Looking forward to hearing this proposal. Will have big impact on downtown in many ways depending on if we decide to:
- add more caltrain LRT parking
- close Castro crossing to vehicular traffic (how will they route traffic from Central and Moffat then?). If traffic can freely flow into DT mountain view without the caltrain/central expressway lights regulating traffic flow, what will happen to traffic on our streets?
- the beauty of downtown will be greatly impacted if overpasses are built (lets dig if we need to!).

However, I don't know how the city could be putting a proposal forward while the High-speed rail mid-peninsula station location is still open (Redwood City, Palo Alto, or MV). I'm sure if MV is selected then the plan will have to change again.

Shonuff66 made some good points. I agree that grade separation at Castro and the railroad/Central Expressway is needed and I agree that how it's done will be impacted by CalTrain electrification and High Speed Rail.

Several options have been foreclosed in recent years. Refurbishing the Adobe Building and building the replica Train Station (rolling my eyes--I'm a newcomer; I've lived in Mountain View for only 58 years), and building the massive development across Moffett Blvd from the Adobe Building has made it all but impossible to build an over or under-crossing that has an actual connection to Central Expressway. And, of course, that massive development is designed for existing street levels on both Moffett Blvd and Central Expressway.

It's beginning to appear to me that whatever crossing there will be connecting Castro and Moffett Blvd will have to use Hope St and maybe Bryant St. The design of the Transit Building will have a big impact on what use will be made of Hope St. "Transit Station" is a misnomer to me: I think it should be "Parking Structure".

Have those city officials ever seen NYC's Grand Central Station???

If they want to make Castro a main station /transit hub the someone needs to rethink the parking at the station. If I go on Saturday and return on Sunday there is never enough space or even on Sunday, all the spaces are used up by the farmers market

Any hope for overhead LRT evaporated with the huge hotel/apartment complex at Central/Moffett. It seems that the reference to the NY GCStation might be a prescient view, since subways and tunnels made that facility possible.
We are faced with inevitable super development that make underground arteries necessary- for one, they are much less vulnerable to the Big One-type 'quake that we are told to expect in a dystopian future. Castro Street would be vastly improved for foot traffic and local commerce if traffic was simply dropped down one level to appear again before ECR.
The intersection of Moffett/Central still presents a complex problem when attempting to resolve Caltrain and LRT traffic, given that Caltrain electrification becomes inevitable. An automated transit system to North Bayshore would be huge, just try to resolve the route for it within a half-mile of MV Transit Central. I can visualize that an overhead second level spanning Central and the entire MV Transit parking area providing a loop around the perimeter would be adequate for the future. Please bear with me; what appears overreaching now just might be feasible tomorrow.

This is great news all around. There are many discussions to have, but I am all for this upgraded transit center that even includes the HSR station. Will certainly put Mountain View on the 'Transit' map.

Perhaps the station platforms could even be above Central Expressway.

"- close Castro crossing to vehicular traffic (how will they route traffic from Central and Moffat [sic] then?)"

It's called grade separation.

. . .and it's incredibly expensive.

Also, hearing the voices that call so casually for all these tunnels and subways, yet never realistically analyze how to budget for the staggering expense implied, brings to mind Bernie Sanders on his campaign trail, casually promising everyone lavish new benefits, never ever realistically facing the implications of doing so (inseparable in reality, even if not in rhetoric) -- the consequences to the rest of the economy were he ever successful at taking all the money from other people that his promises imply -- because (obviously) "government" is never actually a _source_ of funding, just a pump, a notoriously leaky one.

HSR should not stop in Mountain View. Redwood City is the best spot in this area for a station. But really, given that we have Caltrain, HSR shouldn't stop on the peninsula at all. Many stops = low-speed rail.

"
>>"- close Castro crossing to vehicular traffic (how will they route traffic from Central and Moffat [sic] then?)"

It's called grade separation."

If the decision is to close Castro so no cars can cross the tracks then a grade seperate by defanition is not in scope - hence my question how will they route traffic from Central and Moffat. As Doug Pearson points out Bryant and Hope are options but probably terrible ones due to the buildup at the four corners of the intersection.

anthodyd interesting ideas on spanning the building across over Central - how would Central expressway traffic flow? Would we build over it - what would live above it then?

Digging seems like the only viable solution if:
- grade separation is desired - traffic can flow at grade from moffat to Castro. Central Expressway, Caltrain, LRT, HSR below grade.
- At grade building with multi level parking, Shuttle, bus, dropoff loops. THis is on top of current footprint of station/parking (this is your grand central station - but not really comparable :))

As far as the cost remember that yes it's very expensive but this would have impact across many peoples lives.
- Central could flow freely through this intersection - its very backed up during rush hour
- Railway crossing arms wouldn't exist also further improving traffic flow and saving time - those are the most burdensome crossing arms I've ever encountered. Easily add 5 minutes to your trip - multiply the effects on traffic when lanes backup
- Increase parking for more Caltrain LRT usage
- more space for running shuttles
- potentially opens up the space much more for more public space and commerce

My guess is that the tracks themselves can't be elevated-- I don't think there's enough track to drop back down below the Shoreline and Stephen's Creek overpasses, but I could be wrong. It might still be possible to build much of the station above the tracks and over Central (and I love the idea!), also providing pedestrian/bike access, but the Castro/Central intersection still has to be accounted for. Simply closing that intersection could make for a really pleasing pedestrian space, but might not be feasible for the current and projected traffic.

Looking forward to learning more tonight!

Here are the alternatives (I am not sure how up-to-date the document is:
Web Link
I think A4 is the worst, A3 is the best.

Alt 3 is a nightmare for possible accidents with the limited vision of the on/off ramps and the mixing of fumes from cars under ground.
Alt 4 is a nightmare for elderly/disabled in that going above I heard will require a much higher clearance for HSR trains and electric cables for trains. This will be much greater a distance vertically climbing that putting pedestrians underground. However, there should be no cars where the pedestrians go underground as that just makes it very unpleasant. Somehow that space must be kept open and bright also and large--else it could become a place a crime and danger at night.
Btw, how is this being paid for? Does the city really have the money for this?
Where is the parking lots for Caltrain going?

I thought I read before that a HSR station in MV would require at least 5000 parking spaces. I don't think we have 10% of that now. Where will they all go? This is as big as the biggest parking lots for BART stations.
Also, when can we get transit that runs to/from the city at least every 10 minutes all day and at least every 20 minutes thru midnight like BART does for prices closer to what BART charges? Caltrain is far too expensive and runs way too often--has odd locations for stations that are not that useful and is too slow. But will HSR not cost more? and only run a few times a day? Or has this changed in the plan?

Build the equivalent of the Quay d'Orsay train station (now a museum) in Paris. It would be beautiful and put MV on the map.

But above all get rid of the ridiculous cluster of black iron and green glass but stops.

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