Please elevate the train tracks all the way through town. Allow level crossings under the tracks for both cars and pedestrians at all the street crossings. Do this to the San Antonio Road crossing, too, which is currently extremely hazardous for pedestrians.

I hate crossing at Rengstorff and avoid it at all costs.

To fill in some details lacking in the article: in 2014 the MV City Council reviewed several concept designs for grade separation at Rengstorff Avenue. No funding had been identified, but the point was to have a design ready to go when funding materializes someday. Web Link

The design favored by the council in 2014 is shown as Concept A in this staff report. Web Link

Everyone relax...insider information here. They are going to lower the intersection at Rengstoff and Central Expwy. It is in the master plan. Just because they haven't put it out doesn't mean it's not in the plans. Shut down Castro to thru traffic and lower Rengstoff. NOW STOP CRYING EVERYONE.

And to Mrs. Elevate the tracks. Caltrans VTA will not do that sort of thing. Ever been to Chicago? Imagine elevated train noise coming thru MV. Caltrans VTA stated what ever happens the tracks cannot be disturbed.

Caltrain has been elevating the tracks in San Mateo County for years. This design has greatly improved traffic flow there. Why are we special?

Regarding noise, removing at-grade crossings eliminates the need for the loud train whistles and the new lighter-weight electric trains should be much quieter than the old diesel trains.

What people need to do is have some common sense! DO NOT block the train tracks intersection train or no train in plain sight. Trying to be the third car on the other side of the tracks just in case railing comes down, come on now. I am now 29 years old and crossed that section from kindergarten to end of high school and nothing ever happened. Why? Because I always looked never was in the way.

While we wait for grade separation, how about making the right lane of the westbound Rengstorff a "right turn only" lane. The wait is forever as it is, and one person going forward ahead of you -- instead of turning right -- can bottle up the whole place unnecessarily. That's why you see so many cars cutting through the shopping center. This is a change we could make right now to alleviate headaches at the intersection.

@ elevate the tracks: Have you noticed the amount of real estate is gobbled up by the elevated tracks through San Mateo County? If you think $120 Million is a lot, try buying up enough prime real estate in Mountain View to accomplish this end and it will be closer to a billion.

Grade separation is coming. It won't happen overnight or soon, but by 2020 we will have it in place and traffic will flow smoothly again.

Keep in mind, the process takes time to study, report, gain acceptance, gather funding, go out for bid, award the bid, begin the work....I think you get it. In this age of instant gratification you'll need to suck it up for a couple of years before relief shows up. If that isn't possible, move.

The Shoreline-Evelyn interchange is a model for what would probably the lowest-cost interchanges to eliminate the grade-crossing problems at Rengstorff and at Castro, but take a look on the map at how much land those interchanges require!

Web Link

Fixing Caltrain grade crossings is like rearranging deck chairs. The money would be better spent on completing BART.

The undergrads street crossing is the only thing that makes sense!

Wondering if we will lose or all of the shopping center (with the *original Hobee's!), the gas station and across the way, Mi Pueblo?

Paul K, please rethink a right-only lane from Rengstorff onto Central-the backup in the remaining lane would be massive during rush hour times. Take San Antonio during those times. Forget cutting through Monta Loma, too -thtat's why we have speed bumps!

Anyone opposed to the grade separation is an ass. A quarter of Mountain View has suffered through delays and re-prioritization because it doesn't help YOU. Not having the grade separation is a huge impact on the quality of life and safety of a lot of residents. We pay taxes too. It's our turn

I had to literally bulldoze an old drunk guy in his '69 Impala off of the rail road tracks at Rengstorff & Central with my own truck in order to escape being hit by a train (he was on his way to 'Fred's Tavern' on Old Middlefield (I followed him when the light changed). It scared the crap out of me! The train crossings are ALL way too close to the actual Central Ave intersections. It's like playing musical chairs with traffic lights and motor vehicles instead. If you're on the tracks when the 'music' stops...you're screwed!

don't pull unto the tracks until you can go and clear the tracks, and it will be virtually impossible to get stuck on the tracks.

Never pull on the train tracks until you have full clearance on the other side! However the signage and street markings are VERY deceptive at this intersection and can dupe drivers who are not well acquainted with it. I wrote about my experience in an earlier MV Voice article about the proposed Castro St plans, but it is more relevant here:

The crossing at Rengstorff Ave and Central Xwy (in front of the Mi Pueblo Market) with its poorly marked double left lanes is more dangerous in my opinion. I don't use this street much but almost got caught with my car on the tracks when I thought traffic in front of me was advancing straight ahead on a green light, but then abrubtly stopped at the red left turn arrow. Thankfully my habit of not driving onto RR tracks until there is total clearance on the other side saved me (the RR gates came down soon after). After the Caltrain went by, I still had to make a left onto Central when I wanted to continue going straight on Rengstorff. Please fix this one too before Castro crossing where its less dangerous because the trains are moving more slowly in and out of the station.

Question:

How is it that Mountain View can be home to some of the most successful tech companies in the world, the presence of which has caused major traffic problems in Mountain View, particularly on Rengstorff, and yet Mountain View continues to be too cash poor to effectively and efficiently improve traffic flow and safety?

@Lan

The city doesn't own grade crossings. JPB owns the tracks, and the crossings. The city doesn't own state roads. It's a messy maze of who is responsible for the upkeep of what road and what intersection.

Just answering your question....

Grade separation is a fantasy. It ain't gonna happen.

I'd be happy if they'd just figure out a way to intelligently synchronize the lights at Castro & Rengstorff to the train crossings.

....and that bike/vehicle lane interface at the Rengstorff crossing has to be the worst example I've ever seen.

Solving the Rengstorf crossing doesn't need $100 million for a grade separation. What it needs is an engineering study to figure out better ways to sync the traffic signal with the train crossing. Right now, when a train goes by, it seems to just override the current phase of the signal, making Rengstorf traffic lose "green light time". Instead, what should happen is that Rengstorf always gets a green light after the train passes, to make sure that Rengstorf always gets a proportional amount of green light time even if there are a lot of trains.