Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 12:16 PM
Town Square
Downtown Mountain View's Castro Street to remain closed to traffic through the end of 2021
Original post made on Jun 22, 2021
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 12:16 PM
Comments (14)
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Jun 22, 2021 at 12:47 pm
USA is a registered user.
This is great news. It will great to have these open areas to meet and socialize as we come out of lockdown.
a resident of Another Mountain View Neighborhood
on Jun 22, 2021 at 4:06 pm
Jeff is a registered user.
Not a big fan of the closure but so it goes. But I HATE that we can't make a left onto Central Expwy from Castro. Foolish reason was danger to crossing pedestrians. If that's the case the change the light timing so the pedestrians get green crossing AFTER the cars are allowed to turn left.
If it's still a problem, then why isn't left turn from Moffett onto Center Expwy prohibited too? Certainly when train comes there are a lot of pedestrians crossings.
Seems not at all logical to me and very disruptive to we that live across Central to the north.
a resident of Another Mountain View Neighborhood
on Jun 22, 2021 at 7:43 pm
ivg is a registered user.
Jeff, you misunderstand the logic behind blocking the left turn. When the crossing gates close, the light turns green so that any cars that may be on the tracks can get out. When the left turn was allowed, those cars would go into the crosswalk, which might have people in it. I'm not aware of anyone actually being hit by a car for this reason, but it could happen.
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Jun 22, 2021 at 9:44 pm
Dave Smith is a registered user.
Yet another progressive grab to force cars off the streets! I’m ok to close for outdoor dining. But come winter rain season no one will use it so why not open it back up? Why do we all have to suffer for a few idealists and their version of utopia? Next requirement on Castro will be Vegan only restaurants what use electric ranges during the day!
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Jun 22, 2021 at 11:09 pm
RA is a registered user.
Any time I used to turn on to Castro in the evening, I immediately regretted it... a bunch of lost people looking for non-existent parking. I don't miss it at all.
a resident of Another Mountain View Neighborhood
on Jun 23, 2021 at 2:44 am
John is a registered user.
I'm fine with the continued Castro Street closure, but can we turn the regular traffic signals back on at Villa and at California intersections? I'm sick and tired of pedestrians walking up to the corner and stopping to look around like its the first time they've ever crossed a street. The regular signals would work fine to regulate pedestrian and automotive traffic.
a resident of Sylvan Park
on Jun 23, 2021 at 9:36 am
frisbee is a registered user.
I support the continued closure and hope it becomes permanent. We enjoyed eating and walking around the area, even during winter.
a resident of Shoreline West
on Jun 23, 2021 at 12:13 pm
chewie is a registered user.
Closing the streets will only make getting around worse. I do not like the traffic closure. The tents are ugly and I only buy now from restaurants on open streets.
a resident of Rengstorff Park
on Jun 23, 2021 at 8:44 pm
Jeremy Hoffman is a registered user.
I'm all for closing Castro St to car traffic, but I do wish we could find room to open it for bike traffic, which takes a lot less space and is quiet and relatively safe.
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Jun 23, 2021 at 10:51 pm
Ramone is a registered user.
Keep it closed forever. Let the restaurants build more attractive outdoor facilities and get rid of the ugly tents.
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Jun 27, 2021 at 12:29 pm
Yonatan is a registered user.
So glad to see this. It really makes Castro street an even more welcoming place than it already was.
I am glad that it is not open for bike traffic. Hope and Bryant streets are still open for people to bike down. I would rather not be dodging people speeding down the street while out for a walk.
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Jun 28, 2021 at 11:14 am
Dave Smith is a registered user.
Why do we vote for city council members without a clue?
Dining in the streets will end in Nov when it starts raining and getting cold!
Castro street will be empty during Dec when it rains and the umbrellas are blown over and chairs and tables stacked to prevent blown away since no one will eat outside when it is code and rainy!
I say we close the streets around the homes of the people who voted for this!
a resident of Monta Loma
on Jun 28, 2021 at 6:52 pm
A is a registered user.
I can see both sides of this issue, but overall I think the street closure adds to the experience of dining/shopping downtown. Because of it, I have biked over to downtown more often -- getting take-out, buying gifts in the bookstore, getting groceries, etc. It feels more charming, more like a community now. I also agree with the comments about removing the tents and allowing the businesses to build more attractive, permanent settings in the downtown corridor.
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Jun 30, 2021 at 5:21 pm
jethrotsquirrel is a registered user.
Upvote for keeping Castro St. closed to vehicles.
The closure has caused more traffic on my street (Hope St), but it's well worth it. Lots of outdoor dining, less crowding on the sidewalks, fewer concerns about cars doing stupid things in the presence of pedestrians. As a daily driver, I haven't felt the closure of Castro has been an issue.
Don't miss out
on the discussion!
Sign up to be notified of new comments on this topic.
Post a comment
Stay informed.
Get the day's top headlines from Mountain View Online sent to your inbox in the Express newsletter.