Getty Center Tram

The Getty Center Tram is a 0.75-mile (1.21 km) people mover system that serves the Getty Center in Los Angeles. It runs two cable-driven hovertrains each consisting of three Otis Hovair vehicles.^[1]

Getty Center Tram
A train at the Getty Center station
Overview
Locale	Los Angeles, California
Termini	Sepulveda Blvd (lower station) Getty Center (upper station)
Stations	2
Service
Type	People mover
Rolling stock	2 × 3-car Otis Hovair
History
Opened	1997
Technical
Line length	0.75 mi (1.21 km)[1]
Operating speed	14 mph (23 km/h)

History

The tram line, already planned in 1988,^[2] was opened at the end of 1997, following the inauguration of the Getty Center. The tram consists of air-cushioned, cable-driven vehicles that are driverless. Seismically designed, the track is an elevated structure reinforced by grade beam sections. An earthquake of a 6.8 magnitude struck Northridge, California only 11 days after the tram was completed on January 6, 1994. However, the structure showed no signs of damage.^[3]

Route

The line, located north of Brentwood, in the Westside Region of Los Angeles, links a freeway-level parking garage to the Getty Center, which includes the J. Paul Getty Museum. The duration of a ride is about 3 to 4 minutes.^[1]

The lower station (34°05′15.8″N 118°28′32.8″W), at the bottom of the hill, lies beside Sepulveda Boulevard and the San Diego Freeway and features a refuge siding. The upper station (34°04′42.1″N 118°28′29.9″W), at the top of the hill, is located in the arrival plaza of the Getty Center and is part of the structure.^[4] The line follows Getty Center Drive and has a passing loop in the middle, although the two trains can operate independently.^[5]

Gallery

• 
  View of the upper station
• 
  Platform of the lower station
• 
  Train departing from the lower station

See also

• Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority