How is the study on how to solve Mountain View’s mushrooming transient, drug, and auto break-in Problem going? How much was allocated to that study?

Seems like the goal of this super tram is to make it easier for people to not live in Mountain View but work at Google.

The obvious alternative would be to extend the VTA light rail. What is the reason that is not Plan A?

Why don’t we have a miniature electric train to ride around? Like the one at the Oakland Zoo

Up to $1 billion means more than double that figure. Just take a look at VTA projects. Nothing is done on time or on budget. Are you people insane?

It is 3 miles. Ride your bikes and put in high-quality, bike supportive infrastructure. This problem does not require a technological solution to a 3 mile long problem. This is absurd.

And how are people getting to such a system? Parking at the Caltrain station? Are there any places where these systems work (other than airport/theme parks etc)?

Carolyn, you beat me to it. 25-30 minutes for a bus! Ride your bikes people! Google maps show 22 min via St. Crk Trail, which is a very nice ride, and 17 min via Shoreline. And I, at 65, can beat these map estimates. I asked the major once, who asked Google, about their employees using their own colorful bikes between the Transit Center and NBS. Their response, "the bike aren't designed for that.". Huh? Why? Because they are single speeds? I can beat those Google maps estimates and that's what I ride, and mine are 70's vintage heavy steel bikes ... and I've never been particularly fast.

Mountain View should get serious about bicycle infrastructure. We live in a flat city with ideal weather. How can cold, wet Denmark and Holland do so much better than us at getting people on bikes? It was enlightened leadership and the desire to take back the streets for the benefit of their citizens. And btw, it's not just NBS workers -- the stay-at-home moms, work-at-home employees, retirees, etc, are driving their SUV's around town for every little errand. I see it every time I shop, two or three bikes and 50 cars parked at Trader Joe's, an even bleaker situation at Walmart or Target. Safe cycling infrastructure could chip away at these vehicles too.

The City of Mountain View has completely lost its mind.

Not suggesting I support this project at all. I am in agreement with THe Successful Businessman on this one.

But there are some of us that no matter what we try we cannot ride a bike.

We are born with deformed inner ears and damage to the cerebellum in our brains.

Believe me, I tried for 8 years to learn to ride a bike. I finally gave up.

Then came the MRI that diagnosed my neurological problems and structural problems with my left ear. Which is my favored side.

This was just a DISNEYLAND idea that was too expensive and would not work in reality.

We need to use the KISS rule in Mountain View.

An elevated system could run down all existing right of ways, above cal trans above existing freeways with circles around existing cities to link up to all other existing Bart, light rail, cal trans and could be msg lev and high speed, then build all 4 to six track systems don’t reduce it down to save money, expand high speed to affordable housing

I think we all know these projects are not even remotely possible in the modern day USA. This country can't build a bus terminal, leave alone something more complicated than this.

Of course, one way to reduce the traffic from workers that doesn't cost $195 million per mile is to simply build jobs, housing, and transit stations near each other. Why are there single-story buildings across the street from the Caltrain/VTA stations in Mountain View and so many other cities?

I guess we'll keep having to look for land use reform at the state level, since the state senate choked yet again on Senate Bill 50, the More Homes Act, this year.

Just last night NBC local news reported that in 2030 Mountain View proprieties north of 101 in Mountain View (Google, NASA) will be inundated due to rising sea levels caused by global warming. Considering $1 billion transportation gondolas now to those areas is pure madness.

NBC sea levels report
Web Link

If bikes are used to get to Google, where are they going to be parked?
How big would the bike lanes be?
This article said "with more than 8,600 in daily ridership" which would mean more than 4,300 bikes

Fine MV employers who do not allow their employees to work at least one day from home.

The key part of the NBC report is that _if nothing is done_ sea levels may inundate the area. Many cities work just fine and have for a very long time existing below sea level, because some things like dykes and levees have been part of the plan.
Once the flat earth deniers have run out of excuses, even they'll be onboard with fortification against the rising tides.

Fine MV employers who hire their employees More than half from out of Mountain View.

25 years ago, $20 million City of Mountain View dollars were spent to bring VTA to MV. It runs thru Moffett at Ellis and Hwy 101. Simply extend it to North Bayshore to connect with Google, Shoreline Park and Amphitheater. Riders can either go to CalTrain in MV or Bart in Milpitas.

Good for McAllister to support continued work on this. Mountain View MUST solve its transportation problem BEFORE any more housing or offices are built. Our transportation system is already over capacity and staff should be taken off those other projects to solve the BIGGEST problem first.

Also, the earlier study of PRT concluded that trains bring huge numbers of riders in one big lump and would overwhelm small occupancy vehicles, but by the time a new system is built, the plan is for Caltrain to be running more frequently with smaller numbers of riders in each of those bursts.

I'm all for implementing better bike infrastructure, too. But, not everyone can ride a bike and the weather isn't always good for a bike (rain and too hot both rob us of days).

How about they just spend the $850K to set up a robust bus system with some dedicated bus lanes in key areas. You would have a fast, high capacity, flexible system immediately without spending $1 billion.