Fewer on Board for High-Speed Rail Station

A High-Speed Railroad (HSR) train station seemed, at first, like an attractive proposition for Mountain View.

But in a 4-2, non-binding straw vote taken after a four-hour study session at the Senior Center on Monday, Sept. 13, a clear majority of the City Council suggested that Mountain View would withdraw its name from consideration as a mid-Peninsula stop along the San Francisco-San Jose HSR corridor.

"There's still little information," Mayor Ronit Bryant said about the impact to the downtown's character from the traffic and construction, before she cast a soft "No" vote against the station. "I feel good about my first reaction that a HSR station in Mountain View doesn't make sense."

Councilmembers Jac Siegel, Laura Macias and John Inks agreed with Bryant, while Margaret Abe-Koga and Tom Means voted in support. Councilman Mike Kasperzak was not in attendance. All voted not to spend any more city funds to study the possibility.

According to Dominic Spaethling, the regional manager for Valley Transit Authority (VTA), the preferred mid-Peninsula station would be at Millbrae. The optional stations would be in Redwood City, Palo Alto or Mountain View because of the transit hubs, opportunities for transit-oriented development and surrounding amenities.

He added that Mountain View has the third-highest ridership overall in the Caltrain system and that compared with Redwood City or Palo Alto, it also has the VTA's light rail connection, buses, company shuttles and freeway access off Route 85, "that could help minimize traffic."

With a 2035 completion horizon, the Authority projects that the 67,000-square-foot station would get 7,800 daily HSR riders and an additional combined increase of 6,700 for Caltrain and VTA. The need is forecast to be around 1,000 onsite parking spots with at least 2,000 offsite, and also a jump in auto and taxi pickups and drop-offs.

 No station has to be built, though "we do know that there is a legitimate demand for a mid-Peninsula station," Spaethling said.

"It's an interesting science trying to figure out where people get on and off," he said. "You can hop on Caltrain in Mountain View and hop on the HSR in San Jose, which raises the question if you need [a station] in Mountain View."

Spaethling confirmed that the Authority would pay for the station and incidental construction—like a pedestrian bridge or an off ramp from highway—but the city or private entity would bear the burden for the parking.

Still, like the council, the majority of residents who addressed the speakers admitted they voted for the bond to build the HSR system but worried about the affects of more traffic and parking spaces on the city.

"The HSR Authority has presented us with choices that lack creativity," said Patrick Moore, a Wright Avenue homeowner. "They want to build these high parking structures that make it easier to drive than use public transit."

Robert Cox, a resident of Old Mountain View, expressed his concern about the effect of a market-value parking lot on the already-free parking in his neighborhood.

"We'd have to create parking permits for downtown, which would change the character," he said.

The environmentalists reminded the Authority and the City Council that limited parking spaces encouraged the use of public transportation.

"Urban planning is necessary to respond to global warming, and I wonder if 3,000 parking spaces are necessary in 2035?" said John Carpenter.

The Authority expects to release an environmental impact study by December, at which point the City Council can decide to withdraw Mountain View from consideration. The council can also decide before then. If the council votes to remain in consideration, it would then send a "Letter of Intent" to the Authority.

A decision either way would not affect plans to have the HSR run through the city.