No, he can't huh?

John, are you up there?

One last call to John.

Okay, so then we will go on to if we get back to him later, we'll try.

We'll close public comment, oral communication, and move on to item number four.

Consent, four point one approved media meeting minutes.

The minutes for April the first, two thousand twenty-five meetings are present for butt approval tonight.

Would any member of the public joining us virtually or in person like to provide comment on the minutes?

If so, please click the raised hand button and zoom or approach the electron.

We will take in-person speakers first.

Each speaker will have three minutes.

Are there any corrections or comments on the minutes?

Do I hear a motion?

Are we moving by very by raising?

Well, because we're doing virtual, right?

So we have to otherwise I say it was announced and we love you, sir.

Okay.

Since we're going virtual, I thought we have to raise the roll call.

Oh, okay.

Are you looking for me to do that?

Um I can do it.

No, yeah, you're independent.

I don't know about it.

So would you please take a roll call vote?

Am I correct, Mayor?

You can do I think there, but it's usually the director that does the calling individual names or reasons.

Okay.

Um Chairman Callister.

Yeah, um, I vote in favor of the motion.

And committee member X.

Yes.

Okay, three.

Okay, motion and voted by raised hand.

Oh, okay.

I just read raised hands.

Okay, we will make this uh thing a little quicker.

This is the item uh 5.1 is the Miramonty Album Complete Streets Project 23.31.

The staff presentation will be provided by Alison Boyer, Assistant Public Works Director.

I'm sorry.

And Cher, do you have an announcement to me?

I do have an announcement to make.

Do my Baskin Robins locations.

With no determined business.

I will need to recuse myself.

Any potential conflict on this particular item.

So therefore I will adjourn to the audience.

Oh, you're pointing to the Angie Brain.

Yes.

This will continue.

And who will be chairing in your absence?

I would think the senior member would be maybe.

Alison.

Okay, fine.

Alison.

And I will be notified when uh it is over.

Okay, if I have senior I need access.

Well, I am line as it is, but okay.

Oh, I have a badge.

Okay, so while committee member McAllister Chair McAllister is walking out.

We are now on item five, new business.

5.1 is Miramante Avenue Complete Street Study, Project 2331.

Um we are so this is the staff presentation will be provided by Allison Boyer, System Public Works Director and Priyoti Ahmed Transportation Planner will be available to answer questions after the presentation.

So thank you and good evening.

Um again, I'm Alison Boyer.

I am the assistant public works director, and I have Creole Ahmed next to me, and she'll help with the presentation here.

So today we're here to talk about the Miramonte Complete Streets Project.

The recommendation we are have before you is to review and recommend the preferred alternative concept plan for Miramonte Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 2331 from El Camino Real to Castro Street, Maryland, segment A to City Council.

Miramonte has been split into three segments.

Segment A, B, and C.

Segment B is currently under design and construction and is expected to begin shortly.

Segment A and C are included in the study we are covering today.

And this was funded with 2016 VTA measure B funds.

We are focusing on segment A since it is due for paving, and we are looking to do this work uh with that paving project.

Some quick uh background on where we're at in the schedule here.

Last year we kicked off the study with data collection and outreach round one.

Since then, we have completed preliminary concept design data analysis, outreach round two, and a preferred altern and developed a preferred alternative.

Today we are here to receive your feedback on the preferred alternative.

And based on the BPAC and CTC feedback feedback we receive, we are planning to bring the final report to council at the end of the year.

So um, and have a have that be ready for design with the design team as they move forward with the pavement project.

With that, I'll pass off to Croody.

Um thank you.

Um POT Hammond, and I'll be providing um portion of this presentation.

So a little bit on the background.

The goal of the study is to improve safety, accessibility, connectivity, and increased transportation option on Miramonte Avenue, which supports cities Vision Zero policy, which aims to achieve vision zero fatal collisions by 2030 and city's safe rested school program since this corridor provides access to St.

Joseph, Grant Middle School, and Bob Elementary School.

As Allison mentioned, this is a planning study for segment A and segment C.

We kicked out the study last fall with outreach round one and study data collection.

For outreach round one, we conducted bike and walk audit, interactive map survey, and an open house.

Uh and through this outreach, we received valuable feedback and improvement ideas for this corridor.

In parallel, we also conducted Octora data collection, which included traffic counts, speed, traffic collision, parking counts, and field observation.

Data collection, uh traffic data collection and parking utilization is included in your packet as attachment and attachment C.

Based on the data collection analysis, staff kicked off outreach round two during summer.

During this round of outreach, staff sought feedback on proposed parking removal, proposed travel lane reduction, and bike and pedestrian facilities along the corridor.

During outreach round two, we have taken these elements for public feedback.

Public outreach events included study survey, pop-ups at nearby schools.

The outreach notification included sending postcards to residents, car flyer, yard sign, uh traffic light pole flyer and social media post.

Through outreach, we heard support for protected bikeways and pedestrian safety features.

In the survey that uh closed last Friday showed that over 55% of survey respondents supported this plan, and of the respondents that opposed the plan, responded that preserving a travel lane would be the reason.

One key element of this plan is on on-street parking removal proposal, which is based on seven-day data collection over different time periods around the clock.

The proposed parking removal map shared for feedback near with nearby schools and corridor residents.

Um, this map includes the three yellow circles that you see in the screen, shows where the where the parking removal is proposed, which is on the west side of the street, where we found minimal parking demand and more parking demand on the east side of the street.

The second element of the preferred alternative footprint concept plan is travel lane reduction from two-lane to one lane.

This is this proposal is based on low traffic volume and delay a lot, delay analysis along this corridor.

The analysis was done through using highway capacity manual 2000 methodology.

Approximately 64% of survey respondents supported proposed and additional parking removal.

Survey respondents also identified additional treatments, which included new and improved pedestrian crossing, traffic coming measure, and increased street uh street streetscaping and improved street lighting.

This plan includes these treatments through mid-block crossing with rectangle rapid flashing beacons uh signs, traffic calming measure through reduction of travel lane and barrier protected bikeways.

This plan is also reserving space for green street for future if funding becomes available.

Now to the preferred concept plan.

Uh, this segment shows from El Camino to south of East Park Drive.

As you can see, we have barrier protected bikeway going southbound and parking protected bikeway going northbound.

We also have uh mid-block crossing with RRFB and dashed line through the complex zone.

This segment shows from park drive to Tophy Dye Drive.

Again, on going um on the west side of the street, we have barrier protected bikeway.

On the east side, we have parking protected bikeway.

We have high visibility crosswalk at Sonia and mid-block crossing at Trophy Street with RRFBs.

And we also have green dashed line through the conflict zone.

The last segment is from Trophy to Maryland Drive / Castro.

And we have barrier protected bikeway, parking protected bikeway, high visibility crosswalk, and dashed line through the conflict zones.

To zoom in a bit more, um, one of the elements is the parking lane reduction, and this map shows from ECR to park drive, where it will be vertical vertical barrier protected and parking protected.

Vehicle lane is 11 feet, and buffer and bike lane would be determined in the design phase.

This segment also uh shows park to south of Sonia, where it is vertical, vertical barrier protected on both sides, and the vehicle lane is 11 feet with buffer and bike lane would be determined in the design phase.

And this is the last segment that shows from Rankin to Castro.

It has the parking protected and barrier protected, and the vehicle lane would be 11 feet with buffer and bike lane would be determined in the design phase.

An alternative option to consider keeping the existing, which is keeping the existing bike lane configuration.

In this configuration, parking is along the curb, bike lane and travel lane, bike lane and then would leave travel.

This configuration will preserve eight existing parking spaces compared to the preferred cox plan.

The trade-off here would be keeping parking would be increased conflict points between bicyclists and drivers.

The safer option would be to have it as parking protected bikeway.

And according to Federal Highway Administration, protected bikeway will reduce vehicle to bike conflict by 53%, which is shown in the previous slide.

So we went to BPAC last Wednesday.

And we heard unanimously from BPAC that they also were recommended this, they recommended the staff recommendation to CTC to and the motion passed unanimously.

The BPAC comments we heard were exploring loading area opportunities along the corridor.

Consider additional mid block crossing at El Camino Real and West Park Drive.

Consider a bi-directional bike lane from Miramonte Avenue and the maintenance alleyway at Miramonte and East Park Drive.

And that's located in front of the ballpark.

Consider adding walkways along the corridor.

I'm sorry, adding crosswalks along the core corridor and uh restricting right turn on red, explore shortening, turn radia lengths where feasible to slow vehicles crossing the bike lane and explore options to shorten and improve the merge transition between segment A and B for greater cohesion.

So what's coming next?

So we finished our community outreach in round two.

We're here recommending with a preferred alternative recommendation.

From here, we'll move to going to council in fall 2025, and then the design team will kick off the design for segment A.

So the recommendation here before you is to review and recommend the preferred alternative concept plan for the Miramonte Avenue Complete Street Study, project 2331 from El Camino Real to Castro Street, Maryland Drive, segment A to City Council.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So is anyone basically mayor?

Do you have any questions?

Thanks to staff for the report.

I noted a few things down the country.

So I and then I was wondering if there I know that there's like attachments.

Is there a total number of those who provided input?

So I saw like surveys with the pop-ups, I saw the percentages, but like how many people in total with all the different um methods do you think you spoke to?

Um I would say over 400.

Slide 12, yeah.

Yeah, over 400.

So with the orientation back to school nights and the survey, we have over 400 respondents.

Okay, so for number one, it says study survey, 438 respondents.

That's for everything.

I thought that was just for the survey.

Sorry, sorry, over 500.

Okay, over 500.

Yeah, yes.

Um, great.

And what do you and I think you know, 55% of people and it's responded?

Is there are there things that you all did differently that you felt really helped, or it seems like there was really good engagement.

So I was just curious on maybe what worked and what we can what we can maybe as council can ask as we're doing engagement.

You know, yeah, I think the two things that really comes to mind.

One is yard signs.

Yard signs are our with the QR code.

Yeah, with the QR code.

Very high engagement, walking their dog, taking the kids to school.

That's where we get a lot of yeah, very high engagement and pop-ups.

So we did back to school night for Bob and Graham, and we also did an orientation with Mountain View Lisman District, and it was we would scan it, and then a lot of the students actually would take it with us and they would ask, like, what does this mean?

So at hand, we kind of showed how to take the survey.

Um, it's it's a planning survey, so there is educational part, and you take the survey.

So it was it was really nice to kind of walk people through that.

Okay.

And that was gonna be the second part of my question was trying to understand the the data.

It's not, you know, disaggregated per se.

So just wondering like if everyone is a user, and and sorry if I missed it somewhere in the documents.

Is there a way to know if it's an actual user or actual youth?

We do have that information.

I don't know that we provided it in the report, but we can get our we did ask how how are they how do they relate to Mirmonte?

Where do they live there?

Do they travel there?

Are they just a resident in Mountain View?

So we do have all of that data, and we can provide that if that's the only reason I asked that is just curious on how understanding how they how they use it and if the things we're proposing are what they want.

So that's just why I'm asking.

I can't.

However, staff wants to present that when it comes to the full would be really great.

The full report.

Yeah.

Just I may if you have a remember if you have off the top of your head, have a guess.

If not, don't feel free.

A majority were either lived along the corridor or were using it for school.

Yeah, that's the mature.

Okay.

All right.

So not only do we have the high engagement, but it's actually people who are using that.

Yes.

Uh avenue.

Okay, great.

Um what Creody was saying is we went when they did the pop-ups, they came with the iPad.

So they were taking the survey there.

So that's part of those numbers.

So we maybe that's part of the engagement if you actually had it there for them to do it right away.

Okay.

Um, and then a question um about slide 19 related to high visible crosswalks.

So um when we do the high visibility crosswalk, I know that's kind of like one measure, but we can also do high visibility crosswalks with like the flashy lights and others.

So is that included when we say high visibility crosswalk, or is that another type of traffic analysis with which we have to do to include kind of the flashing um sign?

Sorry, I don't know the technology.

R these, so we are RFP, thank you.

RFBs are called out in specific locations.

So we do have two of those included on the project.

There's one between El Camino and Park, and then there's another one closer to that on trophy.

Yeah, okay.

Trophy.

Sorry, it was hard for me to totally tell in the visuals.

Yes, this one is with ROFE, that would be a new one.

And on park, that's an existing one, and we are going to put an RRFB there to increase visibility.

Oh right here.

They're mid-bought block crossing.

Okay, sorry.

So at McKelvey there's the mid block.

