About Us

1895, October 31: Dean Carson (First Generation) was born in Washburn, Wisconsin. He served in World War I. After the war he moved to Los Angeles and then settled in Lynwood, California, owning a heavy equipment rental company and a sign painting business. In 1943, Dean Carson (First Generation), encouraged by his son David (Second Generation) and City Councilman Cliff Schorck, applied for and was granted a twenty-five-year franchise to operate a bus route within Lynwood. However, during World War II, buses were severely rationed. It was not until November 1945 that the Carsons were able to obtain their first two buses.

Nadeane Carson (Second Generation) the daughter of Dean, proposed a local bus service in Huntington Park. By December 18, 1950 service of Cross Town Lines of Huntington Park began. In 1952, David Carson became vice-president of sales at Crown Coach, a major manufacturer of buses.

From 1954 onward, growth came from acquisition of Southern Cities Transit, Holbrook—Benton Bus Line, Whittier Bus Lines, Sunset Stages, and then by 1959, Dean Carson consolidated his bus companies.

By 1961, Dean Carson was ready to retire, and sold the bus business, Cross Town Suburban Lines to LAMTA (Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority), which ultimately created the greater LA METRO operations we know it today, and many of the Cross Town drivers and mechanics became LAMTA employees.

Shortly after the company was sold David Carson (Second Generation) founded the American International Bus Exchange. AIBE acted as a broker between transit companies wishing to sell older buses and bus operators seeking to save money by buying used equipment. David facilitated the sale of the last of LAMTA’s streetcars to Cairo, Egypt, and its electric trolley buses to Mexico City.

After the Cross Town sale, James worked at LAMTA (which became the Southern California Rapid Transit District in 1964) as a division manager. In 1971, he moved to San Diego Transit to become that agency’s assistant manager. One year later, James relocated to Hawaii and became assistant manager of Honolulu Transit (“The Bus”). By 1972, he had become president of Hawaiian Scenic Tours. In 1975, James returned to the mainland to head the Western Division of ARA Services, owner of Hawaiian Scenic. ARA, operated school and charter buses. In 1977, James and former Cross Town employee William Bourne purchased Douglas Bus Lines which was the employee commuter to the Douglas Aircraft plant in Long Beach. Since the bus line no longer exclusively served Douglas facilities, they renamed it Commuter Bus Lines (CBL).

T.R. Kirkman, who owned stock in the Pacific Trailways bus system, bought CBL from Bourne and James Carson in March 1986. Later that same year, in December, Dean Carson (Third Generation) and Dale Carson children of David Carson, purchased the Southern California Division of CBL from Kirkman. The Lynwood Trolley service began, with two trolleys purchased by the city, and awarded $217,721 to CBL run the service. CBL stored and maintained the trolleys at its yard at 11123 Long Beach Boulevard—the same yard where Dean Carson (First Generation) had started Cross Town Bus Lines nearly forty years earlier.

By the late 1980s, Dean Carson (Third Generation) and his brother, the sons of David Carson (Second Generation) , started several companies together. In 1990, Lynwood Trolley added two new routes, and two years later a fourth line was added. As the companies grew, so did the sizable transit bus inventory. Through the use of the fleet acquired, and the Carson's expertise in repairs and the rehabbing process the companies provided transportation, once again for the Olympics, this time for the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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Flying during his daily commute, Dean Carson, an experienced single-engine pilot, tragically passed away in 2009.

After Dean's passing, the family's businesses were unified under one roof by his brother, marking a significant period of growth. This expansion was largely driven by operational advancements, spearheaded by Dean's nephew, Elliott Carson. These efforts led to notable collaborations with major entities like Disneyland, Six Flags, and Universal Studios, as well as key projects such as the Port Arthur Refinery construction. The company also enhanced its presence in public transportation, partnering with various transit authorities throughout the United States and Canada.

Transportation was again provided for the Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. This was an all "Carsons on deck" operation where Elliott Carson and his brothers and cousins provided on-location  support during the  Games. By 2021, Dale Carson, in the same tradition of the legacy, sold the companies and retired.

Elliott Carson, representing the fourth generation of the Carson family, was first taught to drive a bus by his grandfather, David Carson, a second-generation family member. Equipped with both hands-on experience and a rich generational legacy, Elliott is now at the forefront, continuing the Carson tradition with the founding of Spring Bird Bus. Specializing in transit sales, leasing, and maintenance operations, Spring Bird Bus offers comprehensive, turn-key solutions to operators across the United States and Canada.