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Castro Grade Separation and Access Project (GSAP)

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The Transit Center Grade Separation and Access Project, identified within the Master Plan, will improve safety, capacity, and multimodal access to the Transit Center and Downtown Mountain View. The project is focused on the Castro Street/Moffett Boulevard/Central Expressway intersection and the Castro Street crossing of the railroad tracks. This intersection is congested today and is impacted by frequent railroad gate interruptions, which limit pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle movements across Central Expressway. Conditions are expected to degrade further with the plans for increased Caltrain service, making it more difficult to cross Central Expressway. Over a thousand pedestrians and bicyclists use this location daily. The project will present them with a safer crossing of Central Expressway and fewer delays

Key project elements are shown in the following schematic.

 Castro Grade Separation Project Elements

In January 2024, the City Council was presented with updates regarding the two grade separations projects - Castro Street and Rengstorff Avenue, including project status, cost estimates and benefits (see Council Report dated January 23, 2024). Due to a limited funding sources and a very significant funding shortfall for the Castro Street Project, the City Council prioritized the Rengstorff Avenue Grade Separation Project. City Council prioritized Rengstorff given that there is an interim solution for Castro Street, Rengstorff is more challenging for pedestrians and bicyclists compared to Castro, and reducing the shortfall for Rengstorff would make it more competitive for federal grant funding application.

Since it is currently unknown when the Castro Street Grade Separation would be constructed, the City is proceeding with the design of the recommended interim improvements. The improvements will close the vehicle access at the Castro rail crossing, but will maintain the at-grade rail crossing for pedestrians and bicyclists and concern Evelyn to westbound only traffic with bike accommodations. This would result in the elimination of the rail signal pre-emption and would help reduce the wait time for pedestrian and bicyclists to cross Central Expressway. The City is continuing to work on this important project with Caltrain and VTA and the construction phase of the interim improvements will be included in the Recommended Fiscal Year 2025-26 through Fiscal Year 2029-30 scheduled for Council adoption and funding approval in June 2025.

Project Documents