by Tracy | Sep 9, 2016 | Bike lanes, Escuela Avenue
Great Streets Mountain View has long held a vision of Escuela Avenue as a complete street which welcomes pedestrians and bicyclists and an important part of a broader bicyclist-friendly network of streets spanning our city. Escuela Avenue is home to two schools (Castro Elementary and Mistral Dual Immersion) and many families find getting to school along Escuela, with its crowded streetscape and lack of sightlines, a stressful and treacherous experience. Many have expressed that they would bike to school but are afraid to do so because it isn’t safe. It’s imperative to create a safer environment for students and their families who walk to school (245 students each day, 45% of enrollment) and encourage more students to bicycle (only 20 each day, 3% of enrollment). [Source: Vehicle Emissions Reductions Based at Schools (VERBS) Dec 2015 ]
Last night the City conducted a Community Meeting to share the details of the Escuela Avenue project to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety. About 30 members of the public attended the meeting including neighborhood residents, parents of children who attend the Mistral and Castro schools, bike commuters, and MVWSD Superintendent Dr. Ayindé Rudolf.
The project introduces bulbouts at Latham Ave, Gamel Way, and Mt. Vernon Ct. Bulbouts extend the sidewalk, reducing the crossing distance and give pedestrians who are crossing and vehicle drivers better visibility of each other. In addition, the project includes raised crosswalks to improve visibility and calm vehicle speeds and the installation of 6-foot bicycle lanes on both sides of the street.
To accommodate the bulbouts and the bike lanes, the car lanes need to be narrowed from 12 feet to 10 feet and the parking on the east side of the street adjacent to Castro and Mistral school would need to be removed to shift over the vehicle lanes losing a total of 22 parking spaces.
During the meeting, the City officials encouraged questions and comments about the project. Attendees expressed very diverse points of view. Several neighborhood residents described an acute lack of parking in the neighborhood and described situations where they had to park blocks away from home at night, including the World Market parking lot, because they could not find open spaces. Also several parents of students mentioned that they were very much in favor of the project because the current environment was uncomfortable and dangerous and these changes would enable them to start cycling to school.
The project, which was approved in concept by the City Council as part of the California/Escuela/Shoreline Complete Streets Study is slated to be paid for by the developers of a new apartment building at 394 Ortega Ave as a community benefit to the City. On September 20th, 6pm, the City Council will be voting on whether to select this project as a community benefit. If you would like to see Escuela bike lanes and pedestrian improvements, please show your support by:
Below are conceptional drawings of the project presented at the meeting:
UPDATE 1/8/2017: At the City Council Meeting on 9/20/2016, the City Staff recommended the construction of the crosswalk enhancements and to forgo the bike lanes and bulbouts as part of the community benefit for the project at 394 Ortega Ave. The City Staff cited the concern of neighborhood residents about losing parking spaces to make room due for the bike lanes. The raised crosswalks on Escuela will be constructed as part of the development project (outside of community benefits). And the City Council unanimously approved moving forward with the development project (with environmental study and development review permit) with no restriction on the public benefit funds so they could be used to fund Escuela Improvements or another community benefit inside or outside of the San Antonio area in the future. In general, the City Council members expressed their strong support for safe routes to school and bike lanes on Escuela. However, they were concerned that the proposed design was still not safe enough for elementary school students and about the constrained parking for neighborhood residents as well as parents during dropoff and pickup. They generally supported reworking and improving the Escuela bike lanes plan and City Staff said that the next window of opportunity was to assign for the CIP for the Fiscal Year.
Records for 9/20/16 City Council Meeting
by Tracy | Apr 4, 2014 | Bicycle Transportation Plan, California Street, Castro Street, CIP, Escuela Avenue, Shoreline Boulevard
This week we met with Jacqueline Solomon, Mountain View’s Deputy Public Works Director, and got an update on the bicycle and pedestrian related projects that were approved in the 2013-2014 Capital Improvement Program. To keep up with the progress on these projects as well as future projects, please sign-up for the GSMV Newsletter or Like our Facebook Page.
California Street / Escuela Avenue Study
Funding: $250,000
The study of California Street and Escuela Avenue will focus on improvements to the bicycle and pedestrian environment across and along California Street, including elimination or narrowing of vehicle lanes, increased areas for bicyclists, curb bulbs to reduce crossing width for pedestrians, and improved lighting and signage. The City is in the process of selecting a consultant for the project and they expect the study to begin in June and will span 12-18 months. They plan to conduct community meetings to gather input.
