By Lookout Staff

August 13, 2021 -- Starting Monday, Big Blue Bus riders can grab a bus in Downtown Santa Monica and connect to the Metro D and E lines with only a handful of stops.

The new Express 7 service, which will run on Pico Boulevard, will make limited stops at major destinations including the Downtown Metro Rail station and Santa Monica College's Main Campus.

Outside Santa Monica, it will make stops at the Sepulveda Station E Line, at the Rimpau Terminal on San Vicente Boulevard, at Crenshaw Boulevard and at the D Line station on Wilshire and Western boulevards.

When combined, BBB's Route 7, Rapid 7 and the new Express 7 will provide customers with weekday service every 10 minutes along the Pico boulevard corridor, officials said.

The Express line is being added as traffic congestion reaches pre-pandemic levels, said Ed King, director of Santa Monica's Department of Transportation.

“Frequent, reliable, and safe public transportation is critical to both our region’s economic recovery and to mitigate traffic congestion,” King said.

Express 7 will "create faster, sustainable, and more equitable access to jobs, education, and other opportunities along the corridor,” he said.

The Big Blue Bus no longer accepts cash and tokens onboard, transit officials said.

Instead, customers can ride Express 7 for $1 when making contactless fare payments with a TAP card or mobile ticket. For more details, visit bigbluebus.com/contactless.

To preview the new route and download the Express 7 schedule, visit bigbluebus.com/E7.