The Evelyn light rail station in Mountain View saw its final riders on March 16.

The closure is a result of a Valley Transportation Agency project to add a second light rail track between the Mountain View and Whisman stations. The station, located at 80 Pioneer Way and not far from Sunnyvale city limits, has the second lowest ridership in the entire VTA light rail system, according to the VTA officials

The station’s end comes as part of the VTA’s Mountain View Light Rail Double Track Project.

“The second set of tracks will allow VTA to operate trains coming from and headed to Mountain View on two tracks, instead of one as it does now, which will improve transit operations on the Mountain View-Winchester Line,” said media spokesperson Brandi Childress.

“The result will be more reliable connections with Caltrain service in Mountain View, better service for major events at Levi’s Stadium, and the ability to run express service to the future Milpitas BART station expected to open in fall 2017,” she added.

The Evelyn station could not accommodate a new track in addition to the already existing station, so it was decided that removing it would be the best option. According to the VTA website, the station is set to be demolished by the end of the year, just in time for the February 2016 Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium, located about 7 miles away in Santa Clara.

Mariana Davis, nearby resident, frequents the station but said the demolition will minimally affect her commute.

“It will only take me two minutes more to take a train from the Mountain View station,” she said. “It’s not a big deal.”

Having a second track between the Mountain View and Whisman stations will make for an easier commute for hundreds of riders, Childress said.

“Skipping the stop at Evelyn speeds up the trip slightly which will help in last-minute connections to Caltrain,” Childress said. “The assessment made on ridership and use of park-and-ride usage justifies the closure for the greater benefit of better operations for VTA riders.”

A portion of the adjacent park and ride lot was closed for construction staging as of March 9. Before the closing, VTA representatives were tasked with helping displaced commuters work out an alternative plan to travel from a different light rail station.

For more information visit vta.org/lre-mv.