City Council Meeting: February 24, 2009
Agenda Item: 3-A
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Stephanie
Negriff, Director of Transit Services
Subject: Review of Mini Blue Branding Options
Recommended
Action
Staff recommends that the Council review and provide
comment, direction and feedback on three options under consideration for the new
Mini Blue branding.
Executive
Summary
Five new hybrid (gas/electric) buses
are currently in production and will be delivered to Big Blue Bus by the end of
the calendar year. These buses will be used as community transit vehicles on
Mini Blue bus routes. Along with the new buses a new vehicular graphics program
is being developed. Staff will present several branding options and explain how
these new buses and the bus stop redevelopment program will interface.
Discussion
Background
On September 25th, 2007, Council did not approve
the trolley style buses that were proposed and requested that staff develop new
branding and vehicular graphics for the Mini Blue bus service. This new
branding will be placed on the hybrid vehicles that will be put into service on
Mini Blue routes. Three options have
been developed (see attachments A, B, and C). Staff is recommending Attachment
A.
Previous Council Actions
On September 25, 2007 staff presented several design options for
the Mini Blue brand and presented a trolley design and other designs that were
based on historical Santa Monica concepts such as a ‘VW bug’ design and a
classic ‘Woody’ design. Council directed staff to return with other options
that better reflected the City’s current image.
On January 22, 2008 Council approved an increase to Professional
Services Agreement (PSA) number 1349 with Sussman Prejza to work on new designs
that could be applied to the new bus order that was in development.
Subsequently, an RFP was developed and a manufacturer, Eldorado,
was selected to produce the hybrid buses. Designs have now been created to show
how these new Eldorado Hybrid buses could be branded.
Public Outreach
Designs have been shown at six Big Blue Bus
community meetings with approximately 70 in attendance with no objections to
the staff recommended design.
Budget/Financial Impact
The
approved contract for the hybrid buses includes vehicular graphics, therefore
no additional impact to the budget will result from this design decision, and
after much consideration, the consultants recommended Attachment A and staff
concurs.
Prepared by:
Dan Dawson, Transit Customer Relations Administrator
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Approved: |
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Forwarded to Council: |
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Stephanie Negriff Director
of Transit Services |
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P. City Manager |