Public Works Department
DATE: August 31, 2026
TO: Council Transportation Committee
FROM: Priyoti Ahmed, Transportation Planner
Lauren Ledbetter, Transportation Manager
Allison Boyer, Assistant Public Works Director
VIA: Jennifer Ng, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: Rengstorff Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39
RECOMMENDATION
Provide directions to staff on the corridor priorities to develop the preferred alternative for Rengstorff Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39.
BACKGROUND
On September 2024
, the City Council adopted the City's Vision Zero Action Plan and Local Road Safety Plan (VZAP/LRSP), which identif ies priority projects and programs to achieve the City's Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries by 2030. Rengstorff Avenue is part of the City's High Injury Network, which is made up of corridors with a history of fatal and severe traffic collisions. VZAP and LRSP identified Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study as the number one priority project to improve safety in Mountain View.
In 2024, the City was awarded grant funding from Caltrans through the Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program to evaluate active transportation and green street improvements along Rengstorff Avenue between El Camino Real and Leghorn Street. (Figure 1).
On September 10, 2024
, the Council accepted $352,000 in grant funding from Caltrans and appropriated the funds to the Rengstorff Complete Streets Study (25-39). Council also approved a midyear Capital Improvement Program project and transferred and appropriated $71,600 from the Transportation Reserve Fund for the Rengstorff Complete Streets Study, with the total project budget of $423,600. The grant funding must be expended by June 2027.
Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
Figure 1: Project Location
Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
Along with the VZAP/LRSP, Rengstorff Avenue was identified as a priority location for pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements in several Council-adopted citywide plans, including:
• Pedestrian Master Plan (2014): Identified Rengstorff Avenue as a candidate location for streetscape and pedestrian environment enhancements.
• Bicycle Transportation Plan (2015): Recommended Class IV cycle tracks for Rengstorff Avenue between El Camino Real and Charleston Road; however, feasibility analysis was not conducted at the time.
• Comprehensive Modal Plan – AccessMV (2021): Scored Rengstorff Avenue as the highest- priority corridor across multiple criteria, including equity, mobility, walkability/bikeability, safety, sustainability, and consistency.
• Draft Active Transportation Plan (2026): Based on community input, the intersections of Rengstorff Avenue and Central Expressway as well as Rengstorff Avenue and Leland Avenue/Crisanto Avenue were identified as the top challenging spots for walking, biking, and rolling. The draft ATP recommends a Class IV bicycle facility on Rengstorff Avenue between El Camino Real and Leghorn Street. Mountain View’s Active Transportation Plan is scheduled to be adopted by September 2026.
In March 2025, the City issued a Request for Proposal s (RFP) and selected Kimley -Horn as the professional consultant to fulfill the project scope. The project scope, description and status are shown in Attachment 1.
ANALYSIS
Since project initiation in Fall 2025, the Project Team has completed the following items:
• Established a multi-department Technical Advisory Committee to guide the study • Developed project goals
• Conducted existing conditions analysis
• Conducted a first round of public outreach
• Developed conceptual alternatives
The following sections summarize the work completed during those tasks.
Multi-Department Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
The Study has established a multidepartment TAC with City staff, with diverse expertise to review the key deliverables. The TAC includes representatives from the Public Works Department (Civil Infrastructure; Traffic; and Land Development), Community Development Department, and Community Services Department. The TAC has met three times, including a field visit t o review existing conditions, draft concepts, evaluation criteria, and provide feedback on the project.
Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
Project Goals
The Project Team developed Study goals based on background documents, technical analysis and feedback from the first round of public outreach. These goals are:
• Explore ways to enhance safety, incorporate green street elements, and improve multimodal access for people walking, biking, using public transit, and driving along Rengstorff Avenue.
• Identify a preferred alternative and develop preliminary concept drawings and cost estimates.
Existing Conditions Summary
The existing conditions analysis documented existing challenges along the Rengstorff Avenue corridor. Rengstorff Avenue serves a diverse mix of land uses, including high-, medium-, and low- density residential development, commercial areas , and key community destinations, including the Mountain View Community Center, Teen Center and Senior Center. Rengstorff Avenue is also included as one of the City’s Safe Routes to School for Monta Loma Elementary School, Crittenden Middle School and Los Altos High School.
Rengstorff Avenue is a two-lane arterial with a posted speed limit of 35 mph that provides a key connection to US 101 and North Bayshore. The corridor has a curb-to-curb width of 65 to 75 feet within an 80- to 90-foot right-of-way, continuous 4- to 6-foot sidewalks, Class II bike lanes, and on-street parking along most segments. The corridor is served by VTA bus routes, the Mountain View Community Shuttle, MVgo, and private employer shuttles.
