California High-Speed Rail (CHSR)

In November 2008, California voters approved $9.95 billion in bonds (Proposition 1A) to design, environmentally clear, and begin construction of a high-speed rail system between Northern and Southern California.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) is responsible for planning, designing, building and operating the high-speed rail system.

By 2029, the CHSR system is expected to run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles basin in less than three hours. The system will eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with as many as 24 stations. For the segment from San Francisco to San José, it is anticipated that Caltrain and High-Speed Rail will share Caltrain's existing tracks, operating as a blended system.

The CHSRA is also working with regional partners to implement a State-wide rail modernization plan that will invest billions of dollars in local and regional rail lines to meet the State’s 21st century transportation needs.

Additional information regarding the California High-Speed Rail project is available at the CHSRA website. To sign up for Mountain View notices on High-Speed Rail go to MyMV.

Caltrain Modernization (CalMod) Program

Caltrain's proposed CalMod Program will electrify and upgrade the performance, operating efficiency, capacity, safety, and reliability of Caltrain's commuter rail service. The first phase of Caltrain Modernization is Positive Train Control (PTC), which will reduce the potential for human error and train-to-train collisions. PTC is required to be implemented by the end of 2018. The remaining phases of the CalMod Program are currently being implemented and are scheduled to be completed by 2022. In addition to increasing capacity and improving performance, the CalMod Program will help prepare the Peninsula rail corridor to eventually accommodate California's State-wide high-speed rail service which is planned for 2029.

Additional Information and Updates

In October 2012, a Local Policy Maker Group (LPMG) was formed to participate in the CalMod Program planning process. Information regarding LPMG and its meetings is available on the CalMod website.

VTA Next Network Plan

VTA has developed a new Transit Service Plan—also known as the Next Network Plan—to increase transit ridership in Santa Clara County. The new service plan is scheduled to roll out when the BART Phase I Extension to Silicon Valley becomes operational in January – March 2019. As part of the Next Network Plan, direct light rail transit (LRT) services will commence between Mountain View LRT station and Milpitas BART station.

Additional information regarding the VTA Next Network Plan and BART Silicon Valley Extension project is available from VTA’s website.

Automated Guideway Transportation Feasibility Study

In February 2018, the City of Mountain View completed the Automated Guideway Transportation (AGT) Feasibility Study to address future anticipated demand for commuter access between Downtown Mountain View Transit Center and North Bayshore. The City Council had indicated that adding roadway capacity in Mountain View would be socially and environmentally undesirable as well as economically impractical. City Council had also indicated that repurposing existing roadway capacity for higher-occupancy modes would be undesirable for motor vehicle access in the city. In order to increase capacity, the City therefore commissioned a study to understand the potential for implementing advanced mobility systems that range from Aerial Lifts, Automated People Movers, Monorail, Personal Rapid Transit and Group Rapid Transit to Autonomous Transit. The study assumed that the system would operate on elevated, exclusive tracks.

Based on the study, Autonomous Transit and Group Rapid Transit emerged as the most appropriate technologies from the perspective of passenger experience, infrastructure needs, technology application, and cost. The study also outlined key considerations for future planning as technology continues to evolve.

This next phase of this planning effort has been deferred.