Monrovia station

Last updated

Monrovia
LACMTA Circle A Line.svg  
Monrovia Station.jpg
Monrovia station platform
General information
Location1641 South Primrose Avenue
Monrovia, California
Coordinates 34°07′59″N118°00′12″W / 34.13312°N 118.00330°W / 34.13312; -118.00330
Owned by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Connections Foothill Transit
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Parking350 spaces [1]
Bicycle facilities Racks and lockers [2]
AccessibleYes
History
Opened1886
Rebuilt1926, 2016 [3]
Passengers
FY 2024717 (avg. wkdy boardings) [4]
Services
Preceding station LAMetroLogo.svg Metro Rail Following station
Arcadia
toward Long Beach
A Line
Duarte/City of Hope
toward Azusa
Former services
Preceding station LAMetroLogo.svg Metro Rail Following station
Arcadia
toward Atlantic
L Line Duarte/City of Hope
Former services (at AT&SF station)
Preceding station Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Following station
Arcadia
toward Los Angeles
Main Line Duarte
toward Chicago
Location
Monrovia station
The Monrovia station in 1884 with a streetcar pulled by a mule on Myrtle Avenue in Monrovia, California. The Streetcar was sponsored by Cronenweit Jewelers which has a store in Monrovia and Azusa. The mule would pull the rail streetcar up hill to downtown and then be loaded on trailer and coast down to the station Street car Mule pulled MonroviaCA-1884-Myrtle-Avenue.jpg
The Monrovia station in 1884 with a streetcar pulled by a mule on Myrtle Avenue in Monrovia, California. The Streetcar was sponsored by Cronenweit Jewelers which has a store in Monrovia and Azusa. The mule would pull the rail streetcar up hill to downtown and then be loaded on trailer and coast down to the station

Monrovia station is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located at the intersection of Duarte Road and Myrtle Avenue in Monrovia, California, after which the station is named. This station opened on March 5, 2016, as part of Phase 2A of the Gold Line Foothill Extension Project. [3] [5]

Contents

History

The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad built the first train tracks and station in Monrovia in 1887. The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad was founded in 1883, by James F. Crank with the goal of bringing a rail line to San Gabriel Valley from downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad was sold on May 20, 1887 into the California Central Railway. In 1889 this was consolidated into Southern California Railway Company. On January 17, 1906 Southern California Railway was sold to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and designated the Pasadena Subdivision.

Installed in 1887, a mule-drawn railway with a single passenger car, called the Myrtle Avenue Railroad [6] at that time ran from the Monrovia station up Myrtle Ave to downtown Monrovia. On the way back down to the rail station, the mule was loaded onto a flatcar and downhill gravity took the cars back to the station. By the early 1920s the partially mule-powered streetcar system was removed. In 1906 the first Pacific Electric rail car arrived in Monrovia. The PE Pasadena and Monrovia line ended in 1951. Santa Fe Middle School near the station is named after the Santa Fe Railway. [7]

1926 Monrovia train station, immediately east of the Gold Line stop Monrovia, CA train station.jpg
1926 Monrovia train station, immediately east of the Gold Line stop

The current railway station reuses the former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway depot which was built in 1926. It is designed in a Spanish colonial revival style. [8] The 1926 station replaced a wooden depot built on the site in 1886 by the original Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad. Passenger trains ceased to stop at Monrovia by April 1956, though the station's passenger ticketing office remained open through the late 1960s. [9] Santa Fe and later Amtrak ran the Southwest Chief and Desert Wind over this line in Monrovia, but rerouted passenger trains to the Fullerton Line in 1986. The Santa Fe line served the San Gabriel Valley until 1994, when the 1994 Northridge earthquake weakened the bridge in Arcadia. With the completion of the Gold Line in Monrovia, the 1926-era Monrovia train station is slated to be restored.[ when? ] [10] [11] [12] [13]

The Santa Fe Depot was used in a number of Hollywood movies through the years. It is used two times in the 1966 movie The Trouble with Angels , both at the start and the ending in which the girls leave St. Francis Academy. [14]

Vehicle maintenance facility

As part of the light rail extension, the Gold Line Authority and Metro built a new Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Facility in Monrovia, east of Monrovia station. The 27-acre (11 ha) facility services, cleans and stores light rail vehicles for Metro's fleet, with a total storage capacity of 104 vehicles. The facility, known as Metro Division 24 Yard, is located just north of the right of way between California Avenue and Shamrock Avenue. It cost $53 million to build. [15]

Service

Hours and frequency

A Line service hours are from approximately 4:30 a.m. and 11:45 p.m daily. Trains operate every 8 minutes during peak hours, Monday to Friday. Trains run every 10 minutes, during midday on weekdays and weekends, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Night and early morning service is approximately every 20 minutes every day. [16]

Connections

As of spring 2024, the following connections are available: [17]

