Westwood/Rancho Park station is an at-grade light rail station in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system located at the intersection of Westwood Boulevard and Exposition Boulevard in the Rancho Park neighborhood of West Los Angeles, California. It serves the E Line.[3]

Westwood/Rancho Park
The platform at Westwood/Rancho Park looking eastbound
General information
Location	2594 Westwood Boulevard Los Angeles, California
Coordinates	34.0368°N 118.4258°W / 34.0368; -118.4258
Owned by	Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Big Blue Bus Culver CityBus
Construction
Bicycle facilities	Metro Bike Share station,[1] racks and lockers[2]
Disabled access	Yes
History
Opened	October 17, 1875; 147 years ago (1875-10-17)
Rebuilt	May 20, 2016; 6 years ago (2016-05-20)
Previous names	Talamantes
Services
Preceding station Metro Rail Following station Expo/Sepulveda toward Downtown Santa Monica E Line Palms toward 7th Street/Metro Center
Future services Preceding station Metro Rail Following station Expo/Sepulveda toward Downtown Santa Monica E Line Palms toward Atlantic
Former services Preceding station Pacific Electric Following station Home Junction towards Rustic Canyon Air Line Palms towards Pacific Electric Building
Location

Although opponents filed a lawsuit to halt construction, they were ultimately unsuccessful in their efforts (see Opposition section, below).

Service

Station layout

Westbound	← E Line toward Downtown Santa Monica (Expo/Sepulveda)
Island platform, doors will open on the left
Eastbound	→ E Line toward 7th Street/Metro Center (Palms) →

Westwood/Rancho Park Station is located at Exposition Boulevard just east of Westwood Boulevard, between Westwood Boulevard and Overland Avenue.[4] This station is located in Rancho Park, an affluent single-family neighborhood south of Westwood and southwest of Century City. The station location is a short walk from the Westside Pavilion shopping mall.

The final environmental impact report included 170 surface parking spaces at this station, with an option to remove all parking for transit users (20 parking spaces would be provided for local residents only). In March 2011, the Expo Board approved the no-parking option. Sepulveda station, less than one mile away, has a parking lot.

Hours and frequency

E Line trains run every day between approximately 4:30 a.m. and 12:30 am. Trains operate every ten minutes during peak hours Monday through Friday, and every twelve minutes during the daytime on weekdays and all day on the weekends after approximately 8 a.m. (with a 15 to 20-minute headway early Saturday and Sunday mornings). Night service is every 20 minutes.[5]

Connections

As of February 20, 2022^[update], the following connections are available:[6]

• Big Blue Bus (Santa Monica): 8, Rapid 12
• Culver CityBus: 3

Opposition

In the Final EIR, Metro staff recommended routing the Expo Line along the Exposition Right-Of-Way through Rancho Park (which includes Westwood Station), at-grade. During the EIR process, a group of neighbors known as Neighbors For Smart Rail (NFSR) organized to oppose at-grade light rail through this ROW.[7] The group claims that this design will be dangerous if built as specified, and that Metro failed to comply with environmental law. Metro publicly disputed these claims,[8] as did several groups supporting the current design.[9][10][11]

On March 5, 2010, NFSR filed a lawsuit to halt construction of Expo Phase 2.[12] This lawsuit was dismissed by the Superior Court of the State of California on February 22, 2011.[13]

Attractions

The Westwood Neighborhood Greenway, a linear park built on unused right-of-way and planted with native species, is located next to this station.[14]

References

• Curbed Staff (November 24, 2014) "Expo Line Extension is 80 Percent Done; See the New Stations" Curbed Los Angeles

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Westwood/Rancho Park station.