Much of the discussion was about funding options and setting priorities for projects to be funded. Bike racks on Castro Street and road diet on California Street (in the area around Escuela in particular) both hot on the priority list that will be forwarded to Council, Council Transportation Committee, and Staff for further consideration (after further crafting by Staff and the BPAC chair).

Thursday, January 31st: City Council study session for Fiscal Year 2013-14 Goal-Setting. "The  City  Council will  begin the process of developing  priorities for Fiscal Year 2013-14 by identifying a limited number of  preliminary theme-based major goals." see Calendar for more details.

Wednesday, January 30th: Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) meeting, including determining roles and workplan details for 2013, and Transportation Development Act ‎(TDA)‎ Article 3 funding and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funding proposals. See Calendar for more details.

The Mountain View City Council accepted (1/22) the Visioning Report covering online and workshop public input into planning decisions to be made for this area. But the majority did not favor proceeding immediately to review a proposal for Phase II redevelopment of the northwest portion of the San Antonio Shopping Center, though Council had previously said this could happen soon after the Visioning Report was complete.  There were five votes for a motion to start with a study session (apparently in March) to work on groundrules/community benefits for the entire area--open space, connectivity, etc.--before looking at any more specific proposals. Public input had generally urged them to "look at the big picture first".

Citing a continued desire to see (2/5) the North Bayshore Transportation Study recommendations for circulation in the entire area before endorsing even further study of any specific plans, on 1/22 the Mountain View City Council declined Google's request to have access to City Staff resources in order to get a timely start on the lengthy process that would result in a shuttle/bike/pedestrian bridge over Stevens Creek between their current campus and the Bayview Campus that they have started construction on, on the east side of the creek.

The Friends of Caltrain meeting scheduled for 1/22 was rescheduled to 2/27 in Menlo Park.  There was a Palo Alto City Council discussion last night about Caltrain.  Please see for details:
http://www.greencaltrain.com/2013/01/tuesday-jan-22-630pm-palo-alto-city-hall-how-will-caltr ain-electrification-affect-cross-town-connections/

If you care about biking and development in Mountain View -

Have you longed for...

• A proper Stevens Creek Trail exit at Charleston Rd.?
• A trail directly to NASA?
• A cleaner exit from the trail to Crittenden Rd.?
• Or even public restrooms right near the trail in the North Bayshore area?

Google wants these things too and is taking action, but the plan needs your help to accomplish these goals.

A VP from Google is presenting at the Mountain View City Council’s Study Session and General Meeting this Tuesday, 1/22 (from 5:00 - 6:30PM, then 6:30 - 7:30pm in City Hall Council Chambers, 500 Castro St.) and requesting the Council proceed with the environmental study for the Stevens Creek Trail Crossings, which is the first step toward building these improvements.

Google has offered to pay for the study but has to ask the City for Staff resources to help run the study (as required by study processes).

How You Can Help!

• Come to the Tuesday Study Session and/or Council Meeting and show support for starting the environmental study.
• Bring other residents of MV to support starting the study process.
• Consider speaking in favor of starting the environmental study process during public comment time.

Here's a little more background info...

Google wants to make improvements to the Stevens Creek Trail to facilitate non-car commutes to the North Bayshore and Moffett Field areas (for all employers, not just Google!), improve trail access for the general public, and also to build a bridge from the North Bayshore side of the creek to the eventual Google Bayview campus on the NASA/Moffett side. The bridge will:

• Only be open to pedestrians, bikes, high-occupancy vehicles (buses/shuttles), and emergency vehicles (no car traffic)
• Reduce 101 traffic congestion once the Bayview campus opens
• Bring other improvements to the trail (the project’s proposed scope includes a graceful connection from trail to Charleston Rd. and the aforementioned restrooms and cleaned-up Crittenden exit)

The Bayview campus is already in progress, and promises to be not just "a green building" but actually environmentally restorative. You can find out more at the Council meeting this Tuesday (although this portion of the Council Meeting is slated for late in the agenda, so you best option for commenting is during the earlier study session).

On January 16, the EPC voted unanimously to recommend to Council that two
El Camino Real apartment development proposals they were reviewing, at
1720-1730 and 865-881, be required to provide (VTA bus) EcoPasses for all
residents, for the life of the project.  This is a major embellishment of
the standard TDM requirement.  They also recommended unanimously that
Council direct Staff to negotiate with the developers to provide BMR units
instead of housing impact fees.

Pedestrian Master Plan approved and adopted last night by Council . Now more work to be undertaken through the BPAC and Council Transportation Committee. Stay tuned!