Pilot program at Union Station leaves homeless with nowhere to sit

Brenda Bivens, 66, of Belleville, Ill., sits on her luggage near the women’s restroom. She said she had a ticket to go to Chicago in a few days but had no plans to leave the train station because she had no money.   (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Grant Hoag reads a magazine as he waits in a leather seat designated for Amtrak passengers.   (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Logan Boren, 9, relaxes with a beverage as he waits in the section designated for ticketed passengers only.  (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Dursley Schneider, 18, left, of Irvine looks at his phone as he waits in the ticketed-passengers- only section.  (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Alice Wilson, 23, of Monrovia waits with her 11-month-old, Alexis, in the the ticketed- passengers-only section. She said she thought other people should be allowed to sit in the station, especially in cold or wet weather.  (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Sheriff’s deputies ask a man to leave the ticketed-passengers-only section. Unable to produce a ticket, he yelled at the deputies and quickly left.   (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Brenda Bivens, 66, of Belleville, Ill., rests in the garden area at Union Station. Her ticket back to Illinois was for several days in the future, and she said she was biding her time at the station because she had no money. Later, members of the emergency response team from Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority gave her a few dollars to get something to eat.   (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Brenda Bivens rests against her luggage in the garden area. Before homeless services personnel arrived to help her, she said she wasn’t feeling well because she hadn’t eaten.   (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)