Mountain View BPAC Meeting - November 18, 2025: Transit Center Design, Vision Zero Plan, and Work Plan

The Mountain View Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) met on November 18, 2025, at 9:45 AM. The meeting covered updates to the Vision Zero Action Plan, approval of the FY 2025-26 Work Plan, and a detailed presentation on the Castro and Evelyn Interim Improvements Project. Public comments and committee discussions focused on pedestrian and bicycle safety, particularly regarding rail crossings and bike lane design.

Consent Calendar

• Item 4.3: Fiscal Year 2025-26 Work Plan was approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• April (public comment on Vision Zero Action Plan): Expressed support for training and updating city standard details, urging that standards be aligned with Vision Zero principles. Noted that the industry-standard safe systems training (FHWA/ITE) was not listed as completed. Stressed the importance of updating standard construction details to move from policy to practice.
• April (public comment on staff legislative update): Requested that future project reports quantify how many parking removals are already mandated by AB 413 (daylighting law) to clarify project impacts.
• Peter Sarafield (public comment on Transit Center project): Expressed excitement but concern about unclear bicycle movements at the Castro/Evelyn intersection, especially for those traveling from Sterling Road. Emphasized the need for smooth, well-marked bicycle paths and properly aligned curb ramps to avoid dangerous forced merges.
• Michael (public comment on Transit Center project): Advocated for a diagonal crosswalk at Castro and Evelyn instead of the proposed straight crossing, which would narrow pedestrian space and push people into an 18-foot gap in landscaping.
• Closure (public comment on Transit Center project): Supported the conversion to one-way car traffic and seconded Michael's suggestion for a diagonal crossing.
• Daniel Holz (in-person public comment): Urged immediate improvements to Moffitt Boulevard, stating that the current bike lane forces dangerous merges with high-speed traffic. Also noted that the project may slow transit shuttles by five minutes, which undermines transit center efficiency.
• Lucas Mello (in-person public comment): Welcomed new bike facilities but worried about the addition of a westbound travel lane on Evelyn, which would remove a modal filter and increase traffic speeds near a school. Called for buffered bike lanes.

Discussion Items

• Item 4.1: Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes (August 27, 2025): A discrepancy was noted: the minutes recorded a different member abstaining. The committee agreed to approve the minutes with staff verifying the correct abstention.
• Item 4.2: Vision Zero Action Plan / Local Road Safety Plan 2023-2025: Staff presented the plan. Committee members raised concerns that two key strategies (SR9: adoption of NACTO and ProWalk/ProBike guidelines, and SR10: updating city standard details) were listed as "not started" or with delayed timelines. Staff explained that these are implemented per project but not yet citywide policy. The committee voted to receive the plan.
• Item 6.1: Transit Center Grade Separation and Access Project / Castro and Evelyn Interim Improvements: Joy Houghton (Senior Civil Engineer) presented the 35% design. The project eliminates the vehicle at-grade rail crossing at Castro and Evelyn, improves pedestrian/bicycle facilities, and modifies traffic circulation. Key design elements include:
  • Segment 1: Evelyn Avenue between Hope and Bryant: Class 2 buffered bike lane (westbound) and Class 4 separated bikeway (eastbound), removal of 10 parking spaces, new pedestrian crossings with ADA upgrades.
  • Segment 2: Moffitt Boulevard north of Central Expressway: Conversion of southbound Class 2 bike lane to Class 4 separated bikeway, modification of intersection to a T-intersection, removal of rail preemption to reduce wait times, and green bike lane striping.
  • Segment 3: Castro and Evelyn rail crossing: Elimination of northbound vehicle access, removal of one west pedestrian crossing, widening the remaining east crossing from 10 to 15 feet, new fencing and lighting.
• Committee discussion raised several design concerns:
  • Desire to keep both pedestrian crossings (the west crossing is proposed for removal; staff noted Caltrain prefers consolidation for safety).
  • Need for diagonal crosswalk at Castro/Evelyn to align with pedestrian flow.
  • Concern about unprotected northbound bike lane on Moffitt and dangerous merge with traffic.
  • Request for protective bollards or landscaping near the new plaza adjacent to Central Expressway to prevent vehicle incursion.
  • Need for signalized crossings at Evelyn to be consistent with the Castro pedestrian mall.
  • Clarification on bus turning movements and bicycle ramp design.
• The committee passed a motion (unanimous) requesting that the City Transportation Committee recommend to Caltrain to keep both existing pedestrian crossings at the tracks.

Key Outcomes

• Item 4.1: Approved with staff to verify abstention.
• Item 4.2: Received (plan adopted).
• Item 4.3: Approved.
• Item 6.1: Motion passed to retain both pedestrian crossings. Staff will incorporate committee feedback (including exploration of diagonal crosswalk, northbound bike lane improvements on Moffitt, and safety barriers) and present the design concept to the Council Transportation Committee in December 2025. Final design expected fall 2026, construction early 2027.
• Next Meeting: January 28, 2026, at 6:30 PM.

Staff Updates

• Outreach events: Monster Bash bike rodeo (219 kids), bike rides, ribbon cuttings at Palo Alto and Ensign Bridge.
• Legislative updates: AB 413 (daylighting) in effect January 2025; SB 79 (transit-oriented development) effective July 2026; AB 177 (mitigation fees) effective September 2024.
• Active Transportation Plan timeline: Draft available for public review in April 2026.