|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Mountain View is moving ahead with plans to make bicycle and pedestrian improvements along Rengstorff Avenue – but not at the expense of vehicle lanes.
On Monday evening, the Council Transportation Committee weighed in on three options to redesign a 1.7-mile stretch of Rengstorff that runs from El Camino Real to Leghorn Street, just south of U.S. Highway 101.
The designs all retain the four vehicle lanes that currently exist along the often-congested thoroughfare, although some reduce the amount of on-street parking that’s available.
Committee members were supportive of improving safety for bikers and walkers but had concerns about taking out street parking. There are currently about 250 parking spots along the route, according to a city staff report.
“We have to probably eliminate some parking but do it with care and intention,” Council member Alison Hicks said at the Aug. 31 meeting.
With two vehicle lanes running in each direction, Rengstorff currently has a 35 mph speed limit. There are on-street bike lanes and the sidewalks are four to six feet wide. Street parking is available along segments of the corridor, particularly north of Central Expressway.
Many apartment complexes, condos, single-family homes and businesses are located along Rengstorff Avenue. The corridor is also included as one of the city’s safe routes to Monta Loma Elementary School, Crittenden Middle School and Los Altos High School. The street is served by public transit, including VTA buses.
About two dozen community members spoke at the Transportation Council Committee meeting, urging the city to add protected bike lanes and improve sidewalks and crosswalks. Some speakers also favored reducing driving lanes.
The Rengstorff project comes on the heels of another road redesign on California Street, where the city implemented a “road diet” and reduced parking to make way for bike lanes – a move that has drawn mixed reactions from the community.
When it came to Rengstorff, a city traffic analysis found that removing driving lanes would lead to “significant and unacceptable impacts” at multiple intersections, according to the report.
Laying out the three options
Presented by city staff, the three road redesign options – Alternatives A, B and C – have varying levels of pedestrian and bike safety features.
Transportation Planner Priyoti Ahmed described Alternative A as a baseline option that seeks to improve intersections and safety at key crossings like Wyandotte Street, Junction Avenue and Waldorf School. All existing on-street parking would be retained, Ahmed said.
Taking it a step further, Alternative B focuses on improving bicycle safety. It includes all the elements of Alternative A while adding protected bike lanes. However, putting in protected bike lanes would necessitate the removal of about 64% of the street parking, according to Ahmed.
Alternative C seeks to improve pedestrian safety with a focus on widening sidewalks and adding green elements along the corridor. The option includes all the elements of Alternative A and requires the removal of about 48% of the street parking, Ahmed said.
Council members weigh in
Not entirely satisfied with the presented options, Council members questioned whether it would be possible to have continuous protected bike lanes, widened sidewalks and more greenery without removing the existing street parking.
“Can we do a little bit of everything?” Hicks asked.
Transportation Manager Lauren Ledbetter replied that the city could not combine all of the alternatives without making tradeoffs, like reducing the number of vehicle lanes.
Rather than go that route, Hicks suggested other possibilities, such as reducing medians to create more space for protected bike lanes and street parking. Hicks viewed widened sidewalks as less of a priority, noting that Rengstorff Avenue was not particularly crowded with pedestrians.
Council member John McAlister didn’t favor adding protected bike lanes, instead saying that he preferred to “accentuate” the bike lanes that currently exist with better markings. He voiced concern that removing street parking would be a disservice to the wider community.
“Not everybody can ride a bike. Not everybody can walk,” McAlister said. “People need to take cars.” He added that maintaining accessibility for vehicles is also critical to keeping public transit in service on Rengstorff Avenue, because buses use the lanes.
Favoring a combination approach, Council member Ellen Kamei expressed a preference for both options B and C, noting that it was difficult to choose between the two.
“Our community has continuously asked us to make our city a more walkable, bikeable city,” she said. Kamei also emphasized the importance of making the corridor safe for students, given its proximity to so many schools.
Ultimately, the committee asked city staff to clarify the tradeoffs of prioritizing different elements in the redesign, such as retaining street parking, adding protected bike lanes and increasing greenery.
Staff plan to narrow down to one preferred design by early next year, incorporating feedback from the Council Transportation Committee as well as from community members and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. A final report would then go to the full City Council in April, according to the staff report.
More information about the Rengstorff Avenue redesign project is available on the city’s website. A community survey on the different road design options is also available for respondents to fill out. The survey closes Friday, Sept. 11.
Most Popular
Rumors fly about potential closure of Mountain View's Cinemark Century 16 movie theaterSeptember 1, 2026 7:04 pm