Yeah.

And you're gonna you will install put that, put that okay, because I it doesn't exist from what I recall.

All right, okay.

So there, and then I'm sorry, can you on the trophy on trophy?

Yeah, so it will pop up right there.

But not at Sonia.

So now uh Sonia has a traffic light.

It has a traffic light, so it doesn't, so it already has uh a controlled um pedestrian button.

Oh yeah, yeah.

Sorry.

Okay, trying to orient myself.

Yeah, so the RRFBs are added usually for those mid-block where there's not a signal.

Okay, great.

Thank you.

Those are right machines.

Okay, those are helpful.

Um so my questions are um first remind me the B pack comments.

They um they did recommend the staff recommendation, and also the additional comments they've made are all are they all explore and consider the none that are definitely do okay, yeah.

Um just wanted to make sure, and then can you explain the bi-directional bikeway a little more to make it?

Yeah, it's it's uh so I mean, since it's just explore, I'm yeah, so we have to make sure the space, the the space, we have to make sure the space is there, and uh um I don't know if your mouse will show up, but um so if you look to like right if you were going down the first baseline of your of the baseball diamond, there is an access road right there.

Okay, we missed the driveway in our so there will be an access point there.

So that was one of the comments that we we acknowledge that yes, there needs to be an access there.

So the comment was between the new mid-block crossing that you see with the RRFB and that access road, explore that the bike lane can go both ways, both north.

Cross there to use them.

Correct.

So now we have to make sure that the space is there, and that's why we said explore.

You know, we'll look and see what what's available.

That I asked because I didn't get that at all.

So that was that the idea is that how if you wanted to go north, yep, northbound, you would have to kind of go south to get around.

Whereas if we did a um bi-directional there, they could use the crosswalk.

Because people won't cross property right.

We want to do a safe way.

Yeah, so a large street three times, yeah.

So it's so making sure that we have the space available in the right-of-way to do that, but that's what that's what that's enough sense to me that I endorse exploring it.

Um, can you I should know this by now, but when you do the traffic counts, you know, when I take this street, which I do a lot, um it's very different depending on whether it's commute time or um other times.

So do you when do you do the traffic counts?

We did it a morning and evening peak.

So that was from to make sure yeah, we're just coming.

Either 6:30 or 7 in the morning till nine.

Okay, good.

We did it a morning and evening peak so that was from what to make sure yeah we're describing it either 6 30 or 7 in the morning till nine okay so we captured the morning feeds um and then uh then I noticed that um members of the public not surprisingly because this comes up most of the time when we or maybe all the time when we're doing street improvements like this one of the things they one of the comments that members of the public said was could they have increased street trees and landscaping um and then it was said that you would do that if in the future if funding's available um and so this is going to be something I ask every time just to put it on you know not the back burner but the front burner um so do you have plans to not just say in the future but make it more specific and I'll name two things that are on my mind one is that Google may we've heard donate a substantial number of trees to us there's one opportunity we have an active transportation plan coming up which may be an opportunity to um you know fit in talk about funding for greening and then the other one is um we have a tree inventory we could use to overlay but I you know since it's one street we could probably just think of street to find tree deserts um and there's also the California regional water quality control board has some uh permitting that is they're basically asking us to I'm sure you know more about this than I do to to increase impervious surfaces a possibly through this oh and then the last thing is that this is something that the council sustainability committee is talking about increasingly that we need that if we want active transportation it has to be shaded otherwise our cars provide shade but um you know our our bikes and walking does not we usually don't provide our own shape so do you have um something more specific than uh in the future if we find funding so what we've done for this one right now is we've made sure that we have a precluded it for the future right so anywhere that there is a buffer we can add greening in the future right now because this project is so tightly tied to our pavement project that has already been budgeted and scoped and approved in the last cycle uh budget CIP cycle the it's not included in the budget scope for this project so if this is something that council wanted us to pursue there would be a cost implication to adding this to the project at this point in time that being said moving forward for any project that is a new project that comes out of maybe the ATP that's not necessarily tied to a planned cycle of a paving project we would include um the greening or um landscaping as part of that planning and design process so it's budgeted moving forward.

So let me see that I understand because sometimes I have to hear things twice.

So you're saying it's in the projects we're seeing tonight it says in the future if we find funding but in the future because community members and council members have brought it up multiple times you can put it in uh a little more proactively is that what you're saying so if for this specific project council would like to direct staff to include greening there would need to be a budget modification to the pavement rehabilitation project that this changes tied to.

Right this isn't this project is basically a striping project tied to a paving project right we're not changing curb to curb we're not changing medians there's no heavy curb construction irrigation utility work as part of this project so to to green it has a significant cost implication doesn't mean we can't do it but right now that is not part of the scope or budget that the CIP envisioned I think what I had envisioned is when we next go to council for the what's it called biannual CIP the every two years right at that time the biodiversity plan will be done there will be an opportunity um if council you know wants staff to explore to put in essentially a greening project but it would take away from unrestricted funds right and so there are um trade-offs that would need to be evaluated right now we have set out the five year CIP for sort of our our plan but if that plan you know were to deviate because we wanted to put in trees in instead of a different project that's certainly something that can be evaluated so it so you know trees is a bag for an area like this it's a vague concept you know is it one is it well trees plural is it two trees or is it 40 trees you know um

Right now we have set out the five-year CIP for sort of our our plan.

But if that plan you know were to deviate because we wanted to put in trees in instead of a different project, that's certainly something that can be evaluated.

So it so you know trees is a bag for an area like this, it's a vague concept.

You know, is it one?

Is it well trees plural?

Is it two trees or is it 40 trees?

You know, um I'm imagining that just a few trees would may not be more expensive than the um than the uh bike lane, the now I can't remember the bidirectional bikeway we were talking about.

Two trees.

I mean, I'm just wondering if some of the things we keep adding, I'll put it this way.

To me, I walk a lot, and people won't walk with me, like really a lot.

They're like, we'll take the car, um, because it's too hot.

I mean, just over the past several days.

I've had many people refuse to walk with me.

Tree, they will walk where there are trees.

So I find it as important as of as many of the things that I see added constantly, and I don't have a good idea of whether we're really talking about two trees.

Is that much?

Sometimes that's a good thing to close a gap.

So is that really much more than a bi-directional so bidirectional bikeway with this paint.

So the cost of paint is going to be relatively minor.

If we were to add trees, you're talking new curb and gutter, new irrigation, the trees, the soil.

If it changes our maintenance, I you know, um, I I couldn't tell you off the top of my head what something like that is going to cost, but it's more than just a paving project scope.

Again, doesn't mean it can't be done.

It's just there's you go from pavement, which is asphalt to concrete.

So that's a difference.

You're excavating your change.

Um so it it again, every it can be done.

I'm not there's no, it's just where you want to if you're doing it as part of the paving, which is what this project is, um, it's just a different scope and it's a different budget.

When what I think you're getting at with the ATP is as we develop new projects and we develop budgets and iterate the project from planning to design that are project specific versus tagging along with the paving project, that would be the time to identify a scope and a budget for adding those greening.

And as Jennifer mentioned, at that time we would also have the biodiversity having the shade canopy and maybe be able to target those areas specifically.

Maybe we can show or point out on the slides where um we anticipate trees might go in the future.

Would that be helpful?

Sure, as the other thing to visualize.

Yeah, I I was actually going to make that as a comment that when you showed the on some of the pictures you showed where trees are now, and that was super helpful to me to get a concept of where it might be difficult to walk and where it's easy.

And I'm gonna say, you know, I may make a comment saying explore putting in two trees because we may get a bunch from Google.

But I'm gonna wait and see.

I'm gonna, you know, this is not my neighborhood where I'd be recused.

Um, and uh so I'm gonna wait and see what comments we get from the public.

If the public, if nobody wants them, I'm probably not gonna make that comment.

And again, we've done nothing to preclude it.

So if at some point this is something that that we have funding or or there's a grant that we can chase for for this type of work, that's something that we can do, or if we see something that was very successful along the California project, whether it's even just the planter boxes or something that gives some greening there, um, we can explore that as well.

And and the last thing, when you say you don't preclude, I did a member of the public emailed me and said that the lanes could be a little narrower that they were on that they're 10 and a half feet on El Camino or 11 where there are buses, and here they're 11 and a half, and she was saying, and for all I know, she'll say it again because I noticed she's with us virtually, but um, I'm wondering whether that would lead would preclude greening even or lead to even more greening, preclude preclude it less.

So we are planning for 11 foot lanes with this.

Um, we need to be able to get you know your trash truck through your fire engine.

You do have 11.

So they're all correct.

The planning includes an 11-foot lane.

Okay, yeah, that addresses that.

Okay.

Did you think of any additional questions?

I don't know if it's like a question or comment, but like um hopefully staff can bring back I'd like to have it to move forward.

Um so perhaps staff can also when this comes back to council provide um you know moving forward with the recommendation, but um potential greening as they were mentioning for for future.

Um I think I think Mirama is like with these improvements would be quite nice to walk on.

Um there's lots of trees there in some places.

Yeah, there's a I think obviously other opportunities, but maybe that can be something we can put in the recommendation and staff can come back.

Um in that case, we now um would any member of the public joining us virtually or in person like to provide comments on this item if you want to uh click the raise hand button in Zoom, or if you're here, approach the lectern and we will take in-person speakers first.

Any in-person speakers?

No.

Okay.

In that case, we'll go to um virtual speakers.

And let's see.

Sean S.

Hi, thank you.

Um I'm John Scarborough.

I'm a fairly longtime Mountain View resident now, and I'd like to thank you all for doing the work on this.

I'd also like to say the work that y'all did on California Street is excellent.

It's much more comfortable to ride on.

And I think the items that are proposed here will make Maromonte even safer and better for the students and other folks who ride their bikes there.

Um, I noticed on California Street, there is there are a lot of people who are parking on the street.

And given that that's a relatively low uh income area for here, and perhaps there's a lot of people with jobs that require them to drive.

I could see that as being kind of a growing pain we need to work out, possibly some on Miramante as well.

But um anyway, I I like the uh project and the options, and I'm really glad to see that we're moving forward with protected bike lanes, and maybe we'll get the um kind of network that we need so that there'll be more people who'll be able to ride their bikes, and we'll have fewer car less car traffic, you know, maybe better community centers so that we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions through transportation, as um council member McAllister mentioned in the last um council meeting.

So anyway, thank you very much for your work.

Thank you.

So I don't see the names, so you can call them out.

Uh now I do next is uh Celia Paymer Celia Paymer Celia.

Do you hear us?

All right, Celia here.

Oh, you just muted me there we go.

Sorry, I can hear you now.

I was waiting for the unmute prompt.

It wasn't shown up.

Um can you hear me?

We can hear you, yes.

Okay.

Um, so just a couple comments.

I'm very excited for this project.

Um, similar to the last commenter.

I'm really happy with the project on California.

Um, I know it's not absolutely perfect, but it is a pilot project and it gives us lots of things that improve it.

I know a lot of people are upset, but I think that's just because they hate driving and it makes them be in their cars 10 seconds longer, which they hate.

Um, so for those of us not in our cars, it's much more pleasant, um, which I think this project will do as well.

Um, a couple comments.

Um I hope that the 25 mile per hour speed limit is expanded to the whole thing or have that prerogative.

We don't have to do the traffic check 85% thing anymore.

Um, and um, I know it's most of the way 25, so let's make it all 25.

And then the um this there's still, I didn't mock that section, but I know on this section there's still a lot of the signs that say no parking of cars wider than seven feet and all that that are pinch points on the sidewalk.

So I hoped those, I hope that those will be moved adjacent to the parking spaces so that the sidewalk is much more walkable and you get the whole space on the sidewalk to walk.

Um, yeah, I'm just looking forward to being much more pleasant experience to bike down that way, because right now it is terrifying to go around that corner to El Camino.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So now we have Mary Dadio.

Um, good evening.

Um I want to echo what's been said.

I'm really excited about um these changes and making this um stretch of of Miramonte being safer and also just more comfortable for um cyclists.

Um more trees would be great.

Uh one place that comes to mind um is along the ballpark.

Uh, whenever we're in that segment, uh walking in that segment, it just feels like long stretches between the shady spots.

Um I like to echo what was just said about changing this whole stretch to 25 miles an hour and to go along with that.

Um it would be great if the new crosswalks um could be raised all the way across to help with controlling the speed.

Um, similar to you know what what's on the uh western port of Costa where we have raised crosswalks um in several places.