As part of the analysis, staff and the consultant collected data to quantify existing conditions and challenges along the corridor, including collision history, average daily traffic (ADT), vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian counts, vehicle speeds, and on-street parking utilization.
A summary of the existing conditions is provided in Attachment 2. Key findings include:
• Collisions: Collision data from California Statewide Integrated Traffic Record Systems (SWITRS) (July 2020–June 2025) identified 72 reported traffic collisions along the corridor, with the highest concentrations at Central Expressway (12) and Old Middlefield Way (10).
Twenty-one collisions involved bicyclists or pedestrians. The most common primary collision factors across all modes were:
o Traffic signal and sign violations (e.g., running red lights and limited signal visibility);
o Unsafe speed;
o Automobile right-of-way violations (failure of a vehicle to yield to another vehicle); o Driving or bicycling under the influence of alcohol or drugs; and o Conflicts between turning vehicles and people walking or biking.
Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
• Average Daily Traffic (ADT) : The highest ADT of 16,657 is in the 200’ segment between Colony Street and Wyandotte Street.
• Intersection Activity and Operations : The highest number of pedestrian and bicycle activity is at Rengstorff Avenue and California Street. V ehicle congestion is highest at intersections of California Street, and Central Expressway with a Level of Service E or F during commute times.
• Speed: Driver traveling speeds exceed the posted speed limit by 4 to 6 miles between Montecito Avenue and Jane Lane.
• Parking: There are approximately 253 parking spots on the corridor. On-street parking is allowed on approximately 40% of the corridor. Most parking is located north of Central Expressway. The highest parking occupancy is between Old Middlefield Way and Leghorn Street.
• Transit: The corridor is served by VTA Route 40, the Mountain View Community Shuttle, MVgo, and nearby VTA Routes 21, 22, and 522. The highest transit ridership is at the California Avenue/Rengstorff Avenue and at San Ramon Avenue/Rengstorff Avenue intersections.
• Ongoing Projects: There are two major ongoing projects. These are:
o Rengstorff Avenue Grade Separation Project: To improve safety for all modes of travel, City is working with Caltrain on separating the railroad tracks from the road by lowering Rengstorff Avenue. The project will reduce local traffic congestion and train horn noise. A new pedestrian overcrossing will be constructed across Rengstorff Avenue to maintain east-west pedestrian and bicycle connectivity. The project is currently in the final design phase and the City is exploring the feasibility of phasing the construction of the project. (
Figure 2).
o Improvements to the Rengstorff Avenue crosswalk at Junction Avenue : Phase II of Grant/Sleeper and Other Pedestrian Crossing Improvements, Project 21-39, will install active transportation improvements at three intersections: Rengstorff Avenue/Junction Avenue, W. Middlefield Road/Terra Bella Avenue, and Cuesta Drive/Bonita Avenue. Improvements to the Rengstorff Avenue/Junction Avenue crosswalk include the installation of a pedestrian -actuated overhead pedestrian hybrid beacon (PHB), high-visibility crosswalk striping, enhanced advance warning signage and striping, and additional streetlight.
Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
Figure 2: Rengstorff Avenue Grade Separation Project
Public Outreach and Engagement
This Study includes three rounds of public outreach:
• Round 1: Existing travel patterns and improvement opportunities - completed • Round 2: Three draft concept alternatives – in-progress • Round 3: The preferred alternative and cost estimate
Outreach Round 1 Activities
In February to March 2026, the City conducted the first round of outreach to understand existing travel patterns, identify safety concerns, and gather ideas for corridor improvements.
Outreach activities included:
• Online C ommunity Survey : Open from February 1, 2026, to March 2, 2026, receiving approximately 1,000 responses.
• Walk and Bike Tour: 15 participants walked and biked along the corridor to identify safety concerns and improvement opportunities.
Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
• School Pop-Up: Staff met with students and parents at Monta Loma Elementary School during drop-off to understand their experiences traveling along Rengstorff Avenue.
Community members were notified of the outreach via:
• Yard Signs: 30-yard signs were placed along Rengstorff Avenue and at key community destinations, including Monta Loma Elementary School, Crittenden Middle School, Community Center, Rengstorff Park, Teen Center, Senior Center, City Hall, Library, Cuesta Park, and Pioneer Park.
• Postcards: Approximately 8,500 mailers were sent to residents and businesses within 1,000 feet of Rengstorff Avenue.
• Email Blasts: Emails were distributed through the Community Center, Mountain View schools, and neighborhood groups.