Neighborhood and destinations

The city of Monrovia created a transit-oriented district around the station. The district, known as the Station Square Transit Village Mixed Use District, has mixed retail, residential and office uses, with pedestrian amenities and connections. Construction of phase one of the new district started in 2017. Between the station and the I-210 Foothill Freeway is the Station Square Transit Center, with a park and parking lot, also new apartment buildings. [18] Plans are to restore/renovate the historic 1926 Monrovia Santa Fe train station depot at the location, though the actual use of the station is not yet determined as of 2013. [19] [20] [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monrovia, California</span> City in California, United States

Monrovia is a city in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 37,931 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority</span> Public transport agency in Los Angeles County, California, United States

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), branded as Metro, is the county agency that plans, operates, and coordinates funding for most of the public transportation system in Los Angeles County, California, the most populated county in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Bernardino Line</span> Commuter rail line in Southern California

The San Bernardino Line is a Metrolink line running between Downtown Los Angeles east through the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire to San Bernardino, with limited express service to Redlands. It is one of the three initial lines on the original Metrolink system, along with the Santa Clarita Line and the Ventura County Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado Boulevard</span> Major east–west street in Los Angeles County, Southern California

Colorado Boulevard is a major east–west street in Southern California. It runs from Griffith Park in Los Angeles east through Glendale, the Eagle Rock section of Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Arcadia, ending in Monrovia. The full route was once various state highways but is now locally maintained in favor of the parallel Ventura Freeway and Foothill Freeway (I-210).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Line (Los Angeles Metro)</span> Light rail line in Los Angeles County, California

The A Line is a light rail line in Los Angeles County, California. It is one of the six lines of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system, operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). The A Line serves 44 stations and runs east-west between Azusa and Pasadena, then north-south between Pasadena and Long Beach, interlining and sharing five stations with the E Line in Downtown Los Angeles. It operates for approximately 19 hours per day with headways of up to 8 minutes during peak hours. It runs for 48.5 miles (78.1 km), making it the world's longest light rail line since 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L Line (Los Angeles Metro)</span> Former light rail line

The L Line and Gold Line are former designations for a section of the current Los Angeles Metro Rail system. These names referred to a single light rail line of 31 miles (50 km) providing service between Azusa and East Los Angeles via the northeastern corner of Downtown Los Angeles, serving several attractions, including Little Tokyo, Union Station, the Southwest Museum, Chinatown, and the shops of Old Pasadena. The line, formerly one of seven in the system, entered service in 2003. The L Line served 26 stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claremont station (California)</span> Commuter rail station

Claremont station is a passenger rail and bus station in Claremont, California, United States. It is served by Metrolink's San Bernardino Line which runs from Los Angeles Union Station to San Bernardino–Downtown. The Mission Revival-Spanish Colonial Revival style station is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot</span> Railway station in San Bernardino, California

The San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot is a Mission Revival Style passenger rail terminal in San Bernardino, California, United States. It has been the primary station for the city, serving Amtrak today, and the Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railroads in the past. Until the mid-20th century, the Southern Pacific Railroad had a station 3/4 of a mile away. It currently serves one Amtrak and two Metrolink lines. The depot is a historical landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Passenger and Freight Depot.

The Pasadena Subdivision is the remnant branch line of the former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF) Los Angeles Second District. The line currently branches off of Metrolink’s San Bernardino Line at CP Cambridge in Claremont. The line follows a generally east–west alignment, passing through the cities of Claremont, Pomona, La Verne, San Dimas, Glendora, and Azusa before coming to a truncated end in Irwindale. For most of its length, it shares the corridor with the Los Angeles Metro Rail’s A Line. Recent construction, known as the Foothill Extension Phase 2B, has seen the tracks out of service west of San Dimas for most of 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monrovia–Glendora Line</span> Pacific Electric streetcar route (1902–1951)

The Monrovia–Glendora Line was a route on the Pacific Electric Railway serving the San Gabriel Valley. It operated from 1902 to 1951, supporting nearby real estate development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pomona–North station</span> Commuter rail station in Pomona, California

Pomona–North station is a railroad station located in Pomona, California. It is located just west of Garey Avenue and south of Bonita Avenue, and has 225 free parking spaces which are accessible from either Santa Fe Street or Fulton Road. Formerly an intercity train station, it is served by the Metrolink commuter rail system. The extension of the Los Angeles Metro Rail A Line light rail line to Pomona-North is projected to open in 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe Arroyo Seco Railroad Bridge</span> Historic bridge in Los Angeles, USA

The Santa Fe Arroyo Seco Railroad Bridge in Highland Park, Los Angeles, is more than 710 feet (220 m) long and crosses the Arroyo Seco Parkway at an elevation of over 56 feet (17 m). It is the tallest and longest railroad span in the city of Los Angeles, and most likely the oldest such structure still in use. The bridge crosses the lower part of the Arroyo Seco, a watershed canyon from the San Gabriel Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arcadia station</span> Los Angeles Metro Rail station

Arcadia station is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located at the intersection of 1st Avenue and Santa Clara Street in Arcadia, California, after which the station is named.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duarte/City of Hope station</span> Los Angeles Metro Rail station