Shoreline Boulevard Crosswalk Improvements
Funding: $150,000
The City plans to install flashing beacon lights on South Shoreline at High School Way, Mercy Street, and Dana Street. Plans will be presented to the City Council for review on May 20th.
Downtown Bike Racks
Funding: $50,000
The City has sent the project out for bids and is expecting the bike racks to be installed in May or June. GSMV’s Wendee Crofoot has been the driving force on this project and we’re expecting her to make great use of these when they appear.
Castro Street Modifications by Graham Middle School
Funding: $950,000
The modification to Castro Street will improve pedestrian and bicycle safety by reducing vehicle lanes from two to one in each direction, add bicycle lanes, install curb bulb-outs at intersections, add high-visibility crosswalks with in-roadway warning lights at two crosswalks, and eliminate the free right turn from Castro Street to Miramonte Avenue. This project was funded in part by a $840,000 grant from VERBS (Vehicle Emissions Reductions By Schools). The City will be planning a community meeting in the summer or fall to get feedback on the plans and will seek approval from the City Council later this year. If approved, the City expects to build the project in the summer of 2015.
Bicycle Transportation Plan
Funding: $200,000
The Bicycle Transportation Plan will set forth a coordinated plan for bicycle transportation in Mountain View (including existence and location of bike boulevards, protected or buffered bike lanes, and green bike lanes). The planning process kicked off last week and it is being headed up by Linda Forsberg, Transportation and Business Manager. The City will have a website to invite online feedback and will be conducting several community meetings.
by jarkatmu | Jul 3, 2013 | California Street, City Council, Council Meeting, Escuela Avenue
On Tuesday, June 18, City Council formally approved the 2013-2014 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) list including $250,000 for the California Street and Escuela Avenue study!
Green light for bicycle and pedestrian friendly streets! Image: Flickr user The Scooter Guy.
The CIP is funded as a part of the FY 2013-14 budget and the decision on May 21 maintained the proposed bicycle and pedestrian CIP projects.
With the hard work of the Great Streets Rengstoff Park neighborhood coalition, including letters and emails sent to council, and seventeen people attending the CIP study Session May 21st, we have taken one step closer to neighborhood streets that are great places and safe for everyone.
We want to especially thank city council and city staff for their work to bring these ideas to the table. By prioritizing investment in safer, more beautiful streets, we all benefit from an asset that touches every person who lives, works, or travels in our city.
We are researching next steps for the California Street and Escuela Avenue study with city staff. We do know there will be many opportunities for public input, so start thinking about what you, your family, and neighbors might like to see on a livable California Street.
The asphalt canvas is yours. What would you like to see? More street trees? wider sidewalks? protected bike lanes? Let us know in the comments and for the latest information don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter.
by jarkatmu | May 30, 2013 | California Street, Council Meeting, Escuela Avenue, Esculea Avenue
Good news! At the May 21 City Council Meeting, nearly twenty people spoke in support of the many bicycle and pedestrian safety and livability projects proposed for the city’s Capital Improvement Program. Council elected to move all projects forward as proposed, including the California Street and Escuela Avenue study.
If you were able to attend the meeting or write a letter to council prior to the meeting, thank you! It’s important that our elected officials hear the policies changes that people want to see in their neighborhood. Without your support, the progress we’ve achieved thus far would not have been possible. Thank you.
If you were you here last week or you wrote a letter, thank you!
Council will make the final funding decision on the Capital Improvement Program on June 18th as part of a larger budget package. Due in large part to the feedback at last week’s meeting, we believe the projects will move forward as proposed. If you missed the meeting or weren’t able to send an e-mail, there is still time! Let council know that you support safe, beautiful, and livable streets here.
Once Council votes “yes” on the funding package on June 18, Expect a several month gap between funding and the study kick-off, but once a city planning consultant is selected, prepare for a series of interactive workshops. You can build the type of street you want to see with technical assistance from designers and planners– know of a place where you always wanted a tree or a crosswalk safe enough for your family? This is the place to do it! Unlike the council meetings, these events are informal and can even be really fun! Unleash your creativity.
Ideally, workshops are interactive and organized ways to provide input. We may even see Legos, like at this planning workshop in San Luis Obispo! Source: Robert E. Kennedy Library
When the study concludes, the planners will create and present alternatives. Council will ultimately pick an alternative, but your voices can dramatically affect which option is chosen. Obtaining funding and constructing the project is the final step, but California and Escuela are well positioned to receive funding since both streets connect schools, housing, and services.
