Home Articles The Culver CityBus Will Celebrate 90 Years

The Culver CityBus Will Celebrate 90 Years

Although Harry Culver’s early ads boasted “All Roads lead to Culver City,” one needed transportation around the town, after arrival.  By the late 1920s, the Evening Star News pointed out a drawback in the system as the “burdensome rates charged by the Pacific Electric.” Mayor Reve Houck, after exploring options, announced that the city, under a provision of the state constitution, could operate its own transportation service! Mayor Houck and the Board of Trustees, recognizing the need for inexpensive public transportation, brought to life the second oldest municipally-owned bus line in the state of California!

Mayor Reve Houck stepping into the Culver City Bus. (Culver City Historical Society Collection)

On March 3, 2018, Culver City will have provided 90 years of continuous bus service to its citizens. According to his daughter, Alene Houck Johnson, Mayor Houck was very concerned that the buses rented might be sabotaged. Legend has it that Houck then financed the first bus. Bus transportation was enthusiastically supported by the community that voted for a bond to finance our own municipal bus line!

 

 

Our Centennial Tap card.

In celebration of our Centennial, your Culver City Historical Society was delighted to work with Culver CityBus by furnishing a choice of vintage photos for a Centennial “bus wrap,” and for their Limited Edition Centennial TAP (transit access pass) card!

 

We have also worked out a free public bus tour for the September 16, 2017, Birthday Party in the Park led by Culver City Historical Society docents you probably know! You might even meet a Culver family descendent on the ride!  We have a history of doing tours with the city for the Fiesta in earlier times.  Check our website for details at www.CulverCityHistoricalSociety.org/bustours or call our information line at (310) 253-6941.

The Centennial Wrap Bus with vintage photos from the Culver City Historical Society (Culver CityBus)

 

 

Today, Culver CityBus boards approximately 5.8 million passengers each year, for safe rides on its fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. In 2012, the City of Culver City was named the 3rd Best Municipal Fleet in North America, out of 38,000 public fleets.

 

 

Question: Do you know why the Culver CityBus logo is so recognizable?

Answer:  The fonts/script came from the lettering on the landmark tower and neon sign of the 1947 Culver Theatre, which is now the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

Special thanks to Art Ida and Dia Turner of Culver CityBus for their help.

Join us – be a part of the fun!

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