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City approves $14 million for new trail crossings
Stevens Creek, Permanente Creek trail extensions move ahead

by Daniel DeBolt

The City Council approved highway over-crossings for the Stevens Creek and Permanente Creek trails on Tuesday.

The council voted 5-2 in favor of extending the Stevens Creek trail over Highway 85, with council members Laura Macias and Jac Siegel opposed.

The city will now take bids from construction companies for the project, which largely consists of a new pedestrian bridge over Highway 85 from the trail's southernmost point, Sleeper Avenue.

Siegel and Macias urged the city to wait until October for news about $4 million in federal funds requested by Anna Eshoo's office for the project. City staff urged the council to move forward with the project anyway, saying that the federal funding was uncertain and could delay the project for a year. They added that construction costs are currently low and could increase soon, and the project is already fully funded from various sources, including $1.25 million in Shoreline property taxes, $2 million in park funds and $800,000 in grants.

The city had originally hoped construction could begin to Dale-Heatherstone by April of this year. The city now hopes to obtain permits from Caltrans by August.

The next extension of the trail makes its way to Mountain View High School where another bridge crosses back over Highway 85. It is likely to be more difficult as portions of the trail go through private property, requiring easements from owners or eminent domain. City staff hope Eshoo's $4 million funding request can be interpreted broadly enough to help pay for it.

Permanente Creek Trail extended

Also Tuesday, the council approved a $9 million extension of the Permanente Creek Trail over Highway 101 and under Old Middlefield Way. The pedestrian bridge and tunnel will connect an existing trail from Shoreline Park and Google's campus to residential neighborhoods on the south side of Highway 101.

The council voted 6-1 in favor of the project with member Laura Macias opposed. Macias said she was wary of the project because it was coming in at "three times the original cost" of $3 million. City staff said the cost increase occurred when the tunnel under Old Middlefield Way was added to the project in order to protect pedestrians from cars speeding off Highway 101.

Council members cited the need to provide more connections to and from the North Bayshore area, where limited access causes traffic problems on Shoreline Boulevard and Rengstorff Avenue.

E-mail Daniel DeBolt at ddebolt@mv-voice.com

Posted by le dude, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Jul 30, 2010 at 5:13 pm

"the project because it was coming in at "three times the original cost" of $3 million... when the tunnel under Old Middlefield Way was added to the project in order to protect pedestrians from cars speeding off Highway 101"

Put up a traffic light. Hec, put up too, and save some money by not building a tunnel!

Posted by Tom, a resident of the Monta Loma neighborhood, on Jul 31, 2010 at 12:09 pm

The city's sidewalks are horrible, and they frequently claim that they do not have money to fix them. Yet the have $14 million to build a bridge?

I can't believe this baloney. Fix what you got before you build more!