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Letter: Use shuttles to link parking to high-speed rail

I have followed the high-speed rail project with a great deal of interest.

Like many residents, I am very interested in an intermediate stop at Mountain View. Also like many, I am reluctant to build additional parking lots in the heart of our downtown. Parking lots contribute no economic value, no sales tax and no property tax. Parking lots occupy space that new businesses and new residents could occupy.

I have a modest proposal. There is a great deal of underutilized parking at San Antonio shopping center. This could be connected to the high-speed rail station using a shuttle. Let's call this shuttle "34" or maybe "35."

Mountain View also has underutilized parking lots at Shoreline Amphitheater. Perhaps a shuttle "40" could also be run to that parking area. Lastly, there are many parking possibilities at Moffett Airfield. A shuttle, say "51," could connect that parking to the station. We may wish to have a high-capacity rail line connection as well. So perhaps we add a light-rail shuttle, "902."

Of course the wonderful thing is that all these shuttles already exist! Go to www.vta.org to learn more.

Mountain View should build a shopping/business center around and over the high-speed rail station. A station surrounded by parking is an eyesore. Building shopping and housing is much better land-use than acres of no-revenue parking garages.

Lets save the downtown for humans, not cars.

Patrick Moore,

Wright Avenue