The Purple Line's forthcoming Wilshire/Rodeo Station in Beverly Hills may have something rare among Los Angeles County's subway stops: a second entrance.
The station, now in the early phases of construction, was originally planned with just one entrance located at the southwest corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Reeves Drive - formerly the site of the ACE Gallery's Beverly Hills annex. But a proposed agreement between the City of Beverly Hills and Metro may allow for the construction of a second station portal located on the north side of Wilshire.
According to a notice distributed this week by the city, the northern entrance could be located at one of three sites, including the northwest corner of Wilshire and Beverly Drive. The other two locations are the northwest corner of Wilshire and Canon Drive, or the northeast corner of that same intersection - currently being used as a staging area for subway construction.
An entrance on the north side of Wilshire will allow easier access to Beverly Hills' central business and tourist hub - the "Golden Triangle" - which is bounded by Canon Drive to the east, Wilshire Boulevard to the South, and Santa Monica Boulevard to the north. Rodeo Drive, the famed retail corridor for which the subway station is named, runs through the center of this district.
The deal negotiated by Metro and the City of Beverly Hills could also provide Wilshire/Rodeo Station with another rare amenity in the County's growing rail network: public restrooms. However, the facilities would not be located within the station itself, but rather in a private development to be built above.
Metro's Purple Line extension will allow rail service to continue westward from Wilshire/Western Station in Koreatown to a new terminus at the Veterans Administration Campus, with intermediate stops in the Mid-Wilshire district, Beverly Hills, Century City, and Westwood. The completed extension, scheduled to enter service in 2025, is expected to attract approximately 62,000 daily riders.
- Purple Line (Urbanize LA)