VTA to Hold February Bus Rapid Transit Meeting in Mountain View

The Valley Transportation Authority wants dedicated bus lanes on El Camino Real and wonders how the public will be impacted.

The next step in the VTA's process for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is the environmental impact review (EIR) process and to that end, VTA wants to get public input about what the EIR should look into.

"The VTA Board asked staff to review all BRT project design options from dedicated lanes to mixed flow lanes," said VTA General Manager Michael T. Burns. "We look forward to working with residents, businesses, commuters, transit riders, city staff, and elected officials as we continue to develop a project that will improve transit and support other local and regional plans that seek to improve and enhance multimodal operations in the El Camino Real corridor."

VTA proposes BRT improvements along 17.4 miles of El Camino Real between the HP Pavilion and the Palo Alto Transit Center in the cities of San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Los Altos and Palo Alto. The previous Mountain View City Council opposes since it would create more traffic congestion on the other lanes. They've raised the fact that Sunnyvale and Santa Clara have more and wider lanes.

However according to VTA, BRT would consist of a number of enhancements to make bus faster, more reliable, more frequent and to enhance pedestrian facilities in portions of the corridor.

The closest public input meeting to the Mountain View, Los Altos and Palo Alto communities will be at the Mountain View City Council Chambers, 500 Castro St. on:

• Thursday, February 28, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. or
• Thursday, February 28, 2013 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Comments can also be emailed to: ecrbrt@vta.org or mailed to: VTA Environmental Programs and Resources Management Attn: Christina Jaworski, 3331 North First St., Bldg. B-2, San Jose, CA 95134.

Comments are welcomed until March 8, 2013.