The entire California/Escuela study process may take two years. Two years may seem like a long time, but keep in mind many roads remain unchanged for decades, just like California Street and Escuela Avenue which were built in the 1950’s. In the context of the city and change, two years is a short wait for great, safe streets that will endure for future generations.
While the combined study and construction are several years out at best we will be watching and will continue to need your support to ensure that our call for safer more beautiful streets for all residents of Mountain View, from the eight year old on her way to school to her 80 year old grandmother, is heard.
by jarkatmu | May 20, 2013 | California Street, City Council, Council Meeting, Escuela Avenue, Events
On Tuesday, May 21 at 5PM, Mountain View City Council will discuss the future of street safety in Mountain View. If you’ve ever travelled down a street in the Rengstorff Park area of Mountain View and thought that it could be more beautiful, livable, and safer, Tuesday evening is your opportunity to take action and make a difference!
Opportunity beckons .
Come to City Hall at 500 Castro Street at 5PM. The meeting will be in the council chambers which are on the second floor of City Hall- it’s well marked, you can’t miss it. Council will be discussing the Capital Improvement Program and a number of projects are included in the staff report that will improve bicycle and pedestrian safety, including the California Street and Escuela Avenue study which will analyze beautification and safety improvement measures on both streets.
After discussion, the floor is open for public comment! Now’s the time to speak for safer streets. Please tell council that you support the street safety and beautification projects in the Capital Improvement Program and particularly support the California Street and Escuela Avenue Study with the road diet alternative.
We believe the road diet alternative is one of the best potential interventions for reducing crashes and making the street more livable while not seriously impacting drivers. If you would like more information on the road diet, please read our earlier post here.
Hope to see you there! Bring a friend! Once again, the date is this Tuesday, May 21 at 5PM at City Hall, 500 Castro Street. The Capital Improvement Program is the first item on the agenda, so discussion shouldn’t go past 6:30PM. If you can’t make it, please send the Council an e-mail expressing support.
by jarkatmu | May 5, 2013 | California Street, City Council, Council Meeting, Escuela Avenue, Events
The time has come! On Tuesday, May 21 at City Hall, Council will be voting on funding for improving safety on two streets in the Rengstorff Park area and we need you to be there!
Like safer streets? This is the place to be on the evening of Tuesday May 21!
That evening, City Council will be voting on a number of projects as part of the Capital Improvement Program List. This list is only chosen every two years and typically includes projects that are over $50,000 and are upgrades of city infrastructure. Included are a handful of projects that will elevate street safety in the Rengstorff Park neighborhood and other parts of the city. Together with projects such as the Castro Street road diet, Council will be considering a project labeled as the California Street/Escuela Avenue Improvement Study.
This study is the first step towards a safer, more beautiful California Street and Escuela Avenue– and the first step towards great streets in the Rengstorff Park neighborhood! Here’s the project description– it reflects a lot of the ideas put forth by Great Streets Rengstorff Park.
California Street/Escuela Avenue Improvement Study: This project would study options to improve the bicycling and pedestrian environment along and across California Street. Improvements would be explored with and without reducing a travel lane in each direction. Examples of possible improvements include elimination or narrowing of vehicle lanes, increased area for bicyclists, curb bulbs to reduce crossing width for pedestrians, and improved lighting and signage. An analysis of the traffic impacts associated with lane reduction (road diet) will be included. The study would also consider pedestrian and bicycle activity to facilities on Escuela Avenue (e.g., Castro Elementary School, Senior Center, Teen Center).
City Council have made street safety efforts a high priority as part of their 2013 goal-setting initiative but, we must demonstrate that there’s strong support from those who live near and use these streets everyday.
Please join us on May 21 and voice support for the California Street/Escuela Avenue Improvement Study. Specifically, show support for analyzing the California Street road diet as part of the study. We’re confident that it can work, and would welcome the more detailed analysis that comes with the traffic study, but Council could choose to eliminate it from the study during the May 21 meeting.
The road diet has the strongest potential to reduce crashes and make the street a more inviting place, and we hope that you will join us in voicing support for the study and the road diet.
The date and time once again– Tuesday, May 21; Approximately 5:30PM; 500 Castro Street, Downtown Mountain View
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If you can’t make the meeting, please send council an e-mail expressing support for the California Street/Escuela Avenue study, including the California Street road diet alternative.
As always, sign up for our Newsletter for the latest information.