I find that to be really helpful.

One place that concerns me actually.

Um, I don't know if you can take a look at it, but the intersection with El Camino Real.

Um north of El Camino Real as you're southbound.

So as you're heading to this, all these new improvements.

Um, there is a separate bike lane that's green painted.

And then as soon as you get to the intersection, there's no, at least in the in the I realize this isn't designed yet, but um there's no real guidance for the cyclist.

The green striping goes away and uh it looks kind of confusing around the pedestrian island, what's what's expected of the cyclist.

So somehow even at least just some uh green paint could be added there.

Um, or if the pedestrian island could change shape somehow, or I'm I'm not sure how it would happen.

Um, but it it uh it's really a scary intersection crossing in the southbound direction um from uh a shoreline over to Miramonte um at this spot.

And anything that could be done to help that would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

So next we have April Webster.

Hi, thank you so much.

Um I also want to echo what the previous speakers said in terms of saying how much I appreciate um the California Street project.

It's more pleasant, not just on a bike, but even in a car, people are racing far less down that street.

I put on cruise control just to see what it's like.

And um, it's about the, you know, prior to that, the road diet, people were racing past me.

So it's it's really nice now.

And it really shows what a complete streets design, how it can make a quarter feel safer and more comfortable for everyone.

Um, I also want to say that I fully support the parking protected bike lanes in this project.

They remove many of those really dangerous conflict points we see when parking is on the inside and the bike lanes squeezed between the parked cars and moving track.

Um I also think it's important to get the details right.

And this came up on California around the driveways.

Uh, I don't know if we could look at how parking is uh dressed to maybe cut back and get a clear zone of visibility um to help with daylighting it, et cetera, and making sure those site lines are open as a critical buffer.

Um I did want to say something about the proposed lane widths.

I saw in the cross section that it was 11.5.

And that's uh it sounds like it was already resolved that it will be 11, but that's uh 11.5 is mark uh more conservative even than what Caltrans has done in their DIB 94 guidelines, but also what they have on ECR.

Um they use 10.5 feet in the general traffic and then 11 feet for buses on the outer um and it works.

Um I also want to say that safety isn't just avoiding people people getting hit by cars, um, but it's also dealing with uh extreme heat or you know, just these heat waves that we're having and um addressing shade deserts and EPA research shows that tree cover can lower surface temperatures by 20 to 45 degrees um Fahrenheit.

And that kind of cooling can actually like can literally save lives.

Um it is one of the deadliest health hazards in the US, killing more people per year than floods, fires or hurricanes.

So I think we really need to start thinking about that now.

Trees don't grow overnight.

It takes 15 to 20 years for the canopy to fully mature and get those cooling benefits.

And uh we can't put this off.

We need to really start thinking about it.

Um so I think it's great that we are carving out room for it, but I think we know need to go a little bit farther.

Um, I think aligning the city's tree inventory with our complete trees projects to ensure that they're safe for people when it's getting hot is important.

Um this is being done in Sacramento where it's much hotter, the Franklin Boulevard project.

They actually I think pulled some funds to make sure that heat safety was addressed on their act of transportation.

And I think we need to be moving in that direction.

Um California law, SB 379 requires cities to integrate climate adaptation and resilience into their planning.

And um, I think we need to do that.

I think at some point um cities will start to get um base litigation for extreme heat.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Are there any other speakers virtually?

Uh no more hands raised.

Okay.

So we'll close public speaking and bring this back to the committee for comments.

Um, and then we'll need a motion.

Um comments.

No, I mean, I think um I'm open to staff recommendation with the VPAT comments that were included, as well as looking at potential future green streets being.

Yeah, and I think by the right way to say biodiversity, biodiversity, future biodiversity.

And and I think that's where I'd like to leave it.

Um, and then allow for great a larger member of council and and the public to be able to weigh in versus so that's my motion.

Explore it or what I didn't get that.

Yeah, I think to include the B P PAM comments, right?

As it's the thing.

And so then I'll I'll just ask additional things.

Were you would you?

I don't know whether it's worth um saying anything about exploring uh raised uh crosswalk.

Is that something we would ever do, or is that too costly?

So several uh comments at that.

In this case, um, we haven't done that study.

Um certainly wouldn't want to put us behind schedule.

This segment really does need to get paved in the upcoming year.

Um so I would I would shelve the raised part for later um as a potential if it does come up as a future community concern.

Um, it can go through the NTM key.

Okay.

So you can raise crosswalks as a part of the uh near traffic calming.

Okay, so people interested can hear that.

Um then members of the public also talked about uh improving the crossing from uh shoreline across El Camino to Miramonte.

Is that a part of this project?

Or is that because that's on El Camino, that's separate of our situation.

Um and should have been handled when we did Alpino.

Uh El Crino is Caltrans right away.

Right, but we just did that.

So they just they just they just did that.

So any when would the person who's concerned about that?

Where would they bring their those concerns?

I think what we can do is look at the transition as we're looking at design just to see how the flow across the intersection would work if there's something that needs to be done on the north side that's outside of this project scope.

We can look at various avenues for how depends on what the answer is, right?

If it's if it's striping, we would, you know, we could see if it's something city crews could do or if we could tag it on to another project.

Um but right now it is um it's something that can be looked at.

Um, I don't know that I can fully incorporate it as part of this project.

I appreciate that because it is a difficult intersection.

Um much used.

Um what about the speed limit?

Where would they take that request, the 25 mile per hour speed limit?

That the uh neighborhood traffic coming, or where would you want to take that request?

Um, I think that's something that we would look at as part of design, right?

looked at um i don't know that i can fully incorporate it as part of this i appreciate that because it is a difficult it is a difficult intersection um and much used um and what about the speed limit where would they take that request the 25 mile per hour speed limit with that the uh neighborhood traffic coming or where would you want to take that request um i think that's something that we would look at as part of design right especially as we're looking at um reducing the number of lanes from two in each direction down to one as part of that design and as we're doing the um legends on the street the legends are anything that's like letters or numbers um we would take a look at it at that time remember we also are transitioning into segment B which will be under construction very shortly um and so that will also inform the design for segment A to the north so that's one that you could a comment that you could easily incorporate is that what you're telling um changing speed limit is not an easy incorporation but we would certainly take a look at all of the factors that go into open to that as well I think that's I feel most comfortable moving forward with the staff recommendation you know a couple of suggestions and then I don't feel like I have the information to uh provide feedback on what an appropriate speed limit is at this point I feel that that requires traffic analysis that I do not I have not seen currently therefore I feel that deciding on a certain speed limit doesn't feel appropriate to me at this time we also are looking at removing a lane of traffic which I think will affect traff um we're removing a lane which will have I think an implication on speeds of with which people go which might address the speed issue but I don't know that yet until we go forward with the project.

Okay so that's hopefully everyone understands that quite a few you know I I don't want that the perfect to be the enemy of the good I think we have something good in front of us which we can further analyze and see if need to have um once we have more information once we get go from four lanes to two I think we're there's gonna be quite a bit of changes on Miramonte um so I I think at that time okay well I would say take a look now but if I'm not gonna get a second then I mean I don't think it's like an easy thing to do no you know so rather than have staff go down that path I think there's a couple different steps we can we can okay before so and then I didn't quite understand the the tree thing how did that read I just want to make sure that I'm that I understand what's so I think and I'll look to staff staff had suggested uh looking at future biodiversity opportunities yeah we can probably in the final report we can recommend areas and we can also probably I we can include a cost for what I would really appreciate a rough a rough cost of what it would be to add that so we can add that to the final report okay and somebody recommended yeah the ball mark which is kind of what I remember is the fairest part okay okay so I would second that motion and all those in favor everyone raise their hands kind of a clear picture um and now we can call chair mallister back to the conference room yes maybe okay we're gonna take a five hour resource I should come let's just oh that was my trip and fall my retirement jeez how do we get out of here did you have this is the water I can oh the water open that's the refrigerator you know the only way yeah like yeah yeah it was just you know worse go on there was just a little one line in one of these things oh okay thank you allison for doing this fantastic job under the last minute stress of moving this project forward oh you know what's this I was gonna raise my hand to say inappropriate you never know you can do the rest of this you guys ready okay more importantly is our uh

Thank you, Alison, for doing a fantastic job under the last minute stress of moving this project forward.

I was gonna raise my hand to say that inappropriate.

You never know.

You guys ready?

Okay.

More importantly, sorry.

Okay.

We are now on to returns to the 5.2.

Okay, 5.2.

The El Monte Corridor Improvements Project 21.38.

5.2 is the El Monte Corridor Improvement Project 21.28.

The staff presentation will be provided by Mary Christian Young.

Associate civil engineer and Joy Joy Hotan.

Please correct me or help me understand if I'm getting close to announcing those names.

I guess I was close.

Thank you.

Thank you for your presentation.

Let's begin.

Good evening, committee members.

This is this item on the agenda tonight is a project update to the El Monte Corridor Improvement Project.

I'm Mary Chris Wong with the Public Works Department Associate Civil Engineer.

And alongside me is Joy Howland's civil engineer.

So as we get started, the yellow highlighted area in this aerial illustrates the project limits, which includes two signalized intersections along El Camino Real at Escuela Avenue and El Monte Avenue, circled here in black.

And seven non-signalized intersections along El Monte Avenue circled here in blue.

This these intersections are along El Monte from El Camino to the city limits at Springer Road and J Street.

El Monte Avenue is a four-lane street with two travel lanes, a bicycle lane in each direction, a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour, and an average daily traffic volume of approximately 14,000 vehicles per day.

So background on how we got here today.

In 2019, the El Monte Corridor study was started to evaluate improvements for increased safety along the corridor.

The study involved robust community engagement, including presentations to the bicycle pedestrian advisory committee and council transportation committee.

In 2023, the project received federal funding for the one Bay Area Grant Program cycle three funds and the amount of 2.4 million dollars for the scope of work along El Camino Real.

That year, council also approved an alternative from the study, which included a road diet from four lanes to three lanes with buffered bike lanes on the El Monte Corridor.

In 2024, a professional service agreement with for design was executed and preliminary design was kicked off.

And that leads us to today, where staff has begun coordination efforts with Caltrans and recently presented the 35% design to BPAC, which will be discussed later in this presentation.

As shown here, the project limits are again highlighted in yellow.

El Camino Real, also called State Route 82, and highlighted here in blue, is owned and maintained by CalTrans.

This is of significance because it means the project requires Caltrans design review and permitting to do any improvements within their right-of-way.

The OBAC three funding is specifically for work within the Caltrans right of way.

And these next few slides, I'll be sharing the project scope in details.

So starting with the El Camino Real and Escuela Avenue intersection, this will include high visibility crosswalks, green bike lane striping at conflict areas, and removal of the right turn only lane from Escuela onto El Camino Real with the installation of bulb outs with directional curve ramps.

The slides are not showing on soon.

I'm gonna check.

Oh, our our um our virtual component is not seeing the slideshow.

Right.

Give us a couple seconds to see if we can push some more buttons.

So as we're screen sharing now.

Okay, okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Oops.

Oh can raise from do you want to move?

Just sometimes we'll just pick up the thing.

Okay.

Do you want to turn off the note?

Oh, are we okay?

Okay, sure.

Do the best you can with what you have.

Okay, good.

Great.

Thank you, everyone, for your patience.

Right.

So I'll restart this slide, but um, we are going through the project scope in detail again, starting with this El Camino Real and Escuela Avenue intersection.

So this at this intersection will this project will install high visibility crosswalks, green bike lane striping at conflict areas, and removal of the right turn only lane from Escuela onto El Camino, but the installation of bulb outs and directional curb ramps.

The intersection will also receive traffic signal upgrades, which includes conversion to an eight-phase traffic signal system, allowing protected left turns and eliminating pedestrian and vehicle conflicts.

The design for the intersection out at El Monte Avenue will implement the feasibility studies recommendations, and that includes high visibility crosswalks, green bike lane striping at conflict areas, maintaining two left turn lanes from westbound El Camino Real to southbound El Monte Avenue, and removal of the right turn slip lane from El Camino onto El Monte Avenue.

Yeah, free right turn.

Additionally, staff is coordinating with Caltrans to incorporate protected intersection elements at the southwestern corner of the intersection.

This intersection will also receive traffic signal upgrades, allowing protected left turns and eliminating pedestrian and vehicle conflicts.

Staff is still evaluating the elements for the area created by the removal of the slip lane from westbound El Camino to southbound El Monte.

