Posted by Janet Lafleur, a resident of the Rex Manor neighborhood, on Jan 25, 2013 at 12:42 pm

Thank you, MV Voice, for supporting the efforts to make Mountain View more pleasant and safe for people on foot and on bikes.

It's not 1970 anymore. Our population has grown tremendously and will continue to grow. We cannot afford to have every daily trip by every person be in a car. We need better walking and biking routes and districts so people can shop, eat, socialize with friends and be entertained without creating more traffic. People avoid walking or biking along roads where cars are going 35+ mph; they want slower moving cars and wider sidewalks.

Matt Pear, I don't understand why you think fast moving traffic is critical for retail. It's well documented that slowing traffic and creating walking districts increases dollars spent.

Look at Castro Street, where the city did a "road diet" 20 years ago, before the term even existed. What was a sleepy strip of shops is now bustling with customers day and night. Yes, some businesses left Castro Street, but they were replaced by ones whose profits were great enough to pay the higher rents of a more desirable retail location. As a property owner, why would you not want that?