Downtown Mountain View station

Downtown Mountain View station
Company type	Transit center
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	1888
Headquarters	Mountain View, United States

Downtown Mountain View station functions as a multimodal transit center in Mountain View, California, providing connections for both bus and rail transportation. It is part of the Caltrain commuter rail system, where it is referred to simply as Mountain View station. Adjacent to this facility lies the VTA Orange Line light rail stop, also named Downtown Mountain View station. Additionally, the Mountain View Transit Center located on Evelyn Avenue accommodates VTA local bus routes along with employer-operated shuttle services. The station’s history dates back to 1888 when the Southern Pacific constructed a depot to serve the Peninsula Commute rail line.

Layout

The station property is enclosed by Evelyn Avenue to the south-southwest, Castro Street on the west-northwest, and Central Expressway (designated Santa Clara County Route G6) to the north-northeast. Both Central Expressway and Evelyn Avenue run alongside the Caltrain and VTA rail corridors at this location. Moving east-southeast along Evelyn from Castro Street, one encounters Centennial Plaza, the Transit Center bus terminal, and a public parking lot operated by Caltrain, with its main access point at Evelyn Avenue and View Street.

Serving as the western endpoint for the Orange Line, Downtown Mountain View’s VTA light rail station consists of a single island platform, which can be reached from Castro Street near Central Expressway or via a ground-level crossing from the northbound Caltrain platform. Caltrain provides two side platforms: the southbound side is accessible from Castro Street through a walkway adjacent to a replica of the original depot, as well as from Centennial Plaza, the Transit Center, and parking areas; meanwhile, the northbound platform is accessible via at-grade crossings located at both ends. Safety fencing restricts pedestrian access directly from Central Expressway to either VTA or Caltrain platforms.

Centennial Plaza, situated at the intersection of Evelyn and Castro, includes a replica station building constructed in 2000 that pays tribute to the original Southern Pacific Railroad depot (which stood from 1888 to 1959). This reconstructed building currently operates as a wine bar and retail shop.

To enhance the visual appeal of the station environment during light rail development, two pieces of public art were installed.

Castro grade separation project

Between 2016 and 2017, four options were evaluated regarding modifications to the Castro Street grade crossing:

Grade Crossing alternatives in the *MVTC Master Plan*
	Alternative 1	Alternative 2	Alternative 3	Alternative 4
Castro / Moffett	Lower roadway beneath rails and Central Expressway	Lower roadway beneath rails	Lower roadway beneath rails and Central Expressway	Close crossing; reroute traffic from Evelyn to Shoreline Boulevard
Central Expy	Maintain at-grade with no major changes	Lower roadway beneath rails	At-grade with median ramps added at Castro / Moffett	Maintain at-grade with no major changes
Rail (Caltrain)	Maintain at-grade with no major changes	Maintain existing at-grade condition		Maintain at-grade with no major changes
Estimated cost	$105–120 million	Not assessed		$40–45 million

In May 2017, the City of Mountain View approved the Mountain View Transit Center (MVTC) Master Plan, endorsing Alternative 4. This approach involves doubling the size of Centennial Plaza from its current footprint, expanding areas designated for bus and shuttle transfers, and increasing both bicycle and automobile parking capacity. The plan calls for eliminating vehicle crossings at grade on Castro Street; instead, northbound traffic would be diverted westward along Evelyn Avenue to a newly constructed ramp leading onto Shoreline Boulevard. Vehicle entry to a two-story underground parking structure located south of the tracks would be provided via a below-grade ramp on Central Expressway.

Pedestrian crossings over the tracks at grade would be removed and replaced by new underpasses linking the Transit Center from Moffett and Central intersections directly to both VTA and Caltrain platforms, continuing onward to Centennial Plaza. A second pedestrian underpass would connect the southern/western ends of Caltrain platforms with the bus transit center and underground parking facility.

The overall project is projected to cost approximately $ million; earlier estimates ranging from $40 to $45 million accounted only for closing Castro Street crossing, constructing the Evelyn-to-Shoreline ramp, and building pedestrian undercrossings.

In May 2022, HNTB secured the contract for final design work awarded by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. Construction contracts were awarded in May 2023 to a joint venture between Stacy and Witbeck and Myers & Sons. The final design phase is anticipated to conclude by summer 2024, with construction expected to finish by 2026.

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