYC!

When: Thursday, December 2, 2010

Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm

Location: The Green Life Co

2409 Main St, Santa Monica, 90405 MAP

310.392.4702

www.thegreenlifeco.com

EVENT- Can We Talk? Meet City Manager Rod Gould

 City of Santa MonicaThere is a lot happening in Santa Monica!  Take advantage of this opportunity to meet City Manager Rod Gould to get an update on projects happening in your neighborhood. Rod will put the state of the economy into a local perspective as planning begins for the FY2011-12 and FY2012-13 budget.

When: Thursday, December 2
Time:  7 p.m.
              Location: Montana Branch Library, 1704 Montana Avenue (MAP)
         Cosponsored by: North of Montana Association

AND

When: Monday, December 6   
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: McKinley Elementary School Auditorium
2401 Santa Monica Boulevard (MAP)
Cosponsored by: the Mid-City Neighbors


EVENT- PICO Library Community Planning Workshop

virg ave park signSanta Monica City Council has designated Redevelopment Agency funds to build a new branch library in Virginia Avenue Park. Help us plan the new Pico Branch by participating in a community workshop to review the final design concepts:

When: Saturday, December 4, 2010

Time: 2:00 to 4:00pm

Location: Thelma Terry Community Meeting Room, Virginia Avenue Park

2200 Virginia Avenue, Santa Monica MAP

 

Information: Visit the Pico Branch Library website smpl.org/pico/library.htm

Interested: For project news and updates, email pico.library@smgov.net

Questions: Call Library Administration 310-458-8606

EVENT- Santa Monica Local Business Holiday Festivities

happy holidaysSunday, December 4th
Main Street Holiday Tree Lighting, Candlelight Walk + Sidewalk Sale AND the Pico Boulevard
Holiday Hop-Two great holiday shopping events organized by our local Business Improvement Districts to help encourage residents to stay local this holiday season!

More Info at:
mainstsm.com & www.facebook.com/pico.boulevard

Sunday, December 11th  +  18th
Montana Avenue Holiday Events including holiday window competitions, holiday deals + delights
More Info at: www.montanaave.com/

EVENT- Winterlit Celebration & Tree Lighting

WinterLitDowntown Santa Monica celebrates the arts in our community at the annual Winterlit Celebration.

The day of events offers a variety of family-friendly art-based performances and activities that showcase local talent. All activities on December 5th are free and open to the public.


When: December 5, 2010
Time: Noon - 8pm
Location: Third Street Promenade
Cost: FREE

Check the Website for More Info!


EVENT- "California's Next Million Acre-Feet: Saving Water, Energy, & Money"

environment now logoPlease join Environment Now for the launch of our new Speaker Series
with Pacific Institute's Heather Cooley
"California's Next Million Acre-Feet: Saving Water, Energy, & Money"

Cooley writes, "We are reaching the economic, ecological, and social limits of traditional [water] supply options: continuing to rely solely on building new infrastructure will fail to solve our impending crisis. We must expand our thinking about supply, away from costly new dams and toward other options for expanding supply (e.g., recycled water, stormwater capture, and integrated groundwater banking and management) and reducing statewide water demand."

Join us to learn from Cooley's findings and participate in an inspiring discussion about solutions to Southern California's water challenges.

When: Wednesday, December 8th, 2010
Time: 5:30-7:30 pm
Location: Environment Now
2515 Wilshire Blvd. (MAP)
Santa Monica, CA 90403

*Drinks and light H'orderves provided

Please RSVP by December 3rd to cmandelbaum@environmentnow.org.


www.environmentnow.org


EVENT- Green Schools Summit & Expo

Green Schools SummitWhen: December 8-10, 2010
Location: Pasadena Convention Center (MAP)

The 2010 Green California Schools Summit comes at a crucial time for schools throughout the state. As districts adjust to a shifting and uncertain budget climate, conservation of resources and efficient facilities operation become necessities.


The Summit offers a once-a-year chance to get up to date on policy innovations, implementation best practices, and new technologies.

Join us in Pasadena, and find out what you can do to make your school a green leader!

WEBSITE


EVENT- Bicycle Action Plan Community Meeting

bicycle safetyPlease join us for an open house meeting to discuss bicycling in Santa Monica, and shape priorities for bicycling improvements. Your input, along with a public survey, will inform the Bicycle Action Plan coming out next year. Look for the survey soon on www.smgov.net/bikesm.

When: Monday, December 13, 2010
Time: 6:30 to 8:30pm
Location: Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
  Auditorium East Wing
                                    1855 Main Street (MAP)

The Civic Center is accessible by the Big Blue Bus lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, Rapid 7, and 8. There will be additional bike parking for the event. Please contact Michelle Glickert for special arrangements or questions 310.458.2204.


EVENT- 2010 Sustainable Landscape Design Series for Professionals

Lawn pic
Soil: December 14

Find out how to improve soil structure and increase water holding capa- bilities. Learn how to prepare soil, analyze deficiencies and add the correct amendments. Discover mycorrhizae and explore soil biota.