Elements may include green stormwater infrastructure as well as landscape improvements.

Tree impacts will be determined at the next design milestone for the new bicycle and pedestrian pathways within the project scope limits.

Staff will aim to avoid impacting the trees, but should heritage tree removals be required.

Staff will recommend a tree mitigation plan to the urban forestry board.

In this image, a vertical element as shown in the bicycle lane buffer will be shown as a placeholder.

The specific vertical elements that will be determined during the design process.

Now looking at the El Monte corridor between Edna Mary and Pilgrim, the design includes the following.

Buffered bicycle leads on both sides.

The high visibility crosswalks and in this section a pedestrian refuge island.

Between Pilgrim Avenue and Hollingsworth, the road diet will continue, and there will be green bike lane striping in conflict areas.

High visibility crosswalks with pedestrian refuge islands at the intersection.

The project introduces two new crosswalks at the Hollingsworth El Monte intersection.

Rectangular rapid flashing beacons or other known as the RRFBs.

Crossing El Monte at this location will be added to the scope, and staff will be seeking additional funding.

And here between Sparker and Springer Road, the road diet continues to the city limits along with the green bike lanes and high visibility crosswalks.

The project was presented to BPAC this past June, and the committee provided the following motion for consideration.

BPAC fall approved the preliminary design with recommendations for staff to look into the following.

At the signalized intersections along El Camino Real.

A protected left turn coming out of the commercial parking lot south of Escuela Avenue onto El Camino Rail.

Reducing the southbound lane on Escuela to give more space to the bicycle lane width.

And to evaluate the cost for adding protected treatments on the northeast corner of Escuela Avenue, as well as the southeast corner of El Monte Avenue and El Camino Rail.

On the El Monte corridor portion, BPAC's feedback included to have staff evaluate the approach at J Street to reduce conflicts between vehicles and bicyclists.

And BPAC also recommended a speed study be performed after construction to identify any opportunities to reduce the post at speed limits.

Based on staff's initial assessment, staff will work on incorporating the elements highlighted here in green.

Particularly the westbound left turn on Escuela Avenue and El Camino Real, the conflict zone on El Monte towards J Street, and the speed survey after the improvements are constructed.

For items in gray, staff is still evaluating additional protective elements at the intersection and will need to coordinate with Caltrans for those improvements within Caltrans ride of way, including the need to comply with Caltrans design guidelines.

So following this meeting, staff will evaluate the feedback obtained in both BPAC and CTC meetings and update the design accordingly.

Staff will continue coordination with Caltrans as the design further develops.

Final design of the project is anticipated to be completed in summer 2026, and staff will bring the project to council for approval and authorization up bidding.

Construction is anticipated to start in spring 2027 following Caltrans approval.

So tonight, staff is has this recommendation for the commission's consideration.

And that concludes the presentation.

Thank you.

So do we have a question from our committee members?

Okay.

Um is just like before on the the um bi-directional bike line.

What's protected left turn for a bike?

For bikes.

Oh, it wasn't for a bike.

Oh, it's a protected left turn.

Protected left furns is it'll have a designated lane for the vehicle.

So it will be painted so that it's visible the left turn.

It'll have like a left turn only error signal.

I mean, sorry, not see the marking.

Okay.

And protected just means that it's solely for that and visible.

If I can add um protected left turn for vehicle means that the left turning movement will get its own face, so it gets a left green arrow rather than just a green ball that allows left turn movements and must yield to pedestrian, but with the protected left movement, it eliminates that conflict when pedestrians are in the crosswalk.

So it gets a left green arrow rather than just a green ball that allows left turn movements um and must yield to pedestrian but with the protected left movement it eliminates that conflict when pedestrians are in the cross only familiar with the term protected I think bike lane actual protections.

Thank you.

And then what their lighting improvements named but um do you have further detail on what lighting improvements would be considered.

Or what's typical in a project like this.

Yes they will do um an elimination test along the corridor and wherever there might need some upgrades to the amount of areas that are lit.

So it's typically valuation and then street lights so okay okay good to know I've never asked that one before um and uh okay I think most of the rest of mine are um oh the motion here the previous motion said to incorporate BPAC's comments is that implied with this motion as well suggested motion that you'll incorporate BACs or should we add that if we're making more yes um staff already um completed initial um assessment of things that we can include in the project and then as Mary Chris mentioned the items in grade were still continuing so we're assuming that those are a part of the motion correct um and then uh and then my last question is um the study says there will be green street improvements where feasible um so what do you know uh do you have any more detail on that and or should we um say what we said for the last item on the agenda yes so we are evaluating just the budget um also because in the areas along elmino that is Caltrans right of way we want to evaluate what we can do to comply with their design guidelines and of course what we um the funding can stretch out to be but we are looking at those particular corners if I may scroll over example the area highlighted here in red and I think um at least for me pack they their input was also potentially at either of the north on this image corners of the squat bath oh so they made particular comments yeah there are some areas that are kind of bare in this in this area so okay thank you those are my questions so I have um thank you no no thank you to staff um I know that I was just trying to like look back I know that this is a very high conflict area if not one of the the the most right the school camino if I remember you correctly I was just trying to go back and realize because I remember when we were doing like the vision zero there was it's like rainstorm I thought this it was like a school and then am I remembering correctly can staff help me remember that was the different spots that we were trying to address.

Yeah and this is one of the it wasn't in the it may be um just because it's one of the first protected intersections that we're working on along elimination um we do have a lot more um to follow this project and included in our five years CAP plan.

Yeah Robert Gonzalez the um principal civil engineer so you may be remembering back to the streetscape plan okay is that um the streetscape plan identified five primary corridors that were crossing el camino so they saw that it's a high high uh conflict areas and that's why this uh project was um identified for the OPAC funding and the group and received the group okay so it was identified so that was okay so I am remembered okay oh okay wow 2019 okay so my memory goes see this good then okay so does el camino and el Camino El Monte count as two of the five on ECR has a double check but I think I believe it's one okay great okay so then we have four more yes all right okay um then had a question about the the slip lane um so I saw too that it's the Caltrans right of way so um and it looks like we're looking at those lands being in green infrastructure green infrastructure area so to kind of um council member Higgs's comments about biodiversity and things we could look at that as as something right and it could be more than just a passive area because I think it'd be it'd be pretty substantial once once it's

So and it looks like we're looking at those landscaping and green infrastructure infrastructure area.

So to kind of um Councilmember Higgs's comments about biodiversity and things, we could look at that as something, right?

And it could be more than just a passive area because I think it'd be it'd be pretty substantial once once it's so is staff looking at that as like I don't know if that's the right word, but like kind of a place many opportunity or something, or that's yes, yes, definitely.

Okay, yes, more green, more green stormwater infrastructure, um, and anything that creates some sort of um sense of place for this location, just uh it's a large area, so there's different opportunities.

Right.

And I and I I think that kind of dovetails into my next question, which is um, and I don't know if I want to say this kind of uh Calcumber McAllister, but is this like a public art opportunity perhaps, or are you thinking just green?

Just asking.

Oh I don't want to give you ideas.

Just greening.

It looks like I'm just gonna just wants to add.

Hi, Edorango, assistant public works director.

Thank you for the question.

Um, as far as the public art, the public art policy is specific on the types of projects that qualify performance art, and it gives us some uh consistencies for staff to know how to budget and plan for a project.

So a roadway project like this isn't doesn't fall within those categories.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Those are my questions.

Okay.

So I don't have the background that all you have.

But um, I'm gonna dig in.

So the sliplane.

Uh why was it determined to eliminate it?

I think the um the safety along that with it having its kind of designated right turn movement, it would know that vehicles could potentially speed through that.

And there are there is a crossings for pedestrians along there, um heading towards south of this photo, towards along the El Monte Avenue corridor.

Were there any accidents, uh car accidents, dist managements that says the slip lane uh is not uh safe?

Has there been any data behind it to say this wasn't this has been here for 50 years?

So I was just wondering what decided that it's just that you're taking it out.

Is it just assumptions or is there data behind it?

Well, if the staff talk to data, but I'll say in general throughout this whole area, slip lanes are um considered an old design feature.

Um they do encourage high rates of speed for vehicles making that right turn lane.

It does introduce significant conflict points between vehicles and um pedestrians and bicyclists.

Um I can let you know that in the last agency I was with, I was with them for a very long time, and there's a concentrated effort to reduce slip lanes all throughout that agency.

So it is it is a um region-wide emphasis um and acknowledgement on the uh growing importance of alternative um ways of getting around besides just vehicles.

Uh is there not a stop lane, stop sign on that uh slip lane?

There is not oh I'm sorry um going to El Monte.

Going from El Camino to El Monte, is there not signals or stop sign that control the slip lane?

So there would be a stop sign or um right when the vehicle goes the slip lane to El Monte.

There is a signal there, it does control slip lane traffic.

Are you aware of that?

Yeah, yeah.

Well, I said there was stops a signal, so thank you for cracking.

Okay.

So by doing that now, you have to that is that owned by Caltrans, that whole section?

What Caltrans Caltrans that would fall in the right way, yes.

And okay.

Do you have there been any traffic count on how many people use the slip lane and how that will affect the traffic going around the corner?

I don't have that data.

Um, but we can go back to either traffic or even from Caltrans if they have that data.

I think we would have to go back to 2019, yes.

Yes.

If if I could add uh the concepts shown for the intersection of El Camino and El Monte and also the El Monte corridor came out of the feasibility study that started, I believe in 2020 two, or um, and it's it went through a robust community engagement.

So the removal of the slip lane may have come from the community as an ask um to be included in the project.

Okay, and I wasn't here, so my approach to traffic is I would say a little different different than others.

Um the project scope again you mentioned.

So how many times has there been a is there another scope?

This is this evolving the project scope on this bar check.

Because at the initially, when you did your comments, you said this project, we're gonna do the project scope again.

So is there gonna revise this the revisit, or is this this a preliminary project scope?

And so you're still finalizing it.

We are in the early stages of design.

Yeah, I think Robert.

Yeah, thank you for the question, Robert Gonzalez, principal civil engineer.

So looking at the council, the the CTC memo on page three, um, it lays out a June 23rd.

Um where we went to council and the alternative three was approved.

So those scope items, including the slip lane, were approved by council, and that's how we move forward to the design stage.

The only elements that are changing at this point are the size of the buffer, size of the bike lane, specific elements on corner treatments, items that were brought up by BPAC.

So those elements that are um design details or adjustments are what we're looking at now.

These primary design elements are the ones that council moved forward with, and that's how we started our RFP and our consultant contract.

So when we talk about scope, um is this fully funded?

Are you still looking for funds?

At this moment, um, well, I mentioned in the Hollingsworth El Monte Avenue intersection.

Uh we would the staff is looking into the RFB at that intersection.

So I think we will be looking for additional lending so that we can add that to the project scope.

Okay.

Um you also mentioned on the traffic signals, they're going to be signalized or they're going to be upgraded.

Will those signals uh is the city of Mount View.

Um, are those going to be signals that City of Mount View will be potentially using on some of its streets?

Will it be compatible with what we're doing?

Are we are they more advanced than what we have in the past?

I know Caltran will throw those signals, but uh will we have any just give me uh some insight about these traffic stingles were going to be computerized AI and so forth?

Upgrade the upgrades that we are mentioning are for the protected signal phasing that um senior central engineer Houghton was explaining.

Um so the upgrades are to add the protected left turns, particularly at the Esquela Avenue and El Monte, El Camino intersection.

And then for this intersection, El Camino Rail and El Monte, we are adding that crosswalk um on the west side on this image.

So we will need to upgrade that signal to have it so that it's there's no conflict with the left turn.

And then because we are touching the signals, we will have to uh look into signal infrastructure, signal cabinets, and those are the type of upgrades or so even though it's it's it's on Caltran line, we're paying for the signals.

It will be funded by this project, but they will maintain it.

Okay.

And own it.

And is that cost been determined yet?

We have estimates, and we do have that 2.4 million OBAC grant for this for those areas, the intersections.

Has there been any studies to say how many people are on bikes going along Elmon?

I believe we have counts from the study.

I don't know off the top of my head.

Yeah, staff would have to come back and answer that question on this with some details.

Those may have been done as part of the study, but we don't have this in front of us.

Was there, I mean, this sounds like a very cost.

So I'm trying to, as you if you just did uh do your study, I'm trying to figure out the cost analysis of how many people really use the bike lanes versus I that's coming, but yeah, I'd like to see how if there was an analysis on that one.

