Christine Cray-Rudin, Santiago Villa·Edited 14m ago
To MV Police Department...when I read about this accident last nite my reaction was sadness for the person who lost their life. About two years ago I commented at a City Council meeting about how dangerous that area of Shoreline is for anyone, drivers and pedestrians. I had asked that they please put up signals at the crosswalk just like the ones on Shoreline between Central and El Camino Real. We have a crosswalk that is in complete darkness in the evening (which is early at this time of the year). It is the crosswalk that is used by people getting off at the bus stop for #40 route and if we want to get home we have to walk over to the crosswalk, which is more dangerous than crossing without a crosswalk, and cross over to get to Space Park Way. Once, during the daytime, I was walking home carrying groceries, went to the crosswalk (in daylite) waited till no cars were coming, started to cross, but the light at Pear had turned green for those waiting to go North on Shoreline, and at their usual fast speed came towards me as I was in their two lanes. They showed no sign of slowing down, and I could not get back to the median, so I had to stand on the dash lines separating the two lanes as a car on one side brushed passed me AND a Google Commuter Bus almost hit me as ALL I could do was stand on the lines and pray. The buses do not stop for anyone, not even an old lady in a crosswalk. The work on the traffic safety on North Shoreline has not been dealt with by the City of Mountain View, making, to me, the statement of a form of NIMBY by those in other areas of the city. My heart goes out to the family of the man who died out on Shoreline last night.

Apparently, MVPD believes that social media is the best way to reduce traffic fatalities. That, and by burning up gravy-train grant money to ticket pedestrians. I too have made appeals to the city to crack down on speeding drivers and those that roll through stop signs or park over crosswalks or in front of disabled ramps on corners. In return all you hear are crickets or we're too busy or we can't be everywhere or bla, bla, bla.

Hi Tanya, we're sorry to hear that you have had that experience. We have found that social media is a crucial education component of notifying the public about traffic safety, though you are right, it is only part of the whole when it comes to understanding safety and traffic here in Mountain View. We would be happy to have you come to the Police Department to learn more about what goes in to our traffic operations. We'd also be happy to have you on a ride along to see what we do in our daily operations!

My heart goes out to the family and friends. No way this should have happened....

I don’t like motorcycles. But it is what it is.

It's said a wise man learns from others mistakes. Well in my younger days I was not wise. I wanted a motorcycle badly and had 2, but after 3 near death scenarios, I figured it was time to give up riding.

Be safe and watch out for others!!!

Though I know very little about this particular crash, I think it's totally nuts that motorcycles in the state of California are allowed to drive between lanes on freeways. It's crazy dangerous. Many other states don't allow this, And a motorcycle-rider friend who lives out of state, thinks it's dumb.

So sad I hate motorcycles as well, so dangerous! I too have noticed those big commuter buses drive very fast and will pull out in front of you, etc..I hate being near them. The drivers act like they are cars and can go fast, cut you off, and weave in and out of traffic.
Once I heard I knew if was a Google Commuter Bus!

Google bus drivers treat Plymouth, Huff, Alta and Joaquin like the streets belong to Google. Maybe they do now. Who knows. But they will pull out and drive right down the middle of these streets and force you to the side of the road.

I've brought this to the attention of MVPD, and they have had zero response. You'd think just ONE round of tickets every 6 mo would be enough to keep these guys in check..if not, every 3 mo..then every month...

Although in this particular case, from what witnesses said it sounds like the bus was traveling with traffic...

Don't worry, I'm sure there will be many fewer accidents once we add 50,000 residents to North Shoreline.. oh wait.

MVPD no longer does routine police work. I had two serious thefts made against me this year. Upon contacting MVPD all I could get out of them was "Go to our website and fill out a police report". Can you believe it?

No lie! MVPD no longer bothers to visit the scene of the crime, all they will tell you is "go to our website". Comcast had better customer service than these guys. See their social media post above as further evidence.

They glad talk you all day and smile in your face, but try to get them to help you when you are a crime victim and all you get is "please go fill out the web form".

All they care about is how many days they have left to cash in their retirement checks.

Rita,

For many years, lane-splitting by motorcycles in California was not illegal, and,so was,tacitly legal. Recently, after a UC Berkeley School of Public Health groundbreaking study that demonstrated significantly INCREASED risk of paralysis, head injury and death in riders who stated they "never split lanes" vs. those who said they ever did, the California Legislature appropriately passed laws legalizing "sane" lane splitting by motorcycles in California.

I agree that young yahoos who pull wheelies while lane-splitting at 110 mph in traffic going 65 mph should be ticketed for unsafe riding, endangering themselves and drivers. But as a 63 yo physician who has ridden safely for 47 years, and who commutes from my home in MV to Stanford Hospital on my 2001 Yamaha V-Star 1100, I will continue to split lanes safely at 5 mph faster than stop-and-go traffic on the freeway or on an expressway, as it is far safer than getting rear-ended by a driver on his or her cellphone, or otherwise distracted while driving (especially when traffic comes to a sudden halt). All I can think about your friend who disagrees with lane-splitting is that he or she must be a pretty inexperienced rider. Whenever I see a (usually young) rider stopped in a long line of traffic at a stop light, I usually inform them of the benefits of splitting to the front of the line, as that not only obviate the risk of being rear-ended, but also allows the rider to get ahead of the cars, and allows MUCH safer riding (as the biggest risk is riding surrounded by cars).