• Social Media: The City social media posts publicized the survey and the walk and bike audits.
Outreach Round 1 Findings
Attachment 3 includes a detailed summary of the first round of outreach. The summary includes results of the online survey, and feedback received during the school pop -up and walk and bike tours. Key findings are summarized below:
Online Survey: The survey asked questions on participants’ travel behavior, existing challenges of traveling on Rengstorff Avenue and the future safety improvements they would like to see to address challenges. Key findings from the survey include:
• Travel Patterns:
o 71% of respondents live on or near Rengstorff Avenue; o 61% use the corridor for shopping, dining, medical appointments, or other errands;
o 31% use it to commute to work, and
o 14% use it go to school.
• Travel Modes:
o 90% drive;
o 46% walk;
o 34% bike, and
o 8% use transit.
• Parking: 80% reported they do not park on Rengstorff Avenue. • Safety Concerns: Survey responders identified their top safety concerns along Rengstorff Avenue. Figure 3 shows the top four safety concerns identified by the survey respondents.
Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
• Desired Improvements: Respondents were provided with nine improvement ideas and asked to rank up to three of the improvements, in order of perceived importance. The results are shown in Figure 4 . A majority ranked safer bike and pedestrian crossings in their top three. Improved or protected bike lanes, slowing down drivers, and more greenery/landscaping were also common top three choices.
Walk and Bike Tour: This event was attended by 15 participants (Figures 5 through 7). During the tour staff walked and biked with participants and directly experienced and observed corridor conditions. The attendees noted a desire for consistent bike lane widths, safer crossings at Central Expressway, additional midblock crossings between Central Expressway and Montecito 29%
29%
29%
40%
40%
45%
60%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
New Midblock Crossing
Better Streetlighting
Improved Sidewalk
Greenery
Slow down drivers (traffic calming)
Protected or improved bike lanes.
Safer intersection crossings.
Percentage of Survey Respondents
Top Safety Improvements
Figure 4: Survey Respondents' Identified Safety Improvements 33%
35%
45%
64%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Conflicts with drivers and
cyclists/pedestrian
Diffculty crossing the street
Speeding
Traffic Congestion
Percentage of Survey Respondents
Top Safety Challenges
Figure 3: Survey Respondents' Identified Safety Challenges Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
Avenue (including near Jane Lane and Colony Street), and better enforcement of vehicles blocking bike lanes.
Figure 5: Staff at Rengstorff Avenue Walk and Bike Tour
Figure 6: Community Member Riding with Staff at the Walk and Bike Tour
Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
Figure 7: Community Members Meeting for Bike and Walk and Tour
Outreach Round 2 Activities
Currently, staff is conducting outreach round 2 to solicit feedback on the draft concept alternatives. Outreach activities include an online survey , school pop ups and an in- person
community meeting scheduled for Monday, August 24, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Staff will provide an update on the initial survey findings and feedback received during th e community meeting at the upcoming CTC meeting.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Comments
On August 18, 2026, Mountain View Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) reviewed and provided feedback on the corridor priorities and draft concept alternatives. Member comments are summarized below:
Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
• Noted that the existing walking and biking conditions on Rengstorff Avenue are high stress due to high motor vehicle volumes, high speeds, gaps in the bike lane, narrow bike lane, faded road striping, narrow sidewalks, unused driveway cuts, right turn conflicts, parking and drop off in the bike lane, and difficult crossings. • Recognized that due to corridor constraints and high existing and future traffic volumes, a road diet is likely infeasible. Noted that with growth of city and limited right-of-way future travel would need to be accommodated through transit or biking. • Support for improving intersections as presented in Alternative A, with the following comments:
o Consider speed tables, protected intersection elements, right turn on red restrictions.
• Support for improving bikeways as presented in Alternative B, with the following comments:
o Continuous protection for bicyclists is very important given the speed of traffic. o Explore opportunities to provide bicycle lane buffers or protected bike lanes in locations where bike lanes are currently not shown.
o Noted lack of bike lane improvements between Central Expressway and El Camino Real. Explore ways to improve the bike lane including narrowing travel lanes to provide wider bikeway, painted buffer, protected bike lane, or raised bikeway/path adjacent to Rengstorff Park.
• Regarding Alternative C, supported additional landscaping and suggested rather than widening sidewalk for the entire corridor, target improvements to address obstructions such as utility boxes, sign poles, unused curb cuts, and overgrown vegetation. • Restripe existing bike lanes and add green conflict zone markings to improve visibility and delineation for bicyclists and all roadway users.
• Reduce traffic speeds.