Um the I noticed that on the turning into the the diet lane.

Could you show the scene where you go into the parking lot of the shopping center?

You had a clip in there.

Yeah, I was wondering we were showing a road diet.

No, I agree that okay.

Well, while you're on that slide, why again Esquela is sort of an interesting indicator structure?

So why taking out the right turn lane?

What's what was the thought behind that?

From Ascuela going uh north or west.

The bull belt.

The bull belt.

Yes, yes.

We are adding that bulb out, and I think the intent is again to slow the speed of the right turns.

Um, so then they are in that kind of into that right and through lane to help.

Yeah, kind of so has there been any accidents, any incidences that would indicate that the right turn lane was an issue.

Now I am aware there was a uh accident not too long ago, I think in April of this year.

Um, but I is was it at that particular location?

I'm not too old.

It was at that point.

I do know that the coming out of the Walgreens is crazy because the signal is nuts.

Yeah, that's one of those intersections.

If you're going off a squal and making a left turn, people are what they have the opportunity to walk.

So are you saying the signals are gonna say people will be able to walk, no cars will be moving, or are you still gonna have compatible uh square electric turning left going eastbound and people crossing across the street?

Because there's constant conflict from what I see there.

It's typically with the vehicular movement.

I'll say, but the two bull belts on the corners do a couple of things.

One, it shortens a pedestrian crossing distance, right?

So a pedestrian is not as exposed, if you will, as long in the street as they're making that particular movement crossing the street.

Um, secondly, is that elimination of a free ride turn um makes a pedestrian or bicyclist whoever's crossing the street more visible to the driver, right?

They're they're coming to like a point in the corner rather than a vehicle cutting the corner and having two potential locations where there could be couldn't be conflict.

So again, this is um we think a good thing that we are doing at this intersection.

Thank you.

Okay, so could we find that one slide where you're doing showing the road that proposed road diet going into the parking lot?

Okay, right there.

So you see right where the red ends?

That's a right turn into the parking lot of the shopping center.

So there's gonna be um congestion there.

So were you aware of that?

And why are you doing the road diet there and not maybe down a little bit further or past it so that there won't be that conflict of people coming out or going in right there?

We that's something we can take a look at.

Uh, my understanding is this is the earliest point that we could do this that allows uh the cars to then decelerate and merge into one lane from two.

But the cars will be okay.

It's I'm asking because there I see a potential conflict or people slowing down to make the right turn, people not paying attention, the bikes going through.

Um so I that's a concern of mine.

Um has your um now uh that's a context.

Is the uh crosswalk at uh March Way being affected at all?

Um in terms just the high visibility crosswalk.

So it's across it's a crosswalk right now, is my understanding.

Um, but it's just a regular crosswalk way, and so we're going to be upgrading it with the ladder style, which is not usability uh reference that we've been speaking about.

Will there be light that I thought there are no lights there?

There are lights.

Yeah, I think there are a RFB in that intersection or closer to Eggnomery, but there is one already RFB along El Monte.

Has there been any consideration or study considering that El Mani is a major thoroughfare coming from all the way from uh Foothill Expressway through Los Altos coming into this area?

That how traffic's gonna be affected.

I'll say that this study was done in 2019, 2020 era.

Um, that's also around the time that council approved the study.

So all of that analysis was done way back then.

Yeah, things five years.

So that the information change will modify over time.

Um not significantly.

I would say if anything, the city's grown over time.

Um even despite you know, the COVID years, we're starting to see rebound with respect to traffic.

So I would say not significantly enough to change the results of that study.

Well, you just said things were growing, so potentially the traffic could be greater now than it was before.

Not significantly.

We've rebounded and as a city we're growing, but it's I wouldn't I wouldn't undo something that council's already approved from 2019 when there was very robust study done at that time.

Hi, um, Rango again.

Um to add on to director Heating's comments.

Um Monte from El Camino Real to J Street.

They call it J Street because that's a city limits.

Um each direction, and the proposed road diet provides it one lane structure.

Um once you get to J Street, um it it forks off.

Um we have J Street that goes to the right, and then we have um Springer that continues.

Both are one lane in each direction.

So and that's pretty consistent through two foothill.

Um so again, one lane in each direction.

So this is effectively matching that configuration.

And again, with the other comments that you've heard before about the community looking for um traffic calming measures along this section.

Um let's see what else I have there.

Okay, I think that's my questions.

So then we will bring it out to the any other questions before anybody came up with this.

I don't thought any member of the public joining us virtually or in person like to admit private comments on this item.

If so, please click the raised hand button on Zoom or approach the lecture.

Okay, uh no one from the uh in-person's going forward.

Is there anybody virtually?

Yes.

Um, yeah.

Who?

Yeah.

Celia Paymer.

Oh, Sylvia, thank you.

Yes.

Hi, um, thank you.

Um, I have a lot of comments, so I'll try and be quick.

Um, first off, um, the right turn on a squala.

I like the idea of the ball belt, but if you have it, please have a slip lane for the bikes.

Otherwise, the bikes are forced into the car traffic um right at a point when everyone's like looking around.

Um, so let's keep that conflict to a minimum and make sure there's still a lane there.

Um and then I do have to say I'm I'm not loving the options for the bikes turning left onto or off of a squala.

Um, even when we hopefully add the no right turn on red.

Um, there's always conflicts for pedestrians and bikes with cars, even if they're going straight, there's cars turning right into them on a green light.

Um, so I wonder if it is possible to look into a bike or pedestrian bike and pedestrian scramble cycle.

Um, right now with the head start cycles already we're adding, you know, 15 seconds now that we're having that protected left.

So why not go to 30 and actually make it safe for bikes and pedestrians?

We have four to five protected cycles for cars.

Let's have one for bikes and pedestrians.

Um then also um I do really like the Hollingsworth crosswalks.

Thank you for putting one on both sides.

I love that.

Um, I do want to clarify the slip lane from El Monte or from Al Camino onto El Monte does have a light, but it's after the pedestrian crossing.

It makes the cars stop for the oncoming cross traffic, not for pedestrians or bikes.

Um, so that does not increase safety.

Um, in terms of the bike count, uh the bike show users tend not to show up when they feel like they're gonna die.

So sort of like saying, hey, there's a river between us and the town, no one ever goes to town.

We don't need to build a bridge.

We do need to build a bridge if we want people to actually go from our side of the river to the other, right?

They need to not die on the way.

Um, I do agree that the Joy J Street intersection needs fixing.

I bike through that every day, and it's it's a mess.

Um, so I don't know what the fix is.

I liked the idea of the roundabout, but I guess that got thrown out at some point.

But um, it is kind of a scramble there.

Um, and then also remembering um for the El Monte road diet that the lights are the choke point for traffic, not the number of lanes.

So unless we're doing something about that light cycle to get more cars through, which we're not because we prioritize El Camino traffic, the number of lanes isn't what's going to make a difference.

So um let's reduce the number of lanes, make it so bike users don't feel like they're gonna die.

So they actually use the road and that'll reduce cars, which will reduce traffic for everyone.

No one likes to be in their car behind another car, so let's get the other cars off the road by putting them on bikes, right?

All right, thank you so much.

Mary Dadio.

Uh I didn't see the unmute button.

It's can you hear me?

Yes, we can hear you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um, I'm sorry.

Um I just want to say I'm super excited to see the improvement with the the uh having a dedicated left turn lane coming out of the uh next to the wall greens and having separate uh light cycles because I've the few times I've been at that intersection, I've always wanted to um coming out of a squala.

I've always been trying to make a left-hand turn and it is on a bike.

And it is I can't imagine how scary it is for the pedestrians because it's it's it's awful for a bike.

You just have no idea what all of a sudden there's somebody coming at you from the up the wall greens because people come around the corner all of a sudden really fast, and you have no idea what they're gonna do because nobody uses their turn signal.

So thank you, thank you.

That I'm super excited to see that.

Um, I do want to say uh El Camino Real and El Monte on that southwest corner.

So in the diagrams, it's been sort of like a purple blob or a pink um magenta colored blob.

Um, a previous iteration did keep a slip lane for uh pedestrians and cyclists in that purple blob area.

So the slip lane for cars one way, but it was still there for cyclists and pedestrians.

And that would be such a treat to just get away from traffic even for the 30 seconds or whatever it takes you to bike through that space.

Um, assuming especially they're gonna be some trees and stuff added, it would be such a pleasure to just have a few minutes away from traffic.

So I'd really love to see that.

And I agree uh as you approach the J Street area, that uh is pretty scary, but I think some of that belongs to Los Altos.

And so um, in general, thank you so much for this whole project.

I know you guys have been working on it for a long time, and it's really shaping up great.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Sean S.

Um Hi, thanks.

Yeah, this is John Scarborough, and uh I am also like the other speakers, really excited about this project.

It's good to see this coming and improving over the years.

Um I'd like to take a moment to thank uh Chair McAllister for reminding me in an earlier me and probably some other folks who were focused at that time on building greenhouse gas improvements.

The transportation also is an important factor to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and you know these kind of projects uh like in California Street, on along El Camino, getting the protected bike lanes in there, getting more street trees where we can, you know, that'll help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the heat island, get more people walking and biking.

So thank you for the reminder on that.

Um so I like the plans, uh, much like California Street and ECR, you know, the protected bike lanes are good.

I've been seeing people riding in the bike lanes on ECR, even families.

It's just amazing, you know, big change since you know the time before the uh protected bike lanes.

And then on California Street, that is so much more comfortable to ride on.

I see we still have some problems with the well, a lot of people parking.

So if we can work that out there, we should be able to work it out everywhere else in the city.

So I'm really excited to get that done.

Um I'd be in favor of more space for trees on this project.

So if we could have more of a park space if the slip lane goes, have more of a parkish type space rather than a grassy uh stormwater tension pond.

I'd be in favor of that.

I think that would make it a nice gateway into you know the El Camino real part of mountain view from the south.

Uh yeah, if we have if we can have some green like just planter boxes, if we're not gonna have trees, those would be nice.

You know, kind of like they have the planter boxes on California Street.

Hopefully, they'll be filled soon.

Um, but trees are even better, so we can have that.

I'd be in favor of that.

So thank you all for your work on this.

I really appreciate it.

You're making our city much better to get around by bike and walk and don't have to take our cars.

Thanks.

Thank you.

April.

Hi, thank you.

Um I just want to echo what the other speakers have said in terms of being really happy to see this project taking shape.

Um and you know, protected infrastructure going in there for people moving on bike um and walking.

Um I'm basically gonna plus one a bunch of things that other folks have said.

I want to say that I strongly support Celia's comment about including a protected scramble cycle for both cyclists and pedestrians.

This is a really dangerous intersection.

And um, it can be one of the like a really effective tool to avoid to reduce those conflicts at intersections.

They just give people you'll you'll see it in other communities or whatnot, they'll sometimes have lights, but giving them a head start, you have better visibility as a driver in terms of seeing them.

So I absolutely plus one that um and as you know, if we can have a long, a little bit of an extra crossing interval to get them um out there, that would be wonderful.

Um a huge plus one for the elimination elimination of free rate turns that you know, that's sort of old school practice.

I am thrilled to see the city starting to you know implement that.

And uh, you know, it's one of the best practices and complete streets design.

So kudos.

Um, yeah, they just you know make it they slow down the car and and make it easier for them to see um instead of you know speeding right through that and maintaining speed as they go around the turn.

Um also um awesome to see the road diet.

Um this further, I think strengthens the safety of this um the stretch, this project.

And we've seen how you know John mentioned this, how impactful it's been on California Street, how you know on um El Camino Real in terms of calming traffic, um, and just creating more comfortable space for people biking and walking, and it's you know, pretty much state of the art.

Um so oh, and I also wanted to really glad John mentioned, you know, if you're anywhere that there's space that we're removing some of the space, um, it's a great opportunity, like the slip lane, it's a great opportunity to add in greening.

Um, and so some sort of you know, GSI green stormwater infrastructure or trees or anything like that.

Um, you know, I I think that should definitely be considered, you know, just giving heat um is a safety issue.

It's not just people getting hit.

And we have to start thinking in that, I think that frame of mind that the more we could add in greening and more canopy, um, and thinking long term, we need to get this stuff in place so that we're not gonna have um people suffering, you know, on the streets.

They won't be able to walk or bike around if it's too hot.

And there's you've seen this already in other communities.

Um, Sacramento is has started tackling this already.

So I think we should always think about this when we have an opportunity.

Thank you so much.

So that was the last of our virtual speakers, or do you see some more?

