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ChineseCensus profiles for Purple Line MOS-2 stations
This is the third in a series that give a profile of the future stations along the Purple Line, or the “subway to the sea.” It began with the Wilshire/Crenshaw station, and was followed up with the future La Brea and Fairfax stations. This time, it’s a snapshot of the two stations that would serve Beverly Hills, as well the major central business district of the Westside, Century City.
All data is from the 2000 census. Links are provided to Census Bureau maps, as well as tables showing the factors likely to influence transit ridership as well as existing bus service levels.
If you’ve ever been curious about Beverly Hills’ transit ridership, here it is.
Wilshire/La Cienega Station
John Wayne adorns the outside of what was the Great Western Bank headquarters at Wilshire and La Cienega boulevards. The building is now the headquarters of Larry Flynt Publishing.
Photo by Nitro101 on Flickr; used with a Creative Commons license
This is one of two stations Beverly Hills specifically cited to be built within the city. There’s a cluster of office buildings along Wilshire on each side, as well as La Cienega’s Restaurant Row. This area is surrounded by pockets of high density, but mostly from the parts of Los Angeles near the Beverly Hills city limits.
Should Metro pursue this station as a junction for Pink Line trains, it would be even busier.
| Census tract | 90035 | 90048 | 90211 |
| Block group | 90035 | 90048 | 90211 |
| Block | 90035 | 90048 | 90211 |
| Factors, in percentages | 90035 | 90048 | L.A. City | 90211 | Beverly Hills | L.A. County |
| Transit as a share of work trips | 3.9 | 3.6 | 10.2 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 6.6 |
| Walking as a share of work trips | 3.2 | 5.7 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 2.9 |
| Renter occupied units | 67.3 | 71.1 | 61.4 | 62.9 | 56.6 | 52.1 |
| Individuals below poverty level | 11.0 | 9.9 | 22.1 | 11.1 | 9.1 | 17.9 |
| Households with access to 0 or 1 vehicles | 56.9 | 65.2 | 56.8 | 53.8 | 50.8 | 49.6 |
Number of buses per hour for midday service in each direction (fractions rounded up to the next integer):
| Weekdays | Saturdays | Sundays | |
| 16/316 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| 20, 720 | up to 21 | up to 15 | up to 14 |
| 28 west of Fairfax, 728 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| 105, 705 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| 305 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 550 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Wilshire/Beverly Station
The Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel would be near Beverly Hills’ main subway station. Fans of “Pretty Woman” will boost ridership.
Photo by Willem van Bergen via Flickr; used with a Creative Commons license
This station would be in the heart of what the world mostly knows of Beverly Hills. A Wilshire/Beverly station puts the subway in the heart of the city’s tony retail district, as well as its financial and professional offices. If you are curious about the Most Famous Zip Code, well, here it is.
This would also be one of the most difficult stations to build. Metro would likely have to settle for a single station mouth like the one at Wilshire/Normandie. There is likely no place for off-street staging, so construction may cend up closing.
| Census tract | 90210 | 90212 |
| Block group | 90210 | 90212 |
| Block | 90210 | 90212 |
| Factors, in percentages | 90210 | 90212 | Beverly Hills | L.A. County |
| Transit as a share of work trips | 2.7 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 6.6 |
| Walking as a share of work trips | 2.7 | 5.6 | 4.3 | 2.9 |
| Renter occupied units | 27.3 | 73.2 | 56.6 | 52.1 |
| Individuals below poverty level | 6.1 | 10.4 | 9.1 | 17.9 |
| Households with access to 0 or 1 vehicles | 30.7 | 62.2 | 50.8 | 49.6 |
Number of buses per hour for midday service in each direction (fractions rounded up to the next integer):
| Weekdays | Saturdays | Sundays | |
| 4, 704 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| 14 (Beverly Drive only) , 714 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 16/316 (Burton Way-Century City only) | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 20, 720 | up to 21 | up to 15 | up to 14 |
| 28 west of Fairfax, 728 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
Century City Station
A subway station will have to go somewhere in here.
Photo by ATIS547 on Flickr; used with a Creative Commons license
This is the station that will likely make the costs of subway construction — $6 billion to $9 billion — all worth it. Century City is one of L.A.’s polycentric city centers. It has a concentration of offices, some high-rise residences, as well as a busy shopping center that would help bolster off-peak ridership.