When
: Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Time: 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Tuition: FREE
Instructor: Ackerman 
 Location: Santa Monica College Bundy Campus (MAP)


The Sustainable Landscape Design Series for Professionals is intended for professionals working in Santa Monica who want to learn more about sustainable landscaping principles, local rebate programs and City regulations. Classes are taught by experts within the field. 

EVENT- Green Business Networking

 green networking When: Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Time
: 6-9pm
 
Location: Berkeley Mills
1330 4th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401  MAP
 
Cost: $15 at door/ $10 prepay online

You're invited to the only pure networking event for owners and decision-makers of LA's green businesses. Delicious organic snacks provided. Wine and non-alcoholic beverages will also be available. For further event information please contact us at greenbusinessnetworking@gmail.com.

EVENT- Santa Monica Pub Crawl and Food Drive

SM Pub Crawl

Help raise money and food for those in need for the Holidays. The 1st SANTA Pub Crawl had over 2,000 participants and raised 4,000 pounds of food for charity. Participating locations will offer drink and food specials as part of the SANTA Monica Pub Crawl festivities.

Click here for more INFO and to SIGN UP!!

EVENT- Last Fridays on Main Street -- TGILF!!

main street logo


The Friday Before First Fridays Is Here At Last! On December 31st and the last Friday of every month, participating Main Street businesses will stay open late with specials and special events!!

  Santa Monica Bike Valet is on Main Street every Friday evening!  Bicyclists who valet on Last Fridays will receive discounts from participating merchants.  The Bike Valet is on the east side of Main Street between Ashland and Pier Avenue from 5 p.m. to midnight every Friday until further notice.  Note: Some merchants will be offering discounts to those who valet their bikes!  Look for the *.

EVENT- Recycle Your Christmas Tree

 

recycle xmas treePARK Your Tree-
Recycling your Christmas Tree is just a trip to the PARK!


When
: the Month of January


Where: Bring your tree to any of these Santa Monica parks:
  • Clover Park- 25th & Ocean Park Blvd.
  • Douglas Park- Chelsea & Wilshire
  • Christine Emerson Reed Park- Lincoln & California
     
  • Los Amigos Park- 5th & Hollister
  • City of Santa Monica Transfer Station
2401 Delaware Ave (next to the Recycling Center)
Hours: 6am-2pm
Monday-Saturday

During the month of January, trees will be recycled into mulch, free of charge!
 Don't try to stuff it in the green bin, don't leave it in the alley, just "PARK" your tree!
NEWS- Buy Local Santa Monica- Project 3/50 Blog
Buy Local SM LogoBuy Local Santa Monica is a partner in the 3/50 Project.  What three local, independent businesses would you miss if they disappeared?  Your purchases keep them around, supporting our local economy and a unique, thriving community of businesses.
 
It's simple to participate - pick three businesses you absolutely can't live without, and commit to stopping by, saying hello and spending $50 amongst the three this month to spur our local economy.  Then, go even further to support your favorites by telling us which ones you picked and why.
RESOURCE- Santa Monica Visitor Center Gift Ideas for the Holidays
SMCVBStop by one of four Santa Monica Visitor Centers this holiday season for the perfect gift and stocking stuffers including reusable water bottles and mugs for your hot coco. Stay warm in Santa Monica logoed sweaters, beanies and new winter scarves (coming soon) and stock up on reusable canvas bag to tote around your shopping finds! For a list of Visitor Center locations, visit the Website.
NEWS- New Leaf Blower Ban Enforcement Measures Take Effect
OSE Logo RevisedBeginning Thursday, October 28, enforcement of Santa Monica's recently updated motorized leaf blower restrictions will be taken over by the City's Office of Sustainability and the Environment (OSE).  Originally banned in the early 1990s, motorized leaf blower restrictions were difficult and costly to enforce due to the requirement that the violation be directly observed by a sworn police officer.  In order to improve enforcement, Santa Monica's City Council adopted changes to the ordinance to allow OSE staff to issue administrative citations to leaf blower operators, landscaping companies, property owners and/or property managers.  OSE's bi-lingual inspectors will initially focus on public education about the ordinance and about alternatives to using motorized leaf blowers for removing debris from landscapes quickly and economically.

"Beyond the noise and the annoyance, leaf blowers pose multiple health risks to the community and the operator.  These devices are so inefficient they emit more pollution than a car and blow a mix of fine particles into the air we breathe.  Our education-driven enforcement plan should make Santa Monica a little healthier as well as quieter," said Dean Kubani, director of the City's Office of Sustainability and the Environment.

