From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Emil Abraham
City Council
10/8/2024 4.9 Plymouth/Space Park Realignment, Project 20-40-Professional Services Agreement Monday, October 7, 2024 8:06:20 AM
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Council and Staff,
Thanks for pushing this project forward! I love the idea of a two way cycle track and bike lanes, protected intersection, wide sidewalks, and room for green landscaping and trees. This corridor desperately needed all of that. I often bike to the movie theater here. However, I was always reluctant to bike/walk to explore this area since it was so hostile to bikes/peds. Once this project finishes, I'd love to experience it.
My only concern is pushing the dedicated bus lane to a later phase. I'm scared it will be forgotten. Personally, I find low ridership of transit to be a weak argument for delaying/stopping transit projects. If the buses have to sit in the same traffic that cars have to sit in, why would we expect people to shift modes to transit? This is where a dedicated bus lane will shine as they get to zip past the queued up cars. There is no better way to advertise public transit.
I personally know people who take a bus on this route from the MV transit center to get to and from work every morning and evening. They say it is miserable and congested because they have to sit with the cars. There are also corporate shuttles that utilize this road to take people to work. I think they would benefit from a dedicated bus lane.
Emil Abraham
Resident of Mountain View
From:
To:
Albert Jeans
City Council
Subject: Council Meeting 10/8/2024, items 2.1, 4.9, and 4.11 Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024 7:10:44 PM
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Dear Mountain View City Council,
I would like to comment on a few items on the agenda.
The closed session part of the meeting has to do with the acquisition
of property at 928
Mariner Drive, part of Shenandoah Square. I'm assuming this has to do with expanding the left turn pocket from Moffett Blvd. to the Highway 85 onramp. This was a consequence of the need to close the left turn lane to southbound
Highway 85 on N. Shoreline Blvd. due to the
Reversible Bus Lane. However, as stated in 4.9, the bus lane elements have been deferred
to a
later date, which is why they will be deleted from plans for the Plymouth-Space Park Realignment. That being said, why is acquisition of the property on Mariner Drive proceeding, if it's not certain if the bus lane will ever be built? As for item 4.11, acquisition of property at 939 San Rafael Ave., I am of course very happy to see that the city is able to purchase additional park land and expand this park to over 2 acres.
Maybe the three other parcels on San Leandro Ave. will eventually become available as well.
However, I would like to caution the city about thinking that this future park will suffice for the Stierlin Plan Area. The Council Report says that the ratio of open space to population is
2.3 acres per 1000 residents for the Stierlin Plan Area. However, this includes two large school playgrounds, Stevenson and Crittenden, which are closed most of the day, 5 days a week.
Without these, the ratio is only 0.56 acres per 1000 residents. Given that since 2020, constructed or entitled projects will bring at least 1400 additional housing units to this planning area or about 3000 new residents (see attached graphic), the addition of 2.4 acres of park space is far from the goal of 9 acres desired just for the increase in population, to say nothing of the residents already here. In fact, with the new park the ratio will still be only 0.58 acres per 1000 residents.