Division 16 Southwestern Yard

Los Angeles, California

Gruen Associates is the architect and landscape architect on the design-build team for the Metro Division 16 Southwestern Yard (SW Yard), a new Metro Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) operations and maintenance facility constructed within an approximate 18-acre site bounded by Arbor Vitae Street to the north, Neutrogena Corporation to the west, industrial buildings and warehouses to the south, and the planned construction of the new Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Project (also referred to as the C0988 Mainline Project) tracks to the east. The SW Yard will be connected to the mainline tracks by two at-grade connections; one at the southeastern end of the SW Yard, and the other crossing Arbor Vitae Street north of the SW Yard site. Pedestrians and vehicles will access the SW Yard from two controlled entrances along Arbor Vitae Street.

SW Yard supports the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Project and provide LRV transportation maintenance and storage functions, current use and future expansion for the Metro Crenshaw/LAX Project and Metro Green Line LRV fleet. The SW Yard is a secured facility consisting of tracks, buildings, equipment, supporting systems, miscellaneous appurtenances, and related site development. The track configuration and site layout shall support safe and efficient LRV movements for “switching” between facilities and tracks, and between the yard facility and the mainline tracks. SW Yard accommodates Metro staff and other employees engaged in general administration, operations, repair and maintenance, and transit security. SW Yard consists of a Main Shop, Car Wash Building, Material Storage Building (and Future Expansion), Cleaning Platform, and Paint and Body Shop Building. The project opened for operation in 2019.