Local street safety advocates are bringing six buses to Rosie’s Dog Beach this weekend to teach people about public transit and encourage them to take the bus.
Visitors to Bus Fest can ask any questions they have about buses — everything from how to pay a fare to how to use the bike racks on the front of the buses. It’s being organized as part of SoCal Transit Month.
It will take place from noon to 3 p.m. this Sunday at the Granada Beach boat launch off Ocean Boulevard near Granada Avenue.
Parking those six buses near the beach is a low-stakes way for people to learn about amenities on the buses, like air conditioning and charging ports near the seats, said Kurt Canfield, an organizer for Car-Lite LB.
“There’s a lot of people in Long Beach who don’t interact with Long Beach Transit in really any way,” Canfield said.
At a time when the city has seen a stubborn rise in fatal traffic collisions, Canfield would like to see more people ride the bus to cut down on the number of cars on the roadways.
Curious about taking the bus? You can find out how much each fare costs here. Long Beach Transit also has a webpage with detailed guides on how to ride the bus, how to plan your trip and how to load strollers and bikes onto the bus.
Canfield said he also finds buses are a less stressful option because “I don’t have to look for parking.”
Last year’s event drew in people who were walking their dogs or out for a jog, but had never considered the bus as an alternate travel method, he said.
“We’re not trying to make anybody ride the bus today, but we want people to come away from the event thinking to themselves, ‘Hey, that bus wasn’t that bad. It wouldn’t be that hard to take the bus sometimes for certain things,’” Canfield said.
The event is sponsored by El Dorado National-California, a bus manufacturing company headquartered in Riverside, along with LA Metro and the Southern California Association of Governments.
Mayor Rex Richardson and District 8 Councilmember Tunua Thrash-Ntuk are each covering half of the event permit fee, Canfield said.
The first 90 visitors this year will get a one-of-a-kind TAP card featuring a bus riding a surfboard.
Bus Fest will take place from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Granada Beach boat launch, 5000 E. Ocean Blvd.