Milpitas station
| Company type | Transit hub |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Montague station (VTA light rail) |
| Founded | June 24, 2004 (light rail), June 13, 2020 (BART) |
| Founder | Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) |
| Headquarters | Milpitas, California , United States |
Area served | Milpitas, California and surrounding areas |
| Products | Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), VTA light rail, VTA bus, AC Transit bus services |
| Owner | Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) |
| Website | www |
Milpitas station, also referred to as the Milpitas Transit Center, functions as a multimodal transportation hub situated near the intersection of East Capitol Avenue and Montague Expressway in Milpitas, California, United States. This facility accommodates the Orange and Green lines of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), the Orange Line of the VTA light rail network, as well as bus services operated by the VTA and AC Transit.
The elevated Montague light rail stop commenced operations in June 2004 and was rebranded as Milpitas in December 2019 following the addition of a bus plaza and a pedestrian bridge. The subterranean BART station, constructed as part of the Silicon Valley BART extension, opened in June 2020 alongside an adjacent parking structure.
History
The VTA Light Rail station originally opened under the name Montague on June 24, 2004, as a segment of the Tasman East extension, initially lacking dedicated parking facilities.
The BART station represents the northernmost of two stations developed during phase I of the Silicon Valley BART extension, a project valued at $2.3 billion that began construction in 2012. This transit complex was developed and is owned by the VTA. Its inauguration faced several postponements from the initial planned opening in 2016.
In December 2019, the bus station serving VTA and AC Transit commenced service, coinciding with the renaming of the light rail station from Montague to Milpitas.
A formal ribbon-cutting event for the BART station was held on June 12, 2020, with passenger service starting on June 13, 2020.
A pedestrian bridge spanning 229 feet over Montague Expressway connects directly to the second level of the parking garage. Construction for this $19.33 million bridge began in 2019 and it was completed and opened in July 2021.
Station layout
Located near East Capitol Avenue and Montague Expressway along Milpitas’s southern boundary, the Milpitas station complex features BART tracks running north–south within a trench beneath street level. It includes two side platforms approximately in length. The station building covers roughly , showcasing a wavy roof design and three prominent circular skylights. Access points on both east and west sides lead into a central corridor where fare gates are positioned on opposite ends; stairs and escalators provide platform access at both entrances, while elevators are available near the northern fare control area.
Artistic elements enrich the BART station environment: stained glass pieces titled Ethos of Imagination by BJ Katz and Chris Klein are installed above the main entrance, while twenty ceramic-tiled columns created by Amy Trachtenberg called Ecstatic Voyaging, inspired by the ikat dyeing method, support structural elements.
The elevated light rail tracks run northwest–southeast above East Capitol Avenue and feature a single island platform with an intermediate mezzanine level below. Vertical circulation includes stairs and an elevator connecting to East Capitol Avenue’s median at South Milpitas Boulevard. A pedestrian bridge provides a link from the light rail mezzanine to the western side of the BART building, where escalators and an elevator lead to the plaza area.
West of the BART facility lies a bus plaza serving nine VTA routes (20, 47, 60, 66, 70, 71, 77, 104, 203) along with one AC Transit route (217). This plaza serves as a vital transfer hub between transit systems. It stands out as the only BART station served by both VTA and AC Transit buses and is also unique among VTA light rail stations for being served by AC Transit. Adjacent to the east side of the BART building is a six-story paid parking garage offering 1,631 vehicle spaces. Additionally, beneath the pedestrian bridge is an indoor bicycle parking facility with paid access for 185 bikes; complimentary bike racks are distributed throughout the station area.
External links
- Milpitas Transit Center – Station Overview
- Milpitas Transit Center & BART Station official project page
- Articles with short description
- Railway stations in the United States opened in 2020
- Stations on the Orange Line (BART)
- Stations on the Green Line (BART)
- Bay Area Rapid Transit stations in Santa Clara County, California
- Buildings and structures in Milpitas, California
- Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority light rail stations
- Railway stations in the United States opened in 2004
- 2004 establishments in California
- Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority bus stations
- 2020 establishments in California