That is all.

Okay.

Thank you, people for staying on and give us your comments.

We appreciate them.

I will now bring this back to the committee for comments and action.

Anybody have uh comments or further questions?

So um, are any of the things that uh members of the public brought up um possible to consider?

Uh the two that I the one the big one that I saw was um something additional for people, uh, particularly for bikers and pedestrians at El Camino and Escuela, where there was a fatality in last April.

Um so that is uh as commanders said and in practice, it's a um dangerous intersection for pedestrians and bikers.

They mentioned a scramble.

Is that something that's easy to consider, hard to consider?

It would be on El Camino.

So it seems like pretty prohibitive.

It would be certainly something that Caltrans would need to approve as it is within their way.

Right.

So are there any kinds of improvements at this point, or do you feel it's improved enough since April?

We are still evaluating additional protected intersection elements, I believe, on the south corner of the intersection.

Um right now, uh, we don't know, but that's something we would be evaluating with our design.

However, tonight just pay special attention to that intersection because it it has a problem.

Um, and then the other one they talked about was the slip lane area that could be greened, should be greened.

Um could there be a bike or pedestrian path winding through whatever is there that's green?

Is that a possibility or not?

It is a possibility, and we'll evaluate that definitely as it's designed for the development.

Okay, so those are the two things that I heard from the public that I wanted to add.

Otherwise, I would be willing to make a motion, but okay.

So I make a motion to accept the uh proposal, the staff proposal uh include oh no though, I didn't want to interrupt you while you did your motion.

Okay, I was just gonna I was just gonna confirm the staff.

So the the slip lane that you mentioned for um for pedestrians and bikes, we're not removing the sidewalk that's there now.

So pedestrians will still have access there and we can still look for a design element that includes a slip lane for bikes as well.

So we're not sure we're not eliminating that.

And then in terms of looking at the case.

If you can integrate it beautifully, which with whatever greening you do that.

Yes.

Um the greening elements, uh, I agree with uh with the the um the public comments that the sliplane area seems like it's large enough to accommodate additional trees as well as stormwater.

We're sizing the stormwater now.

So as a um senior engineer mentioned, once we get that size, we'll understand better how many trees we could actually plant in that area.

Okay, continue.

Thank you.

So I'm making a motion to accept the recommended staff recommendation uh with particular attention on the El Camino Squala intersection and um yeah, how to incorporate bikes and pedestrians through the area that was a slip lane and will now be a greener space.

Okay, do you have any comments?

We'll have a discussion.

So your comments, please.

Well I'm actually quite excited that we're moving forward with this project because I'm I'm happy that SAP was able to remind me that this was one of the five priority areas and that we're making progress.

I also strongly feel that sliplanes are dangerous and have had experiences as a cyclist and runner um getting almost hit multiple times because of the high speeds that people go through the slip lanes, at least the one near me, because people are coming off of central into the wizard area.

They come at like 50 miles an hour.

Um, so I'm actually quite excited, and I think anything to help get us more connected and make people safer is the route I want.

Okay.

And it's gonna green a corner.

So I think that would be great.

Well, you know, support the motion too.

There is a uh there's a business there on uh El Camino, it's a rental place.

What would happen to the driveway that's at the slip lane?

Yes, we do acknowledge that I believe you're referring to the Hertz rent.

Yes, uh the driveway.

What we are looking at right now is we would want to configure to come off of El Camino into, but we do need to, or our design consultant is looking into that.

Yeah, access will still be provided.

We haven't worked through all the details of the design in terms of how exactly that will occur, but it's absolutely the intent to maintain access.

So are you saying hallways right now?

Yeah, they have two.

You're taking out one.

Right.

Um, well, that's the thing is the the you would reduce their parking where they keep their cars for rent.

So it'd be more parking, but less less parking for that's where I rent my cars.

It's a cute little super cute story.

How will how are you going to address that issue?

Well, the design consultant is looking into that, and we will coordinate with that.

Do they have a preliminary idea?

Just the access point coming from El Camino.

So where there's a right turn arrow now on the intersection, you would be putting a driveway in there.

Just right before.

Right before the right turn.

Yes.

Is it an arrow there?

So you're saying right in that area.

Can we flash out to slides?

So yeah, right below that right turn arrow marking.

There's a symbol for the driveway right here.

Yeah, so there's no plans to remove a driveway.

So what how are they going to get turns?

The green.

There's nowhere to turn.

So are they you're going to keep that so that they can turn into that parking driveway?

Yes, we will.

There will be a break in the buffer in the buffer there.

There's there's no there's no curb at that point.

So we would have a breaking curve and we would have a break in the buffer there.

So that doesn't that doesn't show proposed conflict striping, but we could have proposed conflict striping there.

So it would be a right turn off and almost a almost like a uh turn and 60 degree turn into the into the lot, but it would we would keep both of their driveways.

May I make a few questions?

Please do.

Well, my suggestion to stop keeping maybe when the rent comes back for the full council approval where the supposed drive basically needs, and then that way the policy can see that you can put that maybe that will help.

I'm sure they could if they could keep me abreast of it along the way too.

Well, it's gonna have another full.

Yeah, yeah.

Um I did heard someone say that there's no turn on red.

What intersection is that?

Is that proposed?

Is that's a cow train thing?

So uh has that been approved or does Cal Train have the uh authority on that one?

Um so those have not been approved.

Caltrains has approached the city um in general, like I didn't asking us for uh discussion about no right turn red implementation along El Camino.

We've been in conversation with Caltrain Caltrans about that, particularly on the side streets, so no right turn on red.

Um excuse me, along El Camino, not on the side streets.

So none of that has been incorporated yet.

I just heard someone from the public.

So they wanted that, or they just the public is aware that along El Camino and other jurisdictions, those no right turn on rents are being incorporated, but we have not yet incorporated those.

And uh one of my pet projects is hopefully we'll get someday is roundabouts, and I mentioned somebody mentioned roundabouts.

So is there where was there a discussion that earlier on about a roundabout along this section?

Yes.

So uh a couple years ago, the city's B Pack and Los Altos's D Pack had a joint meeting, and in that meeting, specifically a roundabouts were discussed at the J Street intersection.

That was the only place that that was discussed, and we haven't had further discussions about that because that's a Los Altos intersection.

We okay, yeah.

That could be uh things we've had issues with that on uh El Mani and Questa or not uh Covington.

That's always not a lot of room.

Had there been any discussion potentially on the Hollingsworth intersection?

Um again, this was approved by council with the specific scope, and it was discussed at the previous CTC meetings, and the alternative that was proposed was this one with the road diet.

And I don't believe um, I don't believe roundabouts were approved at that point or voted the board.

Um a lot of cities are starting to go that route, even on major roads come about.

Okay, so um my general comments are that um we are still a vehicle central centric uh state, and that road diets have their place and pedestrians have a you know the concerns and so but I I see we're good.

Um every road that we're turning into is turning into a road diet, and we just don't have that many people on bikes.

So when people come along and say, well, the people are gonna ride their bikes, they're not doing it, and that brings to why it costs a lot of money to do that, and I'm just wondering if that money can be recycled going down.

Maybe the grants are given for this right now, that there was ways to increase our public transit, our shuttle services to get people moving around and getting out of their cars because I see that more likely to happen than people getting on bikes, and if the knowledge uh we have a very very low percentage of people riding bikes, yet we're spending a lot of money to get convinced people to go on there.

I don't think the city is getting their fair share of money going that direction.

We're going to be going into a deficit soon, a year or so.

And I want to see us maximize what money we have.

And if we only have say 5% or less people rewiding bikes, and 95 people are using the cars, I think we need to look at our funding to see how we can get those people moving through the city efficiently and potentially with shuttles and greenhouse gases.

So that's more of a general statement about all the bike lanes because we did it on California.

And we I don't think we did a bike survey recently to see what's going on.

I would like to see any time we do a proposal a road diet that we put in counters to see how many people are really using the bikes.

And if it's 2% or less, then I don't think that's a wise use of our money.

And I'm very pragmatic about the approaches that we do.

I like bike lanes.

I've seen them work well in other cities.

Um, but I just think we're going, you're doing out of California, you're doing on El Camino and El Camino.

I have a front row seat to the bike lanes uh for where that my store is, and I don't see people riding the bike.

So if they're saying, well, build it and they will come.

It's still early.

I haven't totally gotten uh saying that it was a wait a lot of money, but we'll see what happens.

And I feel like most staff anybody have you seen bike lanes that are put in Mountain View, and that you've seen a gradual increase substantially to justify a cost of lane.

I know safety is priceless, so we're not putting that aside, but have we seen where we've spent a lot of money on a bike lane and we're just getting a few people coming through.

Um we had a bike lane, took it out.

Then we had yeah, so there's Calorale's very narrow street to begin with.

Okay, so these are my some of the concerns I'm hearing, or I feel that yes, we get all these, and I appreciate the the people come virtually, but they're all bike advocates.

We don't hear from the general public, and I'm gonna say I'm a general public guy that's trying to represent we got 82,000 people in here, and we're listening to maybe 2,000 people of people on bikes.

And so we need to make sure that when we do all these roads that we uh appreciate everybody that's out there, and I still think we're focusing too much on this across the city.

So your motion, there's concerns I have on it.

Uh you know, the cut through I'm a little concerned about the turn into the parking, uh, the the uh shopping center is a concern of mine.

Now, just to give you some context, 2015, I was mayor, and we had a March March.

Oh March, what am I saying?

Um way, Mark Marriage, yeah.

We had a in uh we had a death.

Somebody was driving through, and whatever the lights weren't there, and it took us almost five or six years to get lights in there.

Now, one of the issues was that all the trees dim the area.

Now I know you all want trees, and I love trees, and I see some great trees, and I can you can tell, you know, we start talking about trees.

I can see where the city doesn't even put trees up down Grant Road that they took out years ago, but we have to be very careful about the lighting because there are the trees are causing blind spots and people that get will potentially get hurt.

And uh, we're doing something on sleeper and grant, and the lighting is not there.

We have some great trees, but that's making those intersections.

So there's always something going on that you want something, but there's you know, we have to pay attention to the unintended consequences.

So, how can uh now this I'll just say no to the motion?

I'll vote no.

Uh, I can't support it because there's things that I want to get questioned about, and it sounds like there's more research, there's more money going into it, and I would like to feel more comfortable about the money that we're spending that is fully funded because I was gone before.

I'm just going to keep talking on limit.

And there's projects that were on the diaspora on the agenda when I was on council, and there's four years later, and they're still not funded, and they're still not getting done, and the delays and cost escalations hurts the city and the way we budget our money.

So unless when it comes back, I like to see that this thing is fully funded, or the funds there because I heard too much stuff.

Well, the scope's there, we're getting money, some grant money here at the there.

And until it's well, here's a question for the are you going to proceed even though it's not fully funded on certain project parts of this project?

Question to me.

Yes, ma'am.

So this project is fully funded with the exception of the RFB at Hollingsworth.

And the reason why we're going to be seeking additional funds for that is because it is currently an uncontrolled intersection, and we're dropping in a crosswalk.

And so I have great safety reservations about dropping in a crosswalk at an uncontrolled intersection, and an RFB will be my solution for that.

Could you help me with that acronym?

Rapid rectangular flashing beacon.

Yes, I would.

So it's a button.

Yeah, so it's a button you push, and then the flashing lights go off, and that alerts vehicles that there's a pedestrian crossing.

Um and it's a safety measure.

Okay.

And that's what's over there at Merrick.

Okay.

Okay.

So other than that, we're funded.

Green light.

Well, okay, how long is it going to do to continue the scope?

She says that we're going to revise the scope.

So when do you think this project will start construction?

So we are anticipating 2027 after obtaining Caltrans approval because it does require design approval and permits from Cal Trans for day.

So in 2027, do you think costs will escalate by then?

And so are you putting in an inflation factor into your budget now?

We get we get estimates all along throughout the phasing of a project, right?

So 30%, 60%, 90%, 100%.

We get updated and cost estimates at that time.

Um we will finish design prior to actual construction as as the team said, uh, because there is a gap for Caltrans um approval, but the direction to the designer will be give us an estimate, you know, at the time that we plan to start construction.

And so the intent is to come in.

Well, the intent is for the bids to come in at the estimate and for the estimate to be within the amount of money that we have.

I would add that as part of the capital improvement project every year.

Active active projects that are going into construction are reviewed specifically for inflation and cost adjustment.

So at that time, staff recommends all of the projects that might need a bump in in cost to get that.