Yet, paradoxically, the ridership will come even though Century City is one of the most oppressively designed central cities in the country. There are not too many contiguous sidewalks, the avenues are broad and there is no evidence of any concern for the human element. Also, since the census figures cited below are from adjacent neighborhoods, connecting them to Century City is a challenge. The only ways in are along Santa Monica, Olympic or Pico Boulevards — and if a pedestrian tried, it would be more perilous than a trek across the Sahara. Century City manages to be a fortress city without the need for moats or giant stone walls. Bad layout does the trick just fine. It’s Le Corbusier’s last stand — all towers, no park.
Century City’s own zip code is 90067. The rest are the adjacent areas within half a mile of the station. With the subway extension, Century City also needs a concurrent makeover to provide for better pedestrian access. One way to help that is to make Constellation Boulevard a transit mall if Metro decides to build the subway station there instead of Santa Monica Boulevard. Century City is already well-served by not only local buses, but several commuter lines as well.
Because a station site has not been selected, all census maps center on Westfield Shoppingtown Century City.
| Census tract | 90024 | 90025 | 90064 | 90067 | 90212 |
| Block group | 90024 | 90025 | 90064 | 90067 | 90212 |
| Block | 90024 | 90025 | 90064 | 90067 | 90212 |
| Factors, in percentages | 90024 | 90025 | 90064 | 90067 | L.A. City | 90212 | Beverly Hills | L.A. County |
| Transit as a share of work trips | 4.4 | 7.2 | 5.2 | 1.9 | 10.2 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 6.6 |
| Walking as a share of work trips | 25.2 | 3.8 | 2.0 | 6.3 | 3.6 | 5.6 | 4.3 | 2.9 |
| Renter occupied units | 65.5 | 76.9 | 44.6 | 23.4 | 61.4 | 73.2 | 56.6 | 52.1 |
| Individuals below poverty level | 29.0 | 15.1 | 9.6 | 8.7 | 22.1 | 10.4 | 9.1 | 17.9 |
| Households with access to 0 or 1 vehicles | 57.7 | 60.4 | 48.6 | 58.7 | 56.8 | 62.2 | 50.8 | 49.6 |
Number of buses per hour for midday service in each direction (fractions rounded up to the next integer):
| Weekdays | Saturdays | Sundays | |
| Metro 4, 704 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| Metro 16/316 (Burton Way-Century City only) | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Metro 28 west of Fairfax, 728 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Culver CityBus 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
Discussion
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Please keep discussions civil: exercise Troll Controll.
Since I work in Century City and I take the bus 2 or 3 days out of the week, I figure I put my 2 cents in here…
The best location for the subway station is on Constellation. Even without any effort from city planning or property owners’ care, Constellation has already become the most pedestrian friendly street and a quasi-transit node in Century City. If the station is located on Santa Monica, it will be too far north of the center of gravity to be effective.
Additionally, I think the transit authorities should take a serious look at Wad’s transit mall suggestion. As I mentioned before, even without trying, Constellation is already configured ideally for such purpose… it is not a major thoroughfare (good for pedestrians… unlike the transit island in the middle of Santa Monica Blvd) and is adjacent to many destinations. And thanks mainly to Century City #3 and Metro 728, the bus stops in front of MGM building and the mall has very high boardings throughout the day. I would go as far as to suggest that Rapid 7 and 704 be re-routed from Pico and Santa Monica, respectively, to converge on Constellation.
If for whatever reason, the subway station has to be under Santa Monica, then I suggest Metro work out something with Westfield to develop an underground shopping area below the mall so that pedestrians can still access the station from Constellation and Ave of The Stars.
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Not only is Santa Monica too far north, there are no businesses or residences there, its the back end of the golf course.
If by “pedestrian mall” you mean closing Constellation to auto traffic, I don’t think that’s a great idea, given Century City’s “mega-block” design (Olympic, Constellation and Santa Monica Blvd are the only east-west streets). However, I do think the 4/704 (and the 728) should definitely be re-routed to serve both blocks of Constellation. (I also think the 728 would get a big boost in ridership if it continued on to West LA or Santa Monica but that’s another story). A multi-story transit station with a bus tunnel just below the street and the subway station a level below would be a great way to create a real multi-modal hub but it would probably double the cost of the station.
Riffing on bzcat’s suggestion about underground shopping, it would be brilliant to connect the Century City mall directly to the station. There are many such connections on Toronto’s subway system and it would really liven up the Century City station.
Ditto on the calls for connections to the 7/704 and other bus lines, especially if it could be done with a bus level (although it would escalate the cost).
Also, yes to underground connections with the mall. Due to the difficult geography of the area, this is a station that would definitely benefit from multiple pedestrian portals on opposite sides of Constellation and “Stars”.
I have a feeling that the subway could lead to calls for improving pedestrian environment in Century City.