Duarte/City of Hope station is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located at the intersection of Duarte Road and Highland Avenue in Duarte, California, after which the station is named, along with the City of Hope National Medical Center located across the street from the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irwindale station</span> Los Angeles Metro Rail station

Irwindale station is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located at the intersection of Irwindale Avenue and Avenida Padilla in Irwindale, California, after which the station is named. This station opened on March 5, 2016, as part of Phase 2A of the Gold Line Foothill Extension Project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azusa Downtown station</span> Los Angeles Metro Rail station

Azusa Downtown station is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located on Alameda Avenue, a block north of Foothill Boulevard, in Downtown Azusa, after which the station is named.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foothill Extension</span> Light rail extension project in Los Angeles County, California

The Foothill Extension is a construction project extending the light rail A Line, a part of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The project begins at the former terminus of the former Gold Line at Sierra Madre Villa station in Pasadena and continues east through the "Foothill Cities" of Los Angeles County. The plan's first stage, "Phase 2A", extended the then-Gold Line to APU/Citrus College station in Azusa; it opened on March 5, 2016. The first part of "Phase 2B" will extend the now A Line a further four stations to Pomona–North station on the Metrolink San Bernardino Line in Pomona, broke ground in December 2017 and is planned for completion in early-January 2025. The second part of Phase 2B will further extend the line two stations to Montclair Transcenter in Montclair, located in San Bernardino County, is planned to break ground in spring 2025 and be completed in 2030.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad</span> Early railroad from Pasadena to downtown Los Angeles

The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad was a railroad founded on September 5, 1883, by James F. Crank with the goal of bringing a rail line to Pasadena, California from downtown Los Angeles, the line opened in 1886. Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad was sold and consolidated on May 20, 1887 into the California Central Railway. In 1889 this was consolidated into Southern California Railway Company. On Jan. 17, 1906 Southern California Railway was sold to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and called the Pasadena Subdivision. The main line closed in 1994. The railroad later reopened as the MTA Gold Line Light Rail service in July 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Central Railway</span> American railroad system (1887–1889)

The California Central Railway was incorporated on April 23, 1887, with headquarters in San Bernardino, California. George O. Manchester was the President of the corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Dimas station</span> Future light rail station in San Dimas, California

San Dimas station is a future at-grade light rail station in the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is located on San Dimas Avenue near its intersection with Bonita Avenue along the Pasadena Subdivision right-of-way in San Dimas, California. It will be served by the A Line. It is currently under construction as part of the Foothill Extension Project and is slated to open in early-January 2025.

References

  1. "Metro Parking Lots by Line". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  2. "Secure Bike Parking on Metro" (PDF). Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 6, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Nelson, Laura J. (March 5, 2016). "Metro Gold Line extension tests San Gabriel Valley's support for transit". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  4. "FY2024 Ridership by Station". misken67 via Los Angeles Metro Public Records. August 2024.
  5. Foothill Extension Archived April 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine . LAMetroLogo.svg  Metro (LACMTA)
  6. M P Heritage (March 25, 2014). "Myrtle Avenue Railroad, Mules Did What Now?". Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014. Closed Access logo transparent.svg [ self-published source? ]
  7. Hormann, Matt (November 29, 2010). "A Future Gold Line Station: Once an Elegant Stop on the Santa Fe Line". Monrovia Patch. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  8. Haugaard, Brad. "Santa Fe train at the old Monrovia train station". monrovianow.com. Monrovia Now. Archived from the original on July 26, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014. An historic picture of a Santa Fe train at the old Monrovia train station. Posted by Bill Mohr on Facebook.
  9. "Tickets still sold but passenger trains don't stop". Daily News-Post. Monrovia, California. August 13, 1969. p. 20. Retrieved November 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  10. Mowad, Michelle (May 5, 2014). "San Gabriel Valley Railroad train crossing the Arroyo Seco into Pasadena just north of Garvanza in Highland Park – 1887". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  11. "Alosta: Latest Notes From the New Azusa Town". Los Angeles Times . April 29, 1887. ProQuest   163388146. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2019. Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  12. Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad Stock certificate Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine [ failed verification ]
  13. "Monrovias historic Santa-Fe-depot restoration". www.monroviaweekly.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  14. Lindsay (October 20, 2014). "Santa Fe Depot from "The Trouble with Angels"". Archived from the original on May 29, 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2017.[ self-published source? ]
  15. "SGV Tribune, Monrovia's Gold Line maintenance yard work in full swing, By Brenda Gazzar, Staff Writer, 01/03/13". Archived from the original on July 30, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  16. "Metro A Line schedule". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  17. "A Line Timetable – Connections section" (PDF). Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. June 16, 2023. p. 2. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  18. "City of Monrovia web page, Gold line". Archived from the original on May 28, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  19. "monrovianow.com, Planned apartments at Monrovia train station, March 2014". Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  20. "thesource.metro.net, Planning underway for Monrovia's Station Square at new Gold Line stop, November 14, 2013 by Steve Hymo". November 14, 2013. Archived from the original on August 7, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  21. "Art of the Journey, The Foothill Gold Line" (PDF). Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 24, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2014.