As you likely heard, it was recently announced that the Oscars will be held at Union Station on Sunday, April 25.
We’ve received questions from riders about how the awards will impact the station and bus and rail service.
One note: some of the below info could change. If so, we’ll do our best to push new info to riders and the public.
TRANSIT
Q: What parts of Union Station will be closed to passengers? When will the closures occur and how will patrons access the station?
A: Select sections of Union Station West will be closed to the public starting April 5 including the Historic Ticketing Hall, the Grand Waiting Room, the North and South Patios and the main entrance along Alameda Street.
The main entrance to Union Station West will be closed from April 5-April 29.
Pedestrians will be able to access Union Station West from April 5-23 and April 26-29 via the South Patio breezeway. On April 24 and 25, pedestrians will only be able to access Union Station via Union Station East.
Pedestrians will be able to travel around the closure of Union Station West via East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue. Signage will help pedestrians navigate the detour and there will be extra security provided during closures on East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue from Main Street to Vignes Street.
Bike Hub access will be closed from 12:01 a.m. April 23 until 4 a.m. on Monday, April 26.
Q: When will operations return to normal at Union Station?
A: Any other production-related impacts to Union Station are expected to be completed on Thursday, April 29, with normal paths of travel returning on April 30.
Q: How will this production affect traffic and parking around Union Station?
A: All parking on the west side of Union Station will close to the public beginning April 5. Lot D will reopen April 28 and lots B and G will reopen April 30.
Parking will remain available throughout April in the Gateway garage at Union Station East.
The entrance to Union Station West on Alameda Street will be closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic from 12:01 a.m. April 24 until 4 a.m. on Monday, April 26. Pedestrians will be able to travel around the closure of Union Station West via East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue. Signage will help pedestrians navigate the detour and there will be extra security provided during closures on East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue from Main Street to Vignes Street.
Alameda Street will be closed to pedestrians and vehicles from E. Cesar Chavez Avenue to First Street in front of Union Station from 12:01 a.m. April 25 until 4 a.m. on Monday, April 26.
Bike Hub access will be closed from 12:01 a.m. April 23 until 4 a.m. on Monday, April 26.
Q: How will this affect ADA Access and parking accessibility?
A: Union Station will remain fully ADA accessible throughout April, with the following changes:
- From April 1-April 30, ADA parking will continue to be available at Union Station East by entering the Patsaouras main entrance off of Vignes Street. ADA parking can be found on P1 with easy access to Union Station, with additional ADA spaces on P2 in Sections B, C and F
In addition, ADA Access pick-up and drop-off will be available as following:
- From April 5-April 23, ADA Access pick-up and drop-off will be located in front of the Metropolitan Water District
- On April 24 and April 25, ADA Access pick-up and drop-off will be located at Union Station East off of Vignes Street
- From April 26-April 29, ADA Access pick-up and drop-off will be located in front of the Metropolitan Water District
Wayfinding, signs and staff will help visitors navigate to parking and pick-up/drop-off locations throughout.
As of April 30, all ADA parking and ADA Access pick-up and drop-off will resume at Union Station West.
Q: Where can I find more information on production-related closures?
A: A full list of production-related street and sidewalk closures can be found here: https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/93_streetclosures_map.pdf.
Q: Will any train or bus lines be canceled or delayed due to the production? What about other services like FlyAway and Megabus?
A: We do not anticipate that any bus or train service, including third-party transportation services, will be cancelled or delayed.
The Amtrak Bus Plaza at Union Station West will be closed from April 5-29. Pickup locations for Amtrak and Greyhound buses will be changing as a result:
• The temporary Amtrak and Greyhound bus pick-up and drop-off will be in front of the Metropolitan Water District building at the southwest corner of the Union Station West driveway from April 5 – 23 and April 26 – 29.
• The temporary Amtrak and Greyhound bus pick-up and drop-off will be south of Parking Lot D, off of Cesar Chavez from April 24 – 25.
Q: Will buses be affected by production-related street closures?
A: On the weekend of the production, bus service on Alameda Street will be rerouted around the production. Bus routes are expected to return to normal on Monday, April 26.
Bus detours on Sunday, April 25.
Q: How will Amtrak and Metrolink passengers be affected by the closure of the Grand Waiting Room? Is the customer seating moving?
A: A number of the large, luxurious leather and walnut chairs have been relocated to the center section of the Passenger Concourse for Amtrak and Metrolink passengers. We did something similar during some of the restoration work that has taken place at Union Station in recent years.
Amtrak First Class passengers will still be able to access the Metropolitan Lounge during the Oscars.
Q: How will Metro minimize disruptions to transit riders during this production?
A: Other than bus routes that will be rerouted on Alameda around Union Station and the closure of Metro’s Bike Hub, we do not anticipate disruptions to transit services. Our goal is to make the Union Station experience as normal as possible with announcements, wayfinding and staff helping to route our customers to where they need to go.
Q: How will passengers be informed about closures and changes?
A: Throughout the month of April there will be alternative paths for pedestrian travel, accompanied by signage and personnel that will be strategically placed to facilitate and maintain ingress, egress and the core operations of the station. While the station may look different, the station will remain open and operational.
Q: Will vendors in Union Station West be open before and during the production?
A: Vendors in the Passenger Concourse and in Union Station East will remain open during their normal business hours.
Traxx and Imperial Western Brewery have been closed to the public and will remain closed during the month of April.
Q. Will the Hollywood and Highland station be closed as it has in previous years?
A: Currently, there are no plans to close any stations due to the Oscars.
Q: Why isn’t Union Station closing?