• Explore whether Crisanto Avenue, which is part of the Rengstorff Avenue Grade Separation Project, could be closed to motor vehicles in advance of the Grade Separation Project to improve safety at the Rengstorff Avenue/Central Expressway intersection.
• Requested that City staff confirm that there is a mechanism for supporting active transportation improvements at El Camino Real and Rengstorff Avenue intersection, either through this plan or through another CIP. (Note that this intersection is within the Town of Los Altos and under Caltrans jurisdiction.)
• Consider implementing in phases, with intersection improvements being prioritized over linear improvements.
Development and Evaluation of Initial Concepts
After completing the existing conditions analysis and the first round of outreach, the project team developed draft concept alternatives that responded to project goals, existing conditions Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
analysis, prior plans, and public feedback collected during the outreach. In developing the three draft concept alternatives, the project team and the TAC recognized the fact that Rengstorff Avenue has limited right-of-way with multiple competing priorities, including maintaining vehicle access between El Camino Real and the US 101 ramps, improving safety for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists, enhancing greening, and preserving well -utilized on -street parking for nearby residents.
Concepts Considered but not Advanced
Initial concepts that were evaluated and deemed infeasible included a two-way cycletrack on one side of the road and reducing travel lanes north of Central Expressway (road diet).
During the first round of public outreach, 64% of respondents identified traffic congestion as the corridor's primary issue. The existing conditions analysis identified the highest levels of vehicle congestion at the intersections of California Street, Central Expressway, Montecito Avenue, and Old Middlefield Way. Rengstorff Avenue i s an important corridor providing vehicular access to US 101 and North Bayshore in Mountain View and has very high volumes during commute hours.
The project team condu cted traffic analysis to understand the impacts the road diet concept would have on vehicle delay, level of service, and queuing. The traffic analysis found that a road diet would result in significant and unacceptable impacts to Level of Service at Old Middlefield Way (moving from LOS D to LOS F during AM and PM peaks) and Montecito Avenue (moving from LOS D to LOS E during AM peak). At Old Middlefield Way, delay times would nearly quadruple in the morning and more than double in the evening. Based on the community feedback, existing conditions analysis, and the LOS analysis, all three draft concepts maintain the existing number of travel lanes to preserve vehicle capacity and corridor throughput while improving safety and multimodal access.
The two-way cycletrack was dropped due to the complexity of managing conflicts at multiple driveways and designing and operating intersections with a two-way cycletrack. Additionally, the limited right of way available results in a constrained corridor which would only permit bicycle facilities to be provided on one side of Rengstorff Avenue, requiring all southbound bicyclists to cross Rengstorff Avenue to access the cycletrack. Finally, the project will require coordination with and approval by Caltrans (at El Camino Real), Santa Clara County (at Central Expressway), and California Public Utilities Commission (at C altrain) and the risk of the project not being approved by outside agencies was high.
Draft Concept Alternatives
Attachment 4 includes draft concept alternatives’ layout and cross-sections for:
Alternative A: Improved Intersections
Alternative B: Improved Bike Facility
Alternative C: Improved Pedestrian Facilities and Greening Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
These are described below.
• Alternative A: Improved Intersections: This draft concept alternative improves intersections and safety at key crossing locations while maintaining existing on -street parking along Rengstorff Avenue. The cross-section for Alternative A will remain the same (Figure 10 and Figure 11). Proposed improvements include:
o Intersection improvements: enhanced crosswalks, curb extensions, ADA- compliant curb ramps and green dashed bike lane markings through intersections (Figure 8)
o Protected intersection elements at intersections where feasible o New midblock crossings with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at Wyandotte Street, Junction Avenue and Waldorf School (Figure 9).
Figure 9: Example of Midblock Crossing with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon Figure 8: Example of Protected Intersection in Mountain View Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
• Alternative B: Improved Bike Facility: This concept includes all proposed improvements from Alternative A and upgrades bicycle facilities along Rengstorff Avenue. Alternative B proposes buffered and Class IV protected bike lanes by removing approximately 64% of existing on-street parking along the corridor. Proposed improvements include:
o Class IV protected bike lanes with physical barriers from Central Expressway to Leghorn Street (Figure 12 and Figure 13)
o Greening at intersection corners and within bike lane buffers Figure 11: Draft Concept Alt A Typical Cross-section South of Central Expressway Figure 10: Draft Concept Alt A Typical Cross-section North of Central Expressway
Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
o All improvements included in Alternative A, including:
Intersection improvements: enhanced crosswalks, curb extensions, ADA- compliant curb ramps and green dashed bike lane markings through intersections
Protected intersection elements at intersection where feasible New midblock crossings with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at Wyandotte Street, Junction Avenue, the Waldorf School, and Rengstorff Park.
