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November 8 - November 14, 2024 Volume CXXIII Issue 214
See Page 7
Big Blue Bus Gets $53M for Electrification, Service Improvement
Grant to fund zero-emission fleet conversion, expanded transit service, and workforce training initiatives
The California State Transportation Agency announced Wednesday that Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus will receive a $53.3 million grant through the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) to advance fleet electrification, expand service, and enhance workforce training. The funding supports the phased implementation of Big Blue Bus’s Fleet
Electrification Master Plan, which is set to convert the current fleet to 100% batteryelectric, zero-emission vehicles by 2031. This $35.5 million phase will focus on essential infrastructure, including electric utility upgrades and a charging canopy at Big Blue Bus’s depot that can fully recharge electric buses within four hours. Another $17.3 million of the grant will fund the purchase of 73 battery-electric buses, replacing older compressed natural gas vehicles. The new buses will feature ADA-accessible seating for approximately 40 passengers and improved bike racks. Workforce development is also prioritized, with over $400,000 allocated for advanced training in high-voltage safety, offered in partnership with the California Transit Training Consortium. The grant will additionally support improved service on Big Blue Bus’s Route 2 along Wilshire Boulevard, connecting to L.A.
Metro’s D Line by 2027. The improvements will include an increase in service hours and frequency, reducing wait times to 10 minutes. The TIRCP, which awarded funding to 27 transit agencies this cycle, aims to support
projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle miles traveled, and traffic congestion. In 2023, Big Blue Bus received $22.9 million in TIRCP funding to launch earlier phases of its Fleet Electrification Master Plan.
AS OF 11/6/24: Santa Monica Election Results in National, State, and Local Races Preliminary Results From Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, and National Elections
Here are the latest election results, as votes are being tabulated as of 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. The final results of the national, state, and local elections have not been finalized. The polls closed at 8 p.m. We will update the results as they come in. Santa Monica City General Municipal Election Measure F • Yes: 78.18% • No: 21.82% Measure K • Yes: 74.81% • No: 25.19% Measure PSK (Advisory Vote) • Yes: 66.79% • No: 33.21% Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Measure MM • Yes: 59.42% (2,956 votes) • No: 40.58% (2,019 votes)
Measure QS • Yes: 62.59% (17,501 votes) • No: 37.41% (10,462 votes) Santa Monica City Council Candidates • Ellis Raskin: 13.32% • Dan Hall: 13.31% • Natalya Zernitskaya: 12.83% • Barry A. Snell: 12.74% • Phil Brock: 11.69% • Oscar de la Torre: 10.50% • Vivian A. Roknian: 10.07% • John Putnam: 8.94% • Ericka Lesley: 5.33% • Wade Kelley: 1.27% United States Representative, 36th District • Ted W. Lieu: 68.54% • Melissa Toomim: 31.46% United State Representative, 32nd District, • Brad Sherman: 66.69% • Larry Thompson: 33.31% Member of the State Assembly, 51st District • Rick Chavez Zbur: 74.68% • Stephan Hohil: 25.32% Member of the State Assembly, 42nd District • Jacqui Irwin: 60.21% • Ted Nordblum: 39.79% Los Angeles District Attorney: Nathan Hochman was declared the winner of the Los Angeles District Attorney race by the Associated Press at 1:28 a.m. • Nathan Hochman: 61.22% • George Gascón: 38.78%
United States Presidential Race: The Associated Press called the race at 2:38 a.m. when President-Elect Donald Trump secured 277 electoral votes when he won the state of Wisconsin. • Donald Trump: 277 electoral votes • Kamala Harris: 224 electoral votes Los Angeles County Measures County Measure A (Homelessness Services
and Affordable Housing Ordinance): • Yes: 55.37% • No: 44.63% County Measure G • Yes: 49.84% • No: 50.16% Fire Protection Special Tax, Measure E • Yes: 52.45% • No: 47.55%