The roads are for cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Let's all be safe out there, and be attentive when driving or riding (or walking). Let's share the roads. If you don't like motorcycles, don't ride one. Personally, I think Humvees are fairly absurd, so I would never get one.....

Best,

David B. Karpf, MD
Adj. Clinical Professor of Endocrinology, Gerontology & Metabolism
Stanford University School of Medicine
Attending, Osteoporosis & Metabolic Bone Disease Clinic
Stanford University Hospital & Clinics
Chair, Medical & Scientific Advisory Board
American Bone Health

@Mountain View Police Department

Seriously? Your social media efforts tell us silly things like it's the first day of winter or show your officers playing dress up as Darth Vader telling us to not to speed. I never see any posts about how not to park on a corner, or blocking a disabled ramp or fire lane or fire hydrant. The rest is pure image promotion. Maybe some of us would like to see the police just doing their job behind the scenes, much like at Disneyland, instead of popping up on social media at every opportunity like a J. Crew advert. Just maybe some of us don't want the police at schools or part of the holidays or pushing pink patches dressed in full body armor and with the fancy car lights flashing pushing the hero image..

A neighbor has filed three police reports with you guys regarding a Palo Alto city fire vehicle that constantly runs stops signs in our neighborhood. You know all about it and nothing has changed after months and months. There is no point in even filing those silly police reports when the police and the city can't even fix this simple problem. On another note, countless calls and images supplied to the city for the SAME vehicles parked in front of disabled ramps and crosswalks day after day,month after month, and the police refuse to ticket the cars. The same cars will most likely be there tomorrow. Instead of burning up overtime hours typing out commentary on social media, officers need to be out on the streets patrolling and writing traffic and parking tickets. All day and all night. No social media or ride along required. If you want to save lives, then that will be a good first step.

I always have been and always will be a supporter of the police department. But lately, in Mountain View, I rarely see any MVPD patrolling the streets. Because of this traffic is crazy. People blowing stop signs, rolling through stop lights, making left turns then accelerating into the right lane and lining up in the bike lanes to make a right turn... Not to mention all the speed violators. I also never see anyone being pulled over.

The social media the police use is Paramount to juvenal. Go out and do your job and pass tickets out to these violators, people will understand this. Stop being lazy. You're not going to save lives by posting nonsense on social media!

As a former Truck Driver I agree some of the Google Bus Drivers have no business driving a bus. I have witnessed some Google Bus Drivers using the size of the bus to almost RAM cars out of their way. Mountain View police cruisers, WHERE ARE YOU? Do something before violence takes place between car drivers and Google Bus Driver!!!!

@No body cares - Unfortunately I have had to call the MVPD twice in the last 6 months for 2 different incidents and not only did they come out in a very short time but I even received a follow up call by an officer who was very nice and reassuring.

Nobody cares, the public voted and made theft crimes pretty much a waste of time to enforce. So I can’t say it is fair to blame the police department for not wanting to waste resources on crimes the California voters decided were not enforceable. Sad but true

Wow.. a lot of people making a lot of assumptions with absolutely no idea what actually happened.

Crappy (non-union) Google Bus driver? Sure why not?

Insane motorcyclist insanely splitting lanes? That has to be the cause.

Don't wait for the details to come out. No. Jump to a conclusion now!

To Otto_Maddox If you watched videos from news stations...the lady who called 911 was in the left hand lane on Shoreline to turn LEFT onto Plymouth...do you live out in North Bayshore?? Then how can you make comments on those buses that we deal with day after day...as I posted above they do not stop for people in the crosswalk there (and that was after I made it across two lanes then the median and was almost finished with the next lane, with one more to go) The bus and cars were at Pear with a red light when I started crossing. When their light turned green they gunned it and I had to stand on the dotted lines between the last two lanes. I was IN A CROSSWALK, which I believe since my last drivers license test is a law that they MUST stop. Which they didn't. This was a posting on NextDoor by someone who drives that road...
Anne G., Cuernavaca·4d ago
I am trying to send a comment to the police department re a different topic but couldn't figure it out... Yesterday's fatal accident on Shoreline Blvd. at Plymouth- many, many times I am traveling on Shoreline towards the 101 entrance and I have the green light and the Google buses or cars make a left hand turn in front of me as if they have the right of way. I think this intersection needs a signal light or the left hand turn to Plymouth needs to be closed off.
In my opinion, this is also a residential area with 358 homes (many with children) Those buses should not be allowed to be on Shoreline Blvd. as they are a safety hazard to bikers and pedestrians. The plan is for 9,000+ more homes out here with those buses driving through residential and store/shops areas. Those buses should only be allowed coming in and out on Rengstorff and/or San Antonio so they are only being driven in business/industrial area...not in residential/

sorry, old lady on computer...do not know how to edit my posting. wanted to say he lady who called 911 was in the left hand lane on Shoreline to turn LEFT onto Plymouth BEHIND the google bus, who turned left into accident...

The lax enforcement by MVPD could be because of legitimate resource constraints. However the cynic in me suspects that given how much tax revenue Google brings to MV, the police don't crack down on the Google bus drivers for fear of agitating the goose that lays the golden eggs...