From: Brian Cargille <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, May 4, 2026 11:58 AM
To: , Public Works <[email protected]>; Hicks, Alison <[email protected]>; Kamei, Ellen <[email protected]>; McAlister, John <[email protected]>
Cc: Boyer, Allison <[email protected]>; Ng, Jennifer <[email protected]>; Arango, Ed <[email protected]>; Gonzales, Robert <[email protected]>; City Council <[email protected]> Subject: CTC Agenda Item 5.2 (May 5) — Neighbors Positive Feedback for California Street Road Diet and Support for Middlefield Road Diet
Dear CTC and Mountain View City Council,
More streets in Mountain View, like Middlefield, should have a road diet so they're safer and greener.
My wife and I have lived at 1690 California Street since 2009. As long-term residents (and my wife, a MV public school alumna), we wanted to share that while there's been some opposition to the California Street "road diet," many of us in the neighborhood truly value the changes.
The street is significantly quieter, cars are driving more slowly, and the reduction in "car craziness" makes it much safer to back into our driveways. That said, based on frequent conversations with our neighbors, we believe the California Street Road Diet has been a success, and that two small tweaks would turn this project from a "good" change into a "perfect" one:
• Upgrade the Aesthetics: The blue planters feel temporary and "silly" to many. We would love to see them replaced with permanent, in-ground planters and trees, similar to the beautiful stretch of California Street closer to Castro. Landscaping should be the priority on residential streets like ours please, and used whenever possible, instead of plastic separators like those on El Camino.
• Fine-tune the parking: Restoring street parking in the current hash-mark areas (where small cars can safely fit) would resolve the biggest frustration we hear from neighbors.
We also want to highlight the positive feedback we hear from less vocal residents:
• Families—including neighbors from bike-friendly cultures like Denmark—love the new cargo-bike-friendly lanes.
• The overall environment feels safer and more community-oriented.
We and our neighbors hope you consider these points as you plan the future of Mountain View’s streets.
Best regards,
Brian Cargille
[email protected]
650 690 6943