A: Union Station is the largest multimodal transit facility west of the Mississippi River and Metro’s number one priority and responsibility is to its transit customers. Union Station regularly hosts productions and partners with the entertainment industry while keeping buses and trains running. This production will be no different.
SAFETY, SECURITY AND COVID-19
Q: Will Metro provide extra security for the Oscars? If so, how much? Who will pay for the extra security?
A: There will be heightened security for the Oscars in coordination with Union Station. There will not be any additional Metro Security deployment required.
Q: Will transit riders be subject to increased security during the production?
A: While customers will only be able to access Union Station East the weekend of the production, they can expect to encounter normal security levels while using transit.
Q: How will Union Station accommodate the Oscars in a safe manner during COVID-19?
A: Union Station has ample space and ability to accommodate a medium-sized production while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines such as social distancing.
Q: Is Metro using any extra or additional COVID-19 precautions for this production?
A: Our current protocols meet or exceed what has been required by health experts. The production team has a dedicated professional staff to ensure compliance.
Q: How will Metro prevent large gatherings from occurring at Union Station?
A: The production area will be cordoned off, and Alameda Street near Union Station will be closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic during the production. Inside Union Station, visitors will not be able to access or view the production.
Q: How will this production affect on-site COVID-19 testing on the South Patio?
A: From April 1 through April 30, the Curative COVID-19 testing station will relocate to Union Station East, on the northwest corner of the Patsaouras Bus Plaza. For more information and a map of the location, please visit https://www.unionstationla.com/happenings/free-covid-19-testing
MISCELLANEOUS
Q: Why Union Station?
A: Metro has a long history of partnering with the film industry to highlight the history and beauty of Union Station. It has made appearances in countless major motion pictures, music videos and commercials and stands as a shining example of the golden age of railroads. Metro welcomes the opportunity to highlight the history and majesty of this important, historic landmark yet again in its continued partnership with the film industry.
Union Station also provides a safe and controlled environment with adequate space, ventilation and protocols for a COVID-19-safe production. Metro has held a number of COVID-19-safe, virtual only performances during the pandemic.
Q: What is being done to protect the historic features of Union Station?
A: Metro is dedicated to preserving and protecting Union Station as an important historic landmark. It has robust controls in place to ensure that all productions take the necessary steps and precautions to preserve the integrity and historic standing of the building from the exterior patios to the interior facilities. Metro works closely with all partners to ensure that Union Station is well cared for during productions and has a rigorous post-production inspection process.
Q: Where can I find out more information about Union Station and its history?
A: For more information about Union Station and its history, please visit https://www.unionstationla.com/.
Categories: Go Metro
[…] some bus reroutes in the Union Station area. The FAQ and a graphic showing changes are available here. Amtrak had previously issued an advisory on changes to its bus service and [see “Digest: […]
Yeah this doesn’t really seem like the best idea…
Surprised at the negative comments. As a usual member of The Source peanut gallery I actually think it’s a great idea. I don’t foresee any disruptions except for rideshare/taxi dropoffs out front and Greyhound/Amtrak bus riders. Can’t see how it would affect Gold Line, Red Line, Metrolink or Amtrak trains, or the bus bay on the east side of the station which represents 99%+ of passengers. Also makes the Oscar experience accessible to everyday Angelenos.
To clarify, if I may, the “Oscar experience” will be accessible to “everyday Angelenos” through the miracle of television. However, the “Oscars @ Union Station Roadshow” will be limited to Academy members and their staffs, invited guests, and presumably the “good and the great” of METRO. Remember, nay-sayers, catering to the desires of “Tinsel Town”, however tacky some may be, is one of the biggest industries left in LA-LA-Land, now that our fragrant orange groves have “Gone With the Wind”. The movies provide paychecks for a great many Angelenos–via the so-called “Trickle-Down Theory.” So, in the immortal words of LBJ, “Don’t spit in the soup, we all gotta eat.”
Talking against the grain here, but I actually think the Oscars are a great opportunity to highlight beautiful Union Station and LA’s growing rail system. As a daily user of Union Station transferring from the L Line to the subway, closing the main halls wouldn’t actually interrupt my commute – in fact, the main hall’s been closed for the last few month anyways. And as a user of the COVID test site, it’s relocation is a bit farther for me, but the extra ~3 min walk is not the end of the world. Overall, I think a red carpet or prime time broadcast at Union Station is good media exposure for Los Angeles and for Metro, the same way the Met Gala is for the Met Museum in NYC.
Unbelievable that this is being allowed to take place at Union Station. This should take place at the Music Center. This article seeks to minimize the impact this will have on operations at Union Station during this time. The closures during this time will be disastrous and devastate so many commuters trying to get to where they are trying to go. I cannot imagine how much confusion this will cause passengers who must use Union Station. SHAME on Metro for agreeing to this. Please read this LA Times article:
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-03-30/forget-union-station-the-oscars-should-be-held-at-the-music-center
SHAME? Disaster? Devastation? Definitely good words for describing Metro but maybe not this time? Having been to/through Union Station a thousand times I can’t think of a single trip that would have been inconvenienced given the closures. In exchange we get worldwide attention and publicity to one of our true public gathering spaces in this city accessible to all. Instead let’s have it at the most purposely inaccessible places in the city at a monument to urban renewal’s wrath? I just don’t get it.
WHY was this even allowed?? Couldn’t they have held their self-congratulatory awards ceremony in a huge soundstage or some film studio backlot or something???
So these Hollywood useless idiots are going to disrupt a whole lot of people so they can get a worthless award that most of America don’t give a crap about.
MORE Union Station history can be found at the Los Angeles Union Station Historical Society’s website: http://www.launionstationhs.org
how much is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences paying for use of the facility and inconvenience to passengers? And then how will that money be distributed within Metro?