Um at this point, it's important to move forward because we have federal funding attached to this.

So, regardless of local concerns over an RFP, which might be in the order of 100,000, we have about 22.4 million dollars in federal funding that needs to be spent so that we can get the game of benefit to the community.

That that funding is potentially at risk.

Is that money always okay?

That's I'll take that offline.

But um, I'm just one of my big pushes from me as per council members to always start looking at.

I've seen too many projects delayed and too branded prices going up, and even when you do it, that's a lot of money.

So we're just that's a preaching for me.

Okay, let's uh do I am coming on your comments.

Please go right ahead.

So I I'd like that you're thoroughly reviewing things.

Um, and I do agree that I like that we're doing bike lanes, you know, some east-west and north-south, you know, some important streets.

I do think what we should count, see you know how well they're being used.

I think we should continually count.

Um, and I also think that we should make you know, review how we're spending money, and we should.

I don't think it's the same bucket of funds, but I do think that mass transit and how we fund our shuttle is important.

I think those are all important subjects.

So I'm glad you brought them up, but I still oh, and I also think it's important what you said where you put trees that you don't block visibility and lights.

All the things you brought up, I think are important, but I still stand by the motion as it's fine.

But I thank you for those comments.

You're welcome.

Are you gonna say I want to vote?

Okay, you're the chair, you have to say all those in favor.

Uh well, that's uh the motion.

Let's review it and make sure that we get the motion correct because it's very limited.

Um it's that uh it's approved the uh we have it written down.

Oh approve the preliminary design.

Is that correct?

Is there another one?

Preliminary design.

Yeah, we're in early early concept design, preliminary design.

They're used interchangeably.

Okay, so that means budget could change.

The approved the preliminary design for Elmani Porter Improvements Project 21-38 and direct staff to advance the project into final design.

Yes, all in favor, raise special consideration on that intersection and on something else that I said.

Yeah, whether how to incorporate pedestrians and bicyclists into what was the slip.

And there was the second or agreed to that.

Okay.

The comments made by council.

Oh.

Okay.

All in favor, raise your hand.

All opposed.

Thank you.

We will go on to that.

Okay.

We will continue on to our 5.3.

Ring store.

Another only but good.

All right.

Another.

So thank you, staff for listening.

Now the ringster.

Just had a discussion.

Oh see.

Well, we're all about that.

And I'm glad to see Don here.

You can keep that.

I told you about the sound study.

So there's his introduction.

Robert Gonzalez will give us see principal civil engineer.

We'll give us a discussion.

Give us the update on the ringsdorf grade separation project, cost reduction measures.

And the presentation.

Oh, Joy will be with us on Tom.

Silver Ninja Robert Gonzalez.

And maybe Don, principal civil engineer.

She's trying to hide in the back.

We'll that's that's long.

So please, staff continue with your presentation.

I like eagerly to this uh thoughts.

Thank you.

Actually, I'll ask Joy Houghton is going to do the presentation today.

Okay, great.

Good evening, Chair and Committee members.

My name is Joey Help and Senior Civil Engineer, and I'm joined here tonight by Robert Gonzalez, Principal Civil Engineering in Public Works.

And we are here to present updates as well as cost reduction measures for the Ringsturf Avenue Grade Separation Project.

To start with some background, Caltrain currently operates 104 trains per weekday, resulting in 17 minutes of gate downtime per peak hour at Ring Surf Avenue and creates significant backups.

These backups directly impact community access to schools, services, rainsturf park, the community center, and other facilities along Rainsdorf Avenue.

Gate downtimes are expected to increase as Cal Train service levels increase over time.

And the Rainstorp Avenue Grade Separation Project is being delivered in partnership with BTA and Caltrain and will improve safety and eliminate crossing delays for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles due to the gate down times.

The project will also eliminate use of train horns at Ringstorf Avenue.

This project includes depressing the intersection of Rainsturf Avenue and Central Expressway while maintaining the train tracks at its approximate existing elevation.

The project also includes a bicycle pedestrian overcrossing of Rainstorf Avenue to maintain the connectivity between the east and west sides of Ringsturf Avenue.

An American with Disabilities Act compliant pathway from Crisanto Avenue and Ringsturf Park to the Lower Rainsdorf Avenue.

And realignment of Leland Avenue and utilities connecting to Rangsdorf to the south, which staff have been referring to as the Leland Connector to make the vehicular access to and from the La Plaza Market and the neighborhood on the west side of Rangsdorf.

The rainstorf avenue grade separation started more than two decades ago as a feasibility study in 2004.

The project has completed 35% design and is progressing to 65% design.

Staff shared a construction cost estimate of 242 million and the total project cost estimate of 325 million based on the 35% design plans.

With the total costs of 325 million, the project was anticipated to have a funding shortfall of 31 million, which staff believe could be closed by pursuing grant funding opportunities.

In October 2024, the city received updated construction cost estimates for the project based on the 35% design plans from the contractor and a third-party cost estimator.

These updates increase the estimated construction cost to $312 million and the total project cost to $453 million.

Coupled with modest increases to other phases of the project, the anticipated funding shortfall increased to 159 million.

Staff analysis revealed that the earlier estimate underestimated the construction costs and did not include the necessary contingencies at that stage of the design.

Upon receiving the updated project costs, the project team paused the progress of the design from 35 to 65% to focus on verifying the cost estimate and also identifying options to reduce the project costs.

This verification work is ongoing and it doesn't appear that it will result in any meaningful reduction in the estimate.

Currently, some components of the projects are progressing into the 65% design, and staff at this time does not recommend all components to proceed into 65% design until we receive direction or until decisions are made about the potential project scope changes to reduce the project costs.

The cost reduction strategy is based on three categories.

Construction methods and sequence, these options do not change the project design.

Design modifications, these options will change design details and elimination and deferral of project elements.

This strategy will defer some project elements to be constructed by the city at a later time.

The estimated cost saving for each option is preliminary and will required more detailed work to determine actual cost savings.

For this reason, the cost savings shown in tonight's presentation should be considered as a rough order of magnitude rather than definitive numbers.

The first category of cost reduction strategy is construction methods and sequence.

The design team has evaluated adjustments, including construction staging, roadway pavement section, sanitary sewer relocation, and single track shoe fly.

And a single track shoe fly is one rail that will serve both directions, allowing only one direction to proceed at a time, temporarily affecting rail service and potentially ridership.

The total potential savings from this category is 18.4 million.

However, as the single track shoe fly was found infeasible by Caltrain, the potential cost savings that can be realized in this category is approximately 14 million.

The second category of the cost reduction strategy is design modifications.

Various design alternatives have been evaluated to determine potential cost savings.

And we recognize that these cost saving options require thoughtful consideration and deliberation as they will affect the user's experience.

The first design modification options is the elimination of the meandering pedestrian pathway at Ranksturf Park.

If this enhancement is removed, the impact to Rankstorf Park is reduced, as there is an existing alternate pathway connecting Cresanto Avenue and the skate park to the lower Ringsdorf Avenue, which I will share on the next slide.

Elimination of the meandering path results in the cost saving of approximately 0.8 million.

As mentioned previously, the elimination of the meandering pathway from Crisanto to the Lower Ringsdorf Avenue is a practical cost-saving alternative as there is an existing pathway shown in purple from Crisanto Avenue adjacent to the skate park that connects to Ringsdorf Avenue.

This existing pathway will be slightly modified to meet the future lower ranksdurf Avenue.

Another cost reduction option is replacing the retaining wall adjacent to central expressway with sloped embankments.

The 35% design included retaining walls up to 22 feet in height along the Caltrain Rideway and Central Expressway to provide space initially expected for additional rail lines for a future double tracking by Caltrain.

Caltrain determined that the double tracking at Ranksdorf is no longer required, and the walls can be modified with slope embankments.

This design change would result in potential cost savings of approximately 4 million.

So I'm a little could you so where it's up the upper one where it's brown and then below it's green?

Yes.

So the upper one is a retaining wall.

Yes.

So there are walls along Central Expressway at where the Caltrain right away is, and then the cost savings would be reducing those, and they would be sloping closer to the lowered grades.

Thank you.

The potential cost savings in the design modification category is $4.8 million.

The third cost reduction strategy is elimination or deferral of project elements.

Further near-term cost reductions can be realized by reducing the project scope and deferring elements that could be constructed by the city in future phases.

One project element that can be eliminated and deferred as the future project is the retaining wall at the gas station.

As it is feasible for the gas station to remain with the proposed lowering of Rainstorf Avenue and Central Expressway intersection, this proper this property will need to be acquired for the project.

Use for this parcel remains undetermined and deferring the construction of the walls and stairs at this property can result in the potential cost savings of 1.3 million.

The city or future developer can construct and regrade the site in the future when the use for the property is determined.

Another element that can be eliminated from the scope and deferred as a future project is the bicycle pedestrian bridge.

This bridge connects Cresanto Avenue and Rangsdorf Park to the La Plaza Market and the neighborhood on the west side of Rangsdorf Avenue.

Deferring construction of this bridge and stairway can result in a cost savings of approximately 2 million.

The potential cost savings from this category is approximately 3.3 million.

However, the bicycle and pedestrian bridge maintains the connectivity of the neighborhood to the park, providing substantial value to the community.

Staff does not recommend moving forward with this alternative given the marginal cost savings and substantial community benefits.

The total potential cost savings for the recommended alternative in this category is 1.3 million.

During the value engineering efforts, staff continued to work with Caltrain to review the project construction schedule to determine that if the construction phase can be reduced.

This effort resulted in reducing construction duration from three years to two and a half years, which also reduces the indirect costs associated with the construction duration.

In addition, contingencies and fees have been adjusted to reflect their proportional relation to the total construction costs.

Approximately 38 million in additional cost savings were identified and included in the revised project costs on this next slide.1 million.1 million reduces the project cost from 453 to 395 million.

A total of 296 million in funding has been secured or is anticipated resulting in a new project shortfall of 99 million if the city council approves the recommended cost reduction measures.

The greatest risk of rising project costs is delayed, with estimates showing an annual increase of 9 to 14 billion if full construction begins after 2027.

While final design and right-away acquisition are fully funded and will take 18 to 24 months, the city can reduce cost escalation by progressing with these phases while securing additional funding.

Additionally, early construction of certain components, such as utility relocations and the Leland Avenue realignment can help mitigate cost increases and keep the project on track for full construction.

Staff will continue collaborating with the project team to explore cost saving measures during the design phase and will present um recommendations to council for approval in fall 2025 before fully proceeding into 65%.

Community outreach events will be scheduled to keep our residents informed as the project moves forward into final design.

And in parallel, staff will advance right-away acquisition and pursue early work opportunities to help reduce future cost escalation.

And this brings us to staff recommendation that the city council approves staff's recommendations for cost reduction measures for Dorming Surf Avenue State Separation Project.

This concludes tonight's presentation, and we'd be happy to answer questions you have.

Thank you.

Thank you for bringing that up.

Any members of the committee have any questions?

Yes.

So these are great.

We should do cost reduction analysis all the time.

I know you're not like the landscaping department, but do you know what kinds of landscaping can be done on the sloped embankments?

I I've heard it's kind of limited, but any idea.

But you can do more than just grass or something.

I believe so.

You know, you're not though, but we we will continue to coordinate that with yeah, I'd love to keep in touch with that.

And it it you know looks much better on the sketches, and you know, I think it has great potential to really make the the whole area better.

Um we use the shell gas station for pickleball.

Uh theoretically, we could use lots of places for pickleball.

So that is that is on the radar.

You've said it out loud now.

Okay.

Okay, those are my questions.

I will uh I'll go ahead and continue with my questions.

Um, just to put things in context.

I was here in 2014.

When this project was one point or 120 million dollars.

So if you refer back to the lab project where I was concerned about escalating costs, they're still there.

And um so um my question is so going on this one.

Um, so we still haven't have we bought any of the right-of-way on any of it so far.

We have purchased one property at 134 South Ringsdorf through a voluntary sale.

And can we bring that up, please?

You have that somewhere up there.

If you ready, I can uh let you talk.

I could follow up or ready to move the staff recommendation.

Oh okay.

I may not have a slide.

So you can just point at it.

I mean, that's so in terms of right-of-way acquisition.

We have a we have a list of partial and full takes that we need to acquire as part of this project, as we've strategically worked out with VTA and with our partners at California.

Oh, somebody from Mount View Call.

Oh, okay.

Goodbye.

Yes, sorry about that.

