California Street is identified as a high injury corridor<\/a> in Mountain View\u2019s 2024 Vision Zero Action Plan<\/a>. According to Terry Barton, who sits on the city\u2019s Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, a string of three fatalities<\/a> between 2010 and 2012 intensified calls to make the street safer.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reaction was, \u2018Hey, we had three people in a short amount of time killed, something needed to be done,\u2019\u201d Barton said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s clear, the traffic volumes and the street design didn\u2019t agree in terms of having four wide lanes that induced high levels of speed.\u201d<\/p>\n However, not everyone views the pilot project as an improvement. Multiple California Street residents said the reduction in parking spaces has made it harder to find a spot on an already busy street. Some residents report that the traffic has worsened, with fewer and narrower lanes forcing drivers to slow down, and particular problems arising when a lane is blocked by slow moving vehicles or car accidents.<\/p>\n For Lisa Hirsch, who lives in an apartment on California Street and has a disabled parking placard, the parking-protected bike lanes have posed a particular problem. The new setup, in which cars park between the bike lane and vehicle lane, has worsened visibility for cars entering and exiting driveways, Hirsh said.<\/p>\n \u201cMy life and my family are at risk every time we need to leave our apartment,\u201d Hirsch said via text message. \u201cThe streets need to go back the way it was.\u201d<\/p>\n Evaluating California Street changes<\/p>\n Now that construction on the pilot project is complete, Barton wants quantitative feedback, including speed data, collision data and bicycle and pedestrian counts. Barton said he\u2019s heard stories about the benefits and drawbacks of the changes, but that data will help identify pain points and usage rates.<\/p>\n According to city spokesperson Lenka Wright, Mountain View is monitoring the pilot project and adjusting some of the street\u2019s features, including moving some rubber posts that are near intersections. The city also plans to \u201cimprove sight visibility,\u201d Wright wrote in an email.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Mountain-View-California-Street-bike-lanes-2-Embarcadero-1024x683.webp\")
California Street near Ortega Avenue in Mountain View. Photo by B. Sakura Cannestra.<\/p>\n