Month: March 2020

Getty Center and Villa Close to Support Emergency Efforts against Coronavirus

The Getty Center and Getty Villa locations including the Getty Library will close to the public, including all readers, beginning this Saturday, March 14, until further notice as the region works to minimize the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19.

Given the fluidity and uncertainty of the current crisis, we cannot determine the duration of the closure at this time.

We will update the library blog as we have new information. For general information regarding the Getty Center and Getty Villa locations check this Iris blog post.

Getty Locations Remain Open, with Precautions in Place to Respond to the Coronavirus

For up-to-date information regarding Getty’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) please visit the Getty website.

The website will be updated with new information as it becomes available.

Please contact Reference with any questions, by calling 310-440-7390 or emailing Reference@getty.edu.

Getty Center-Metro Shuttle Service, Now Available for Readers

The Getty is pleased to announce that Library Stack and Extended Readers with a Getty Reader ID badge may use the Pablito shuttle service between the Getty Center (top of hill shuttle turn-around) and the following locations:

  • Metro Orange/Sepulveda station (off Sepulveda Blvd. and the Orange Line Busway in Van Nuys and near the corner of Sepulveda and Ventura Blvds. in Sherman Oaks)
  • Metro Expo/Sepulveda station (at Sepulveda Blvd. and Exposition Blvd. in West Los Angeles)


    • The Getty is contracting with Pablito, a company that currently provides shuttle services for companies throughout the Bay Area and is expanding in Los Angeles. Pablito uses trained, professional drivers. Comfortable vans offer Wi-Fi, USB ports to charge your phones and bike racks, and take passengers to the Getty top of the hill shuttle turn-around. The ride is considerably faster than current bus service.

    The shuttle service pilot will be operational through the end of fiscal year 2020.

    The shuttles will run at scheduled intervals during weekday mornings, afternoons, and evenings, except on holidays.

    This shuttle service is subsidized by Getty; the cost to the rider is $1 per ride.

    Riders can reserve a seat and pay for a ride using the Pablito app, which can be downloaded for free by using either the Apple App Store (for iOS devices) or the Google Play Store (for Android devices). The Pablito app offers English and Spanish, depending on the user’s preference.

    **Important** – Before downloading the Pablito app, Library Readers must obtain an invitation code from Getty’s Transportation Coordinator by emailing parking@getty.edu. Once you download the app and register on the Pablito app with the invitation code, you will be approved to ride the shuttle. This process typically occurs within one business day.

    A 10 page Shuttle App Users Manual and short video about using the app are available.


    Frequently Asked Questions & Pick Up/Drop Off Location Information

    Using the Getty-Metro Shuttle Services

    Q. Who can apply for a Pablito account and use the shuttles?
    A. All Getty employees, interns, scholars, docents, volunteers, library Stack and Extended Readers, and contract workforce (Bon Appetit and Uniserve).

    Q. Can Getty library readers or the general public use the shuttles?
    A. Library Stack and Extended readers can use the shuttles. A valid Getty Reader ID Badge is required. The general public cannot ride the shuttles at this time.

    Q. Do the shuttles run on a schedule or do they only pick up riders if there is a demand?
    A. The shuttles run on a defined schedule, which may change during the year to maximize utilization.

    Q. How do I pay the $1 rider fee?
    A. Payment is made in the Pablito app. A valid credit card or ATM card is required for payment.

    Q. Are reservations mandatory?
    A. While reservations are not strictly mandatory, we strongly recommend that you reserve a seat. You can make a reservation any time before departure. Seats are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, and you may not be able to board the shuttle if there are no available seats.
    Please note that the shuttle will only make a stop Ventura and Sepulveda if you have made a reservation in advance. Reservations must be made before the scheduled Orange Line departure. For instance, if you want the 8:00am shuttle to stop at Ventura and Sepulveda on its way to the Getty Center, you need to make the reservation before 8:00am. The shuttle may take up to 15 minutes to reach Ventura and Sepulveda; you can track the shuttle’s progress using the Pablito app. The shuttle will pick you up near the sidewalk in the alley between Public School 818 and the parking structure off of Sepulveda Boulevard. To request an afternoon stop from Getty Center to Ventura and Sepulveda, select Ventura/Sepulveda in the Pablito app. The shuttle will drop you off in front of the Union Bank, right behind the Metro bus stop, on Sepulveda Boulevard (just north of Ventura Boulevard).

    Q. Am I reserving a specific seat or am I reserving any one of the available seats?
    A. A reservation does not guarantee you a specific seat. You are reserving one of the available seats.

    Q. When I make a reservation using the app, is it for a one-way trip or a round trip?
    A. It’s for a one-way trip. Each $1 ticket is for a single trip.

    Q. Do I need to have my Getty Reader ID Badge?
    A. Only if you do not have a ticket on your phone, or your phone is inoperable.

    Q. What happens if I miss my shuttle?
    A. The shuttles will be on a tight schedule. If you miss your shuttle, you will have to reserve a seat on a later shuttle that has an available seat. If there are no shuttles with available seats, you will need to consider using a bus, rideshare service, or taxi to complete your commute.

    Q. If I miss my shuttle, will I still have to pay $1?
    A. Yes. But you can cancel your reservation right up to the time of departure without penalty, so if you know you are running late, you can cancel the reservation and save the $1.

    Q. What if I become ill or have a family emergency and need to get home in the middle of the day?
    A. The Getty provides rides home for employees needing a ride for an eligible early departure, such as falling ill or a family emergency.

    Q. Are there plans to continue shuttle service after the pilot has concluded?
    A. During the pilot, we will continually analyze the service, making adjustments, and receiving feedback from riders. As the pilot nears its conclusion, we will determine next steps. As of 8/26/2019, the Getty Center-Metro shuttle has been extended to the end of FY2020.

    Q. Why is there a $1.00 reservation/rider fee each way?
    A. Like the Getty’s vanpool program, the shuttles are subsidized by the Getty. Employees are paying about the same cost for the shuttle as they would for participating in a vanpool.

    Q. Are the shuttles equipped to accept bicycles?
    A. Yes, the shuttles are equipped with racks that can carry up to four bicycles.

    Q. Is it possible for the Orange Line Shuttle to stop near the intersection of Ventura Blvd and Sepulveda Blvd?
    A. Yes, upon request (in the app) the shuttle will stop at Ventura and Sepulveda.

    Making a Reservation

    Q. How far in advance can I reserve a seat?
    A. You can reserve a seat starting at 12:00 am the business day before you want to ride the shuttle. For Monday rides, you can reserve beginning on Friday.

    Q. How late can I make a reservation?
    A. Right up to departure time (assuming there is a seat).

    Q. What happens if I don’t reserve a seat in advance?
    A. If seats are available, riders without reservations can board, as long as they have a Pablito account. Please note that the shuttle will only make a stop Ventura and Sepulveda if you have made a reservation in advance.

    Q. Can I cancel a reservation in the app? What happens if forget to cancel a reserved seat before the cut-off time?
    A. A rider can cancel a ticket within the app, right up until the trip begins, without incurring any fee. If the rider forgets to cancel, the $1 trip fee will still be charged.

    Q. How many passengers can ride in a shuttle?
    A. 14 passengers (in addition to the driver).

    Q. What happens if a shuttle is already reserved to capacity?
    A. You will need to use a later or earlier shuttle.

    Using the Pablito App

    Q. Is the app free to download for both iOS and Android? What OS versions are supported?
    A. The app is free for both iOS and Android. On iOS, Pablito supports iOS 10.0 and up. On Android, Pablito currently supports Android 7.0 and up. Pablito is working on extending support for Android 5.0 and up.

    Q. Can I make reservations using a desktop browser-based interface instead of an app?
    A. Not at this time but we hope to have this functionality in the future.

    Q. I’m having a problem using the Pablito app.
    A. Contact Pablito technical support at: technology@pablito.com if you have any problems or identify any bugs in the app.

    Have more questions? Email parking@getty.edu

    Orange Line Sepulveda Station Pick-up/Drop-off Location

    The shuttle pick-up/drop-off location is at the Sepulveda station in Van Nuys. This is the station that is adjacent to LA Fitness on Sepulveda Blvd and the Orange Line Busway. Pick-up/drop-off is immediately outside the bus entry/departure area. Vans have a Getty sign on the dashboard.

    Orange Line Ventura Blvd/Sepulveda Blvd Pick-up Location
    The shuttle picks up near the sidewalk in the alley between Public School 818 and the parking structure off of Sepulveda Boulevard. This pick-up location must be requested in the app in advance.

    Orange Line Ventura Blvd/Sepulveda Blvd Drop-off Location
    The shuttle drops off in front of the Union Bank, right behind the Metro bus stop, on Sepulveda Boulevard (just north of Ventura Boulevard). This drop-off location must be requested in the app in advance.

    Expo Line Sepulveda Station to Getty Center Pick-up/Drop-off Location
    Pick-up/drop-off occurs in a loading zone area on Exposition Blvd, just West of Sepulveda Blvd (near the LA Metro parking structure – vehicle faces West). Vans have a Getty sign on the dashboard.