So done that the first thing come.

Okay, so but you haven't you 134 is where um Leland Connector, the future Leland connector will be homes being taken out.

The house residential property has been purchased.

Correct.

Okay.

Um I know that okay.

And in and other than the shell station, is there any other property that needs to be um?

Yes, as as I was uh mentioning, we have a list of partial and full takes.

The shell is probably the most prominent full take that we need to negotiate.

Um so we begin with those uh willing sellers.

Um the plaza market is the other one that is uh predominant here where we would be um modifying their parking lot substantially well, like taking it away for a time and then replacing it in con.

So that takes effort, that takes design, that takes some planning to do.

Um so that would be another one that we need to strategize.

I don't know if we just cut you guys have any definitive costs for all these items because you're talking about okay, with the right-of-way it's gonna are you going with 1924 or 2024?

Are you going with October 2024?

Yes, for the right-of-way.

So it's 35 million.

Okay.

Yes.

Uh on that one.

So thank you on that, because that okay, all these numbers are the estimates.

Estimates.

Okay.

Preliminary estimates based on 35% design plans.

I just give I'm coming from VTA and everything's a estimate over there.

So we're we're good, we're doing our best guest, right?

And are we doing our guest best because you have uh so many unfunded or planned items that we haven't received the money yet that was that was to your plan, plan, plan.

Sure, man.

So this this project has come to council to see new rights to and part of the issue was that the original estimate from Caltrans was 50% over what they had originally, right?

Wasn't it?

It was 50% over what they had originally told the city and the partners.

And so we are in the position to probably do all these cost reductions because of the egregious calculations from Caltrans.

And so now we're to make this move forward.

So that's why I have no questions because staff has been continually trying to come back to help find the path forward.

But I would say this isn't from in my opinion, it's not from the city side, it's uh from the Caltrans side, who hired a consultant that was off uh 70, 75 million uh dollars.

I'm looking to our former public works director.

Um, and I just want to provide that color.

Um, because I think everything we're talking about today is how do we continue?

Talking about how to reduce it.

We're not but because of but because of them, and so I would say it's nothing on the city side.

I think we've been nothing more than creative and um scrappy and how we're trying to make this go forward.

Scrappy.

Well, scrappy, I don't know crappy also.

No, scrappy uh on how we've been able to go forward.

And so I'll just turn it over to staff.

So that's why at this point, you know, no further questions from me because I just wanted to keep proceeding, because the more that we don't, the more we might face what we face prior with Caltrans.

And I just want to forward.

Yes.

I'm all aboard on this project, but I just chair person and committee members, Don Cameron, assistant city manager.

Um, I I want to note a few things.

I appreciate what member Kamei had to say about the source of our estimates and some of our concerns in the past and why we saw such huge uh new estimates come in.

But one of the things I will say about the new estimates that we're working with is the previous estimates were prepared by design engineers, and um, we don't know why that they were so underestimating the costs, but what we do know is what's happened since is Caltrain has brought on a general contractor, it's called construction manager, general contractor during the design phase, who is uh been looking at all the cost estimates from a contractor's perspective and contacting vendors and validating costs.

And one of the reasons we got the big jump of costs is they're the ones that did the reality check and said, No, it's really gonna cost this.

So one of the things we do have going for us now with these new cost estimates is it's it it has more validation by actual general contracting uh firm that delivers these types of projects.

And two, in answer to one of your other questions about um the time period of the cost estimate, as uh senior engineer Houghton said, um this estimate now for us is good as long as we can start full construction by the end of 2027.

So we've built in enough escalation to account for we spend the next two years finishing up final design and ride away.

And you know, yes, it's gonna be a challenge filling that funding gap, and we're working on that as as much as we can with them.

And if we are successful, um we have at least counted accounted for potential escalation through 2027.

So while we have you up there, are you involved with the conversations about measure B money with the other cities and the uh you mean in terms of the share that Mountain Views receiving of the measure B?

And the delays that train is causing uh along the way.

Yes, we have been having active discussions uh both at the VTA level and with Caltrain in terms of the fact that it's not just us, it's other cities as well that have grade separations in progress that have seen major cost escalation and uh Burlingame is really a prime example of one that was in final design and thought they'd be in construction this year and received an estimate double what they thought it was going to be about a year ago.

Um as a result of that, there was even a meeting last week that involved um city leadership from nine cities that have active grade separations with Caltrain to really talk about improving our partnerships and working with Cal Train to um on moving getting projects delivered more quickly, and uh really looking at being more cost effective as well as starting that engagement of all of us as cities talking about we need we all need more funding and starting to look for opportunities to achieve our goals.

So they're they're being more expeditious on their planning reviews and so forth.

That's that's part of the goal.

Okay.

Um here it says measure measure B money, 171 dollars, 171 million planned.

What is plan mean?

But then the planned is the remaining of the city share of the 2016 Measure B rail grade separation program funds.

We've expended some of it on the castro grade separation design.

Um, we've expended some of it on the design for rainsturf as well.

So the 171, I believe, is the remaining of the city share of measure B funds.

That's been allocated from by VTA authorized.

So that's if I may, what's happened is there was an agreement a few years ago of how the measure B grade separation money would be split among the three cities, and that resulted in Mountain V receiving 25% of that particular funding source.

So that is while not technically allocated, it's our share.

What VTA has been doing is budgeting the money in two-year increments based upon what we need for our next phase.

So basically, we've been promised that money, and we will receive it and be allocated it through the budgeting process as we're ready to uh proceed into that phase and use the money.

Okay, and that goes along with the other money that's planned.

SPUC grade separation grants and the city.

Well, that's our own funding.

Okay.

Uh one other question I have.

I'll cut to the Jason bit for you, Mayor.

So the one question on pedestrian bridge or the uh connection across you bring up that diagram for me.

Okay, so the thing uh the one in purple?

Yes.

So that is how much?

Two million.

Two million dollars.

Okay, so how much further down does that get us to the so it says ringstorf there?

You got a cross the net the signal.

How far is that ridge to the signal that turns into the community center?

I'm gonna say it's several hundred feet.

So three hundred perhaps.

Okay.

So have people go another 300 feet, potentially instead of putting that bridge in there.

And how many people and is that predictionally going to serve just that community?

So people crossing it, they're just gonna go into that community.

So we know that there is a lot of um uh movement between the areas um east of Ringsdorf and West of Rainsdorf accessing the Lapaza market as well as going to and from uh the two communities.

So some of that is access via Stanford, but a lot of it is accessed through the park.

So if you're at the park, you see a lot of people with bags from the market, you see a lot of people moving to the market, uh, young families, like older folks.

So when you I'm really driving my term on this council is the drive cost.

How many people you see?

How much is it going to be affected by if they went down to the signal came one?

How aggressive?

How aggressive is this cost cutting?

Because to me, we're really cut serious.

That bridge, they're just walking.

You got a path, but you showed earlier that they could come down to the signal and walk across.

So when you say quantify the people, neighborhood or the general public at all.

Uh general.

So this is rhetorical question.

So I'm just giving you an idea where I'm coming from, because I think this this is a tremendous need because the trains are going to get quicker.

It isn't time delay, cars are sitting there idling, there's greenhouse gases.

We need to get this done.

And we were all excited when back in 2015, we thought we were moving ahead on this thing.

And now I've just seen too many costs escalate, too many things delayed, delayed, delayed.

And so I want us, I would like to see.

Um, I can't, I'm not gonna support the motion because I want to see a real aggressive cost, real nailing down the numbers so that when this comes back in my retirement, that you when you let's get this done.

And that's what across the board.

I know you're doing the best, but we got to nail down the numbers where it's coming from, so that when the opportunity comes, we can jump on it.

Because back then I we all thought we were almost uh we were show ready compared to Sunnyville and the loss of Palo Alto.

We were that far ahead, ready to go, and then things gone sideways.

So if I may, um, we're partners with BTA on this, and we're bringing them in as um engineering specialists.

So they do a lot of bar they're they're doing the bar expansion, they do a lot of work um that they not just fund but also engineer.

So we're bringing them along.

And they they looked at this as well.

Alongside us, we looked very carefully at all of the cost cutting measures.

So we have done the aggressive cost cutting that we want.

And the bike fed bridge is a good example of this because we looked at that and we weren't going to um shy away from proposing that as a potential uh maneuver.

The city can deliver a two million dollar bridge, and if it we were if we were two million dollars short of our goal, we would absolutely see that as a way to to uh to to make the difference to make up the difference.

Um so if there's other ways that we can do that, we will absolutely move forward between 35 and 65.

But I think what um uh uh uh vice mayor cameron is about to tell me is that one uh sorry, but no, I never wanted elected office.

I'm sorry, I apologize.

I got your time wrong.

What I've been the emphasis I want to make at this point is that time is not on our side, time is money.

Correct, right?

And what I would like to build on, and I believe you were headed to two, is the reason we're bringing this to you tonight is because we will not be able to continue refining the costs and nailing it down until we get through 65% design.

This is why uh senior J.

Halton continues to mention this is based upon 35% design, which is still too conceptual.

So we are requesting um your support and then council's approval to make these, for instance, design changes, so we can finish getting through 65% design, which will provide the critical inform a level of design we need to continue to nail down the numbers.

Okay, I can understand 65, but how are we getting there?

Do we have the so these numbers here are they for the poll project or if it get to the 65 percent?

These are numbers based on the 35 percent design as I mentioned earlier, they are rough order of magnitude numbers, so they're not definitive.

Okay, uh, I think I've conveyed my thoughts, and so we can uh go to virtual.

Are anybody in house would like any comment?

Anybody here discuss no anybody virtual would like to ask any questions, raised hands.

Okay, then we will bring it back to the committee or uh comments, motions.

I might think you were made motion.

What's better than that did before?

Second, okay.

I again will vote no because I would like to see something much more aggressive and more.

Um not necessarily what you're not cutting is like I rather see maybe I should say I right.

I like to see some numbers, dollars, inflation, realistic things because it's very hard to for me to see something that was I know was 150 at one time.

It's gone up to here, and if we want to get it done, we really got to nail down our funding.

And that's always out of our control.

We're at the mercy of many.

So okay.

Uh it's a two to one vote.

So motion passes.

Would you like me take an official vote?

Oh no, we raised your hands.

Two four and one against not against the project, just I need more detail.

I want this project to go because it's it's one of our thorough, it's our only thoroughfill that's realistic because to get people going north south through city or all the other people coming through, and the the separation at Castro is just okay.

Committee comments.

Committee comments.

Do any of the committee members have comments or report to share with the committee?

I have a staff comment.

Please so in 2016 voters overwhelmingly approved measure B with nearly 72% support.

Measure B is a 30 30 year half cent countywide sales tax, and it's going to fund projects that enhance transit, highways, expressways, and active transportation, which is bicycles, pedestrians, and complete streets.

Um, as you heard earlier, a portion of measure B will go towards the rain store project as well.

While the VTA board of directors sets policy decisions for 2016 measure B.

Voters entrusted the MBCOC.

So I think that's a citizens oversight committee to provide oversight to ensure that the 2016 Measure B funds are spent according to the ballot language and to keep voters informed about program compliance.

So this note is to let everybody know that the VTA is soliciting members for their citizens' oversight committee.

Um, I believe there is a sheet attached to the agenda uh with contact information if anybody is interested in joining that committee, or would like to apply for the committee.

Thank you.

Well, thank you.

That is a very important committee because that measure B money was hard fought by the city of Mount V and all the other small cities because San Jose wanted a chunk of the money, and we all and Supervisor Joe Smidian helped lead the cause.

Mountie was there to keep a cap on how much money it was going to part, and that's uh it was a we're going there.

Okay.

I'm sorry, I didn't read that part of the comments there, but thank you.

Okay, I will come back then to item 6.2.

Any comments from the two.

I have a question.

Uh member of the public uh commented on the Ameswell Bridge.

Is that ever gonna come to us in any form?

Look at it.

It is fully approved and fully approved, and I under construction.

Yeah, it's it's like 85% done.

Yeah, almost okay.

Yeah, it's almost open, but not a good ribbon cutting, maybe.

Um, it's a bridge that is over by the Ainswell Hotel that provides.

Oh, that one is the screen.

Yes, that was the parking area.

I keep throwing it, it goes back right, Don.

Okay, um would any okay?

So we've finished that one.

We will we've done that.

Adjourn.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Our next council transportation committee will be on December 2nd.

This meeting is adjourned at 8 46.

Thank you for all the coming.

Thank you.