In what belies commonly held perceptions on air pollution, an individual gas powered leaf blower, those often used by professional gardeners, emit 500 times the level of hydrocarbons than a modern automobile (CA Air Resources Board).  The added air pollution is significant and affects tens of thousands of healthy and vulnerable Angelinos, especially troubling asthmatics and allergy sufferers.  With a muzzle velocity up to 150 miles per hour, blowers further impact our air quality by blowing fine particles of fertilizers, pesticides, and other contaminants up from the ground into the air.  Noise is also a serious issue, a gas-powered blower creates up to 70 decibels of nerve-racking noise at 50 feet.  Reducing noise pollution continues to be a high priority for homeowners and renters alike, especially those with small children, or individuals with home offices.  Noise from blowers also scares our local wildlife, especially birds.

The Alternatives - Use alternatives like push brooms, rakes, and manual leaf sweeping machines.  Leaf vacuums may be an option for larger properties.  Hosing surfaces is prohibited.

The Law -  No person shall operate any motorized leaf blower within the city (SMMC 4.08.270).  A leaf blower is defined as any motorized tool (gas, electric, battery powered) used to propel fallen leaves, grass clippings and debris for removal.  Infractions may be punishable by substantial fines to property owners, property management companies, landscape companies and/or individual operators.

Reporting Leaf Blower Use - To report violations please provide an address, date and time of the violation.  Staff will promptly follow-up with reported violations in addition to being out in the community educating gardeners and property owners.

Reporting Options:

GO System:  www.smgov.net/go

Email: environment@smgov.net

Telephone:  (310) 458-4952

Website:  www.sustainablesm.org/leafblower

tree iphone appDownload the Iphone App to Report Violators

NEWS- City of Santa Monica
2010 Sustainable City Report Card Released

SCRCCLICK HERE FOR REPORT CARD

Sixteen years ago, Santa Monica adopted the Sustainable City Plan (SCP), a challenging set of goals to ensure the long term sustainability of our local economy, environment and quality of life. In order to track the progress in meeting the SCP goals and to guide future actions, the city has developed two important tools: the Progress Report, an up to date on-line database that provides comprehensive data analysis; and the Report Card, a summary of the data in easy-to-understand grades.  The 2010 Sustainable City Report Card was released in September 2010, and needless to say, Santa Monica continues to make the grade.

Santa Monica's sustainability efforts were among the first of their kind in the nation and have served as a model for a growing number of cities, academic institutions and businesses.  Thanks to the city's leadership, the adoption of aggressive goals for sustainability and the careful tracking of progress are now widely practiced throughout the country.  "We're using the Report Card and Progress Report to guide our decision making," said Shannon Parry, Santa Monica's Sustainable City Program coordinator. "The successes highlighted in the Report Card show that Santa Monica is actively addressing the challenges to becoming a sustainable city. Each year we are planting the seeds of change that will ripen into a more sustainable community for current and future generations."
 
Dean Kubani, the director of the city's Office of Sustainability and the Environment, said, "The Report Card shows that we are making progress toward becoming a sustainable city. It also identifies the challenges that we face in truly realizing our vision for a sustainable community. If we are to meet the aggressive goals set forth in the Sustainable City Plan, all members of the community need to be educated, involved and committed to our collective success."  The events slated for the coming days are intended to inform and involve the Santa Monica community in all things sustainable.
 
Visit www.sustainablesm.org, key word sustainability, for additional information.
 

NEWS- Big Blue Bus Partners with Google Transit to Make Trip Planning

Quick and Easy

BBB Text LogoThe Big Blue Bus announced today it has partnered with Google Transit to make planning your next trip via transit as easy as checking your favorite online website. The transit agency has provided its entire schedule and route information to the popular free Web-based service, which has received rave reviews from transit riders and advocates alike around the world.

Google Transit can be used for all forms of transit travel, including rail lines, and can be accessed by going online to www.google.com/transit. The service is available in many other U.S. cities, as well as numerous international locations, and is offered in 40 different languages.

By simply entering a starting point, destination and preferred travel time, Google Transit instantly gives step-by-step directions and travel times for the entire trip. If a specific address is not known, a business or venue name can be entered instead.
 
The free service then instantly displays a map of the route and lists door-to-door directions to the destination, including the walking or biking distance to and from the nearest transit stop. It also lists the transit service provider for each leg of the trip, estimated transfer times and total travel time.

In addition to the Big Blue Bus, other Los Angeles County transportation systems using Google Transit include Metro, the Los Angeles DASH system, Metrolink, Burbank Bus, Foothill Transit, Thousand Oaks Transit, Long Beach Transit and Amtrak. Other Southern California agencies include OCTA and the Irvine Shuttle in Orange County, OMNITRANS in San Bernardino County, the Riverside Transit Agency in Riverside County, and the Metropolitan Transit System and North County Transit District in San Diego County.
 
For questions about how to use Google Transit in the Big Blue Bus service area, please contact the Big Blue Bus Customer Service Department at 310-451-5444 or visit Blue: the Transit Store at 223 Broadway near the Third Street Promenade in downtown Santa Monica.

Thank you for your commitment to a Sustainable Santa Monica!
 
 
Sincerely,
 
Samantha Sommer
Sustainable Santa Monica