From: Peggy Huang <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2025 6:34 PM
To: , Public Works <[email protected]>
Cc: Ahmed, Priyoti <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Agenda for Council Transportation Committee - on Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 6:00 PM PST has been posted
Hi CTC,
MVBPAC Project 21-35Input
I am a Mountain View BPAC committee member Peggy Huang and would like to reach CTC for purposes of sending my inputs relating to Vision Zero Project 21-35 (Transit Center Grade Separation and Access Project (Castro and Evelyn Interim Improvements), Project 21-35;- the subject heavily discussed at the November 17 BPAC meeting . I see that Ms Ahmed Priyoti is out of the office until December 1st and the CTC public meeting will be on December 2, as such I am sending this input directly to CTC for purposes of maintaining my words of importance with Ms Priyoti that a copy of this letter gets sent for your committee's review.
Please know I am a member who was unable to attend on the night of the BPAC meeting on 17th of November but did see the entire 2hr plus meeting recorded and for that reason feel obligated as committee member towards sending this letter of input for your committee's considerations.
The attached you will read some of my supportive and also contrary inputs in response to my colleagues suggestions as stated in the November 17th, 2025 BPAC conference meeting.
Yours,
Peggy Huang
Peggy Huang
MV BPAC Committee Member
1163 California St.
Mountain View, CA 94041
[email protected]
Hi Ms. Priyoti,
Thank you for your reply. And, I regret I was not able to participate in sharing my thoughts, especially on the project 21-35 for which I do find of high significant value for the community and did quite a lot of research myself.
I've just now seen the entire recording and have reflected the comments and questions coming from the public, and some BPAC members; and also the answers from the project designers.
It is only now that I can see from the email you sent 2 days ago to me providing this information (I apologize for not attending Monday). Nevertheless, since I was not there, I will not say too much but only 2 inputs that I find the City Council, CTC, Caltrains, VTA, and the County should consider:
1) Re Segment 2, The majority of the people attending the meeting already stated and so I need not say much for than i-e- that the bike route on Moffett going southbound from Jackson requires a re-design so as to prevent any collision for bikers knowing they have to change lanes so as to make either a left lane change or a right lane change onto central expressway; it is a concern that human errors can occur from bikers and vehicles alike and any accident/collision KSI here can cause city's liabilities. I believe this point re bike safety on moffett coming from Jackson st was very well covered by other members and the public in the meeting for me to say anything more.
2) Segment 1 Evelyn St. Between Hope and Bryant:
Contrary to the opinions heard from my BPAC colleagues, my biggest support is to maintain parking availability on Evelyn - as much as possible, and not even eliminate any so as to maintain the livelihood of the neighborhood and etc, Eliminating any parking space will 1) disrupt the current downtown pedestrian mall objective, 2) reduce human traffic flow by decreasing people's desire to even drive/pass there anymore, 3) cause gloomy feel - people's incapacity to park there (no car spaces) will not motivate any type of traffic on the street anymore; 4) danger will more likely occur in the neighborhood; 5) more homeless people's will desire to stay there; 6) value of housing there will remain stagnant - habitats in the area will only hear train sounds more and experience less pedestrian voltage.
To be more precise:
- Currently VTA has a bus line 21 eastbound that passes through the Northbound train track every 30 minutes from the Mountain view Central Bus station. If North bound train track is closed whereby bus 21 cannot pass through while Evelyn street will be the best option come as an only a one-way street for this VTA line 21 heading to middlefield road north, then the question to ask VTA is whether they will re-route line 21 so that the bus route will either go through Evelyn street altogether, then pass Bryant, Franklin, then through Shoreline or otherwise in order reach Middlefield street to fulfill their line 21 eestbound stops. If VTA will re- route line 21 as stated herein after the close or block of the northbound train track crossing, then it is apparent that Castro street and the Evelyn street neighbors will definitely experience more bus trafficking going at 15 miles per hour (15 m/hr is ok). Why is bus trafficking bad in Evelyn St.? (see below)
- With the upgrade on Evelyn street to being only a one-way street giving extensive bicycle protection paths both east and west ways (north and south of the street) and no more or much less available parking spaces, the area will be dull and gloomy for pedestrians to want to even go, Humans, people like to see light and prefer human interaction. It is apparent right now that people do walk on Evelyn St because cars do still drive through even though there is a temporary road block going into Evelyn St. from Castro. It is people's instinctive behavior to want to find parking due to the lack of parking spaces on weekends and many fun events on Castro during the year. The odds of shoppers and fun seekers wanting to park on the other side of the train track, i.e- Moffett Street, seems too improbable due to the inconvenience of walking and human history.
- Due to less cars going onto Evelyn and perhaps only buses (if any TBD by VTA), the area will seem only duller and gloomier. While some bikes may go there, the number of bikes going there will not increase further and may even decrease knowing that this street may be considered boring to ride. If busy, the peak time would occur most likely during 9am or 5pm (to and back from work). If line 21 bus doesn't even get rerouted here by VTA, then this west Evelyn St. will definitely seem empty. Less pedestrians will also want to walk there either with their kids, or with their dogs, seniors alike. Most people like colors and vibrancy and thus prefer to walk on streets where there are stores (i.e., Dana, Villa St.-parallel to Eveyln St) and feel entertained.
Being on the back and end of the Castro street where Evelyn is situated without any kind of store front, cars or colorful lights will not motivate more pedestrian's likeness of the area.
- At night, or even during the day, it'll be easier for robbery, and theft to occur. In addition, the possibility of homeless occupation in the area will also be higher. why? Because the place will be darker, more space to live and rest etc.
While the police station is close by, that does not eliminate the possibility of theft or homeless habitation in the area. Police are not there 24 hours.
- With all of the above stated the value of homes there will not increase too expediently, if at all, like the other homes in the vicinity.
Overall with segment 1's upgrade design, it is important that no parking spaces get eliminated at all. It is efficient to maintain the rather up-beat atmosphere the street currently has due to people's walking, biking and driving simultaneously; Evelyn's street's (east and west) up-beat feel is not considered as high in comparison to neighboring downtown streets. And, eliminating any parking spaces on the west side of Evelyn will only reduce it. (I suggest looking at Palo-Alto's Page Mill road and see why the end of the PageMill St is so dull and the area has no traffic, foot or otherwise; it has become a dead end; Pagemill St. use to be a high traffic promenade but itis not the same anymore)
If perpendicular parking would cause danger, then diagonal or even vertical parking is a better alternative then none at all. In addition, if eliminating parking is the only preference, then I highly suggest that not eliminating for trial purposes in an effort to see its efficiency first and reduce cost until later would also serve the city's ultimate purpose of 1) Pedestrian Mall plans; 2) Vision Zero Policies of equality in addition to all other Vision Zero policies not listed here but existent.
The above is a lot written. Hope I did not bore you out or sound too illogical. If you need any clarification of my statements, please feel free to let me know. I will be more than happy to discuss and clarify all this with you. I live on California st by downtown and go on Castro almost daily and take bus 21 all the time (I bike too). It would definitely be in all MV homeowners interest for MV to maintain its downtown prestige and excitability - one way is by not taking away visitors' ability to find parking, the process of finding parking; And this can be done by having more parking available all around downtown..
The above is only a Bpac committee member advice re the Project 21-35 design and that is it.
Yours,
Peggy Huang
November 19, 2025