Big Blue Bus riders who catch Routes 1 or 8 along Main Street will need to find alternate stops Thursday, July 23, when road closures for Santa Monica's State of the City festival knock out several regular boarding locations for more than eight hours.

Main Street will be shut down from Ocean Park Boulevard to Hollister Avenue from noon to 10 p.m. for the event, according to the city's event announcement. The bus detours run from noon to approximately 8:30 p.m., Big Blue Bus confirmed in a service alert posted Tuesday, July 22.

Which stops are affected

Route 1 (toward UCLA): The northbound Main Street stop at Ocean Park Boulevard will be skipped. Riders should board instead at northbound Main Street at Hill Street or at Strand Street.

Route 8 (toward UCLA): The eastbound Ocean Park Boulevard stop at Main Street will be skipped. Alternate stops are southbound Main Street at Hollister Avenue or eastbound Ocean Park Boulevard at 5th Street.

Route 8 (toward Santa Monica): The westbound Ocean Park Boulevard stop at Main Street will be skipped. Riders can use westbound Ocean Park Boulevard at 5th Street or northbound Main Street at Strand Street.

Free rides to the event

Big Blue Bus is offering free rides to and from the State of the City event between 3:30 and 8:30 p.m. Riders just need to say "State of the City" when boarding. Routes 1, 3, 8 and 18 all stop within a 10-minute walk of Main Street, according to Big Blue Bus.

What's happening on Main Street

The event, titled "From Realignment to Renaissance," runs from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Ocean Park Branch Library and along Main Street. Mayor Caroline Torosis is scheduled to deliver her State of the City address from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m.

"Santa Monica is on stronger footing than we've been in years, and this year's State of the City is about what we do with that," Torosis said in a statement released Tuesday, July 22.

The festival is free and open to all ages. A free bike valet operated by Santa Monica Spoke will be available on Norman Place. Limited metered parking is available nearby, and paid public parking is offered at Main Street lots 9, 10, 11 and 26.

Questions?

Riders can reach Big Blue Bus customer service at (310) 451-5444 or plan trips at bigbluebus.com.