Santa Monica, Calif. - The Big Blue Bus has gotten even more colorful.

The city's transit service, known as the Big Blue Bus, has begun operating the Tide Shuttle, an electric bus service, using buses with exteriors designed by winners of a public art contest sponsored by the transportation department. Each bus is "wrapped" with a specific scene or landmark exemplifying Santa Monica. The buses are equipped with 108 six-volt nickel cadmium batteries that can be fully charged in seven to eight hours.

The shuttles can operate for more than 10 hours when fully charged and reach speeds of up to 40 miles an hour.

The electric shuttle program was made possible by a grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which awarded the city $188,000 to design and construct a charging station and to offset the cost of operating the shuttles for one year. Edison EV, a subsidiary of Southern California Edison, also provided funds, and four of the city's top hotels, Loews, Shutters at the Beach, Bayview Plaza Holiday Inn and the Doubletree Guest Suites, are supporting the shuttles' daily operating expenses.

The shuttles themselves cost $226,000 each and were purchased with local transportation funds.

They operate from Noon to 10:30 p.m. on a continuous loop throughout downtown.