Figure 12: Draft Concept Alt B Typical Cross-section North of Central Expressway
Figure 13: Draft Concept Alt B Typical Cross-section South of Central Expressway
Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
• Alternative C: Improved Pedestrian Facilities and Greening: This concept includes all proposed improvements from Alternative A
and further enhances safety, accessibility, and
comfort for people walking along Rengstorff
Avenue. The concept widens sidewalks to six
feet by removing approximately 48% of
existing on -street parking and adds trees,
landscaping, and other green infrastructure
throughout the corridor. Proposed
improvements include:
o Widening sidewalks to six feet
throughout the corridor (Figure 16 and
Figure 17)
o Additional greening, including trees,
tree wells, landscaping, and
bioretention (Figure 14 and Figure 15)
o All improvements included in
Alternative A, including:
Intersection improvements:
enhanced crosswalks, curb
extensions, ADA-compliant
curb ramps and green dashed
bike lane markings through
intersections
Protected intersection elements where feasible
New midblock crossings with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at Wyandotte Street, Junction Avenue and the Waldorf School
Figure 15: Example of Tree Bulbouts (Tree Wells) in Sacramento Figure 14: Example of Widened
Sidewalk with Trees in City of Cleveland
Tree Bulbouts
Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
Figure 16: Draft Concept Alt C Typical Cross-section North of Central Expressway
Figure 17: Draft Concept Alt C Typical Cross-section South of Central Expressway
Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
Table 1 summarizes and compares the features and impacts of the three alternatives.
Table 1: Concept Alternative Comparison
Key Features
Alternative A:
Improved
Intersections
Alternative B:
Improved Bike
Facility
Alternative C:
Improved
Pedestrian Facilities
and Greening
Intersection
Improvements Yes Yes Yes
Mid-block Crossings Yes Yes Yes
On-street Parking No Change
Approx. 60% parking
spaces removed to
provide protected
bikeway
Approx. 48% parking
spaces removed to
provide wider
sidewalks and
greenery
Bicycle Lane No Change Protected bike lane No Change
Wider Sidewalk No Change No Change
Widening sidewalk to
6 ft throughout the
corridor*
Added Greenery No Change
Landscaping
throughout the
corridor*
Tree wells,
landscaping, bio-
retention throughout
the corridor*
Speed Reduction Yes, at intersections
and mid-blocks
Yes, by repurposing
parking lane for
bikeway
Yes, by repurposing
parking lane for
widened sidewalk
* Specific locations to be determined in future design phase.
DISCUSSION
Currently, staff is seeking direction from the Council Transportation Committee (CTC) on corridor priorities and the draft alternatives. The corridor has limited right -of-way and competing demands that cannot all be met within the existing right-of-way, including:
Rengstorff Avenue Complete Streets Study, Project 25-39 August 31, 2026
o Protected bike lane
o Additional midblock crossings
o Improved intersection crossings
o Wider sidewalks
o Maintaining on-street parking
o Maintaining vehicle travel times
o Slower vehicle speeds
o Adding greenery with more trees and landscaping
Staff request that CTC provide direction on what should be prioritized when staff develop a preferred concept. CTC may direct staff to develop a preferred concept from the alternatives listed below , or to develop a preferred concept that is a combination of the alternatives or includes other recommendations.
Alternative A: Improved Intersections
Alternative B: Improved Bike Facility
Alternative C: Improved Pedestrian Facility and Greenery
Based on direction from the CTC, and in consideration of the feedback from BPAC and the community, staff will develop a preferred concept for the corridor and return to the CTC early next year for review and recommendation to City Council.
NEXT STEPS
Following completion of the second round of public outreach, feedback from BPAC, and direction from CTC, staff will develop a preferred alternative that responds to the feedback and direction.
Staff will present the preferred alternative to the community, BPAC, and CTC in January and February 2027. Based on the feedback received, staff will make final refinements to the preferred alternative and draft a final report for Council review by April 2027. This Study will identify safety improvements along Rengstorff Avenue. Staff will use the Study’s recommendations to seek for future grant opportunities to fund the construction and implementation of the proposed improvements.
PWK/PA-04-29-26M
Attachment 1: Scope and Schedule
Attachment 2: Existing Conditions
Attachment 3: Rengstorff Complete Street Outreach Round 1 Summary Attachment 4: Draft Concept Alternatives and Cross-section
cc: PWD, APWD—Boyer, TM – Ledbetter