I think this is an attractive and practical solution for the transit center. The two proposals for the Castro/Caltrain intersection have their advantages and disadvantages, but the cost and complexity make closing the intersection a better choice, in my opinion.

I am really happy both plans feature a bike/ped underpass and not a bridge that would have to rise 25 feet, though I do wish Council would reconsider raising the tracks just a bit (as has been done in Palo Alto) to reduce how far pedestrians have to dip down. We should do everything we can so that Moffett feel like a continuation of downtown from the perspective of someone on foot. My guess is downtown will see MORE visitors with the intersection closed in this way, not fewer.

A bus loading zone on the other side of the tracks is also a really terrific idea. Perhaps it can serve as a more general drop-off zone, for Uber/Lyft-takers visiting downtown. And longer-term, I would love to see a lot more parking near the end of Moffett as well.

Yes, getting Uber and Lyft drivers access to a passenger loading area would be great. The bus doesn't ever go where I need to go, plus they demand a very large area that's only used a fraction of the day. I bet people would use the alternatives more than the bus if it was measured. As long as there are no new transit taxes involved, I'm all for it.

I am fully supportive of this concept, and would further support closing Castro street to all vehicular traffic from California street to the tracks. Considering the high level of pedestrian traffic that we now enjoy, I'm convinced that With good planning that includes adequate parking garages, our downtown will be more vibrant than ever.

Interesting ideas and points! Since there are still going to be Mountain View residents and other visitors who will have to take cars, we will need to think creatively to provide adequate parking and access for cars to downtown if some current intersections are closed.

These are outstanding ideas! They make sense for safety, enjoyment, and commerce.

I suspect quite a few store owners on Castro Street will have concerns, but I hope they will be open-minded. I sincerely believe that the changes proposed in this article will have many us spending MORE time and money downtown

Shuttles are posting up on the 100 and 200 blocks of both View Street and Hope Street now. When the hotel construction starts, View Street will be a disaster. We all appreciate the "traffic calming along Evelyn Ave the city approved, but the shuttles have no place to post up. Please allow for all the many shuttles to post up in the new transit center.

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"Provide round-the-clock, well-lit, ADA-compliant pathways for bikes and pedestrians under or over the tracks, Central Expressway, and even Moffett Boulevard. "

The city has a long way to go to provide ADA-compliant pathways for pedestrians, and not just around Castro St. Also I'm not sure if there is a federal mandate under the ADA for ADA-compliant pathways for bikes. Please clarify.

"There is an ancillary benefit to removing all grade crossings. The ear-splitting train horns, which many of us hear late into the night, would go away."

This is not quite correct.

Federal law still requires a train horn when approaching a passenger station (one short horn). Also, two long horns are required when leaving the station (proceeding, releasing air brakes). Residents near the Mountain View station would still hear horns even if there was a grade separation, just as San Antonio Road residents do.

Getting rid of public highway grade crossings would eliminate the long-long-short-long horns that are required at least one quarter-mile away at all times. This would affect the Rengstorrf intersection more than downtown Mountain View, as well as crossings in Palo Alto like West Meadow and Charleston Road.

The main benefits of a grade separation are public safety and reducing traffic congestion.

The "Downtown Platform" to Horizon Bike/Ped Crossing, is one of several
which would make getting across Central much easier for bikes/peds.

Web Link

In my opinion, this is right up there with the idea for paid parking! It makes no sense whatsoever to close one of the few main thoroughfares that connects the north and south parts of Mountain View.

This "solution" has nothing to do with improving traffic. As it is, I have shuttles from the big businesses in the North Bayshore going up and down my street (which is not part of their official route) all day long and clogging the street on Thursdays and Fridays! This problem will only be made all the worse as cars are added to that mix as they avoid the disaster that Castro will become with this project.

The problem with the cars on Castro is that the city decided to reduce the street from 2 lanes to 1 to begin with! If Castro street was still two lanes, there wouldn't be the amount of traffic we see queued up on Castro.

I am also sure that the billion dollars this project will take ( and it will be a Billion after all the delays and cost overruns that are typical here in California ) can be far better used for other things that are more pressing needs (maybe rental assistance? Training programs? Preventing blackouts downtown? Hello....?)

During the last campaign, no one was talking about closing Castro street and now it has become a pressing priority that will drain hundreds of millions of dollars from the community and funnel it into another pet project! We can do better than turning downtown into another dead end!

It would be much less expensive to add ped/bike overpasses at Castro and Moffett and improve the traffic light timing. But why spend a million when you can spend a billion?


Jim Neal
Old Mountain View

I use the crossing at Castro and Central to get to and from work everyday. There's no problem getting across between 6-6:30am and little problem crossing between 3-3:30pm so it's really not necessary or desirable to close it off 24 hours a day, especially considering all the construction on the other side of Central. Directing more traffic to the already crowded Shoreline is a poor decision, making access to the east side of Mountain View more difficult with increased driving time.

If the decision is to close Castro at the tracks, it should be the last action after Evelyn is reconfigured with an entrance to Shoreline.

Yes! Strengthen downtown with an innovative transit center! Hooray!
Other than not having the land or the money to pay for it, this is a great idea!