26th Street/Bergamot station

26th Street/Bergamot
Location	2425 Olympic Boulevard, Santa Monica
Coordinates	34°01′40″N 118°28′12″W / 34.0279°N 118.4699°W / 34.0279; -118.4699
Owned by	Metro
Tracks	2
Construction
Parking	none
Bicycle facilities	TBD
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Status	under construction
History
Opened	October 17, 1875
Closed	September 30, 1953
Rebuilt	2015 (anticipated)
Previous names	Bergamot
Services
Preceding station   Metro Rail   Following station 17th Street/Santa Monica College toward Downtown Santa Monica Expo Line Phase 2 (future) Expo/Bundy toward 7th Street/Metro Center   Former services   Pacific Electric Sunset toward Rustic Canyon Air Line Bundy toward Pacific Electric Building

26th Street/Bergamot (formerly Bergamot) is an at-grade light rail station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system. It is located near the intersection of 26th Street and Olympic Boulevard in Santa Monica, California. When it re-opens, the station will be served by the Expo Line.^[1]

This station is currently under construction as part of Expo Phase 2. It is expected to open in 2015.^[2]

Location and design

The station is in the Pico District of Santa Monica, along the southern edge of Olympic Boulevard, just east of 26th Street.

Attractions

• Bergamot Station

The City of Santa Monica refers to the station area as the "Bergamot Transit Village".^[3] It is also within walking distance of several business offices and studios, including the Water Garden office complex.

The station will have entrances on both ends.^[4]

Name and history

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) still grows in clumps around the station area.

The name "Bergamot Station" dates back to 1875 when it was a stop and car storage area on the steam powered Los Angeles and Independence Railroad from Santa Monica to downtown Los Angeles - as well as the subsequent Santa Monica Air Line on the Pacific Electric trolley system until 1953. The station was named after Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), a wild flower native to North America, that once flourished in the area.^[5]

Vehicle maintenance facility

Expo Phase 2 will include a maintenance facility for Expo light-rail vehicles. This facility will perform shop-related activities, including servicing, cleaning, inspection and repair of LRT vehicles. It will also include a yard with a storage capacity of up to 45 LRT vehicles.^[6]

Several locations for this facility were proposed and evaluated, including the "Verizon site" (land just west of Bergamot Station, between Stewart Street and Centinela Avenue) and the Bergamot Station site itself. Use of the Verizon site was opposed by many residents of the surrounding Stewart Park neighborhood, who fear the project will create noise and other environmental impact. Use of the Bergamot Station site was opposed by artists at Bergamot Station, who argued that Bergamot has become an irreplaceable resource for the west coast arts community.^[7]

As of February 2010, the City of Santa Monica and Expo is planning to build the facility on land that includes the Verizon site, as well as land that is currently a parking lot owned by Santa Monica College. They believe that with this "hybrid site", most environmental impacts from the facility can be properly mitigated. The City of Santa Monica continues to work with the Expo Authority and local residents to finalize the facility's exact location and design.^[8][9][10]

References

External links

• Metro Expo Line Construction Authority
• Project Website, Metro Rail Expo Corridor, Phase 2 to Culver City

Expo Line Stations 7th Street/Metro Center Pico LATTC/Ortho Institute Jefferson/USC Expo Park/USC Expo/Vermont Expo/Western Expo/Crenshaw Farmdale Expo/La Brea La Cienega/Jefferson Culver City Under construction Palms Westwood/Rancho Park Expo/Sepulveda Expo/Bundy 26th Street/Bergamot 17th Street/Santa Monica College Downtown Santa Monica Metro Rail Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority