ETS designed, engineered and installed over 19,000 square feet of PTFE tensile membrane canopies for the El Monte Busway and Transit Pavilion, creating a signature series of covered walkways that provide shade, weather protection and a clean visual identity for one of Southern California’s busiest transit hubs. The canopies enhance comfort for 40,000 daily commuters from the San Gabriel Valley to Downtown Los Angeles and beyond.

The entrance canopy is a symmetrical, seven-sided, cantilevered structure with a perimeter truss comprised of pipe sections resting atop concrete columns. It covers a footprint of 123’ 9” by 110’, a plan area of 12,230 square feet, with a membrane surface area of 14,325 square feet. The overall height reaches 47.5’. A central arch provides a line of symmetry as well as hold-down clamping for the membrane along the spine. Fabric closures over the top of the hold-down condition provide a uniformity to the membrane finish. The concourse canopy is similar in shape to the entrance canopy, but scaled down and mirrored, occurring as a transition between the entrance and bus bays. It has a plan area of 3,070 square feet and a membrane surface area of 3,480 square feet.

Bus platforms integrate 10 freestanding canopies covering 5,640 square feet of plan area with 5,950 square feet of surface area. Each is 48’ long, subdivided into four 12’ bays with a depth of 11’6”. Heights vary from their alternating ridge and valley form, with an uppermost point of 17’-3” tall.

LEED certification and Buy American compliance were key priorities for the project, and ETS played an active role in supporting both. Our team provided detailed documentation, including mill-specific reports on recycled content, and supplied 91.4 tons of domestically sourced steel to meet procurement standards. The tensile systems were engineered with seismic resilience in mind, addressing the region’s stringent structural requirements. All canopies were fabricated using Sheerfill V PTFE membrane, chosen for its light transmission, performance and durability.

ETS completed installation of the structural steel and membrane systems within tight site constraints and an active transit environment in just three months, showcasing our ability to deliver complex tensile systems on fast-paced, urban infrastructure projects.

The project is LEED Gold certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.