Trail expansions are coming to Mountain View

Mountain View cyclists have some smooth new miles of trail in their future. Two new across-barrier connections (ABCs) are planned to traverse Highway 101 and Old Middlefield Way, with a third crossing over Highway 85 coming soon. From the Mountain View Voice:

Two major highways will no longer stand in the way of cyclists and pedestrians on two popular Mountain View trails once a pair of bridges are finished in early 2012.

The city broke ground on a milestone engineering project on Dec. 16 that extends the Permanente Creek Trail from Shoreline Park and Google headquarters to residential areas by way of a bridge over Highway 101 and a tunnel under Old Middlefield Way. Meanwhile, bids have just come in under budget for a Stevens Creek Trail crossing over Highway 85 at Dale Avenue, which will probably begin construction in February.

This is great news, and a good value for Mountain View, as new bike paths are several times cheaper per mile (PDF, 19 KB) than adding lanes for automotive traffic. And, as Mayor Ronit Bryant says, "It will help give us the walk-able, bike-able city residents tell us they want."