Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus crossed 10 million annual rides for the second year in a row, city officials announced Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The milestone marks a near-doubling from 2020, when ridership plunged to about 5 million during pandemic shutdowns. It still falls short of the 12.5 million rides the system carried in 2019, but the agency is now moving at least 80 percent of its pre-pandemic volume, Patch reported.

Recovery was slow at first. Ridership hovered around 6.3 million through 2022, held back by the Omicron surge, remote learning at Santa Monica College and a nationwide driver shortage, according to the city's blog post on the milestone.

Several service changes helped push the numbers up. The City Council adopted the Brighter Blue five-year plan at its July 9, 2024, meeting. Since then, the agency has increased frequencies on some routes, expanded operating hours and improved connections to Downtown Santa Monica, UCLA, Metro Rail, the Culver City Transit Center and the LAX/Metro Transit Center.

The agency has also upgraded 190 bus stops since 2023, adding more than 130 seats, 34 shelters, 96 lights and 32 real-time arrival signs.

Big Blue Bus is also spending big on electrification. The city broke ground in April on a $56 million expansion of its zero-emission fleet and charging infrastructure, funded largely by a $53.3 million state grant through California's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP). The project includes an overhead gantry charging system capable of powering up to 195 buses.

Big Blue Bus currently operates 34 battery-electric buses, with 40 more expected in 2027. The agency's target is full systemwide electrification by 2032.

The system also got a high-profile test during the June and July FIFA World Cup matches. Big Blue Bus carried more than 12,000 passengers on direct service from Downtown Santa Monica to all eight games at Los Angeles Stadium, with no safety incidents reported. City officials said the experience will help prepare for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

To celebrate the milestone, Big Blue Bus will host a booth at the Downtown Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the Third Street Promenade. New or lapsed riders who get help planning a trip can receive a free ride or a treat. Routes 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 18 and 43 serve the market location.

Santa Monica K-12 students can also ride free during Bike It! Walk It! Bus It! Week, Oct. 5–9, and all riders get free trips on California Clean Air Day, Wednesday, Oct. 7.