Mountain View City Council is scheduled to decide on Wednesday night whether to redirect downtown Castro Street and close the crossing over the railroad tracks to cars. Â An economic study focusing on the thriving restaurant row on Castro Street finds downtown continues to thrive, as can be seen in fast-growing sales tax returns, as driving across the tracks has declined (see charts).
According to the economic report (linked in the agenda) local retail brokers report that the 100 block of Castro Street is the strongest location in Downtown for dining, with the highest sales tax returns and highest rents, and that restaurant and retail sales are driven primarily by foot traffic from customers who park nearby, rather than by drive-by vehicle traffic.  The report notes that “few customers drive from store to store, or cruise the street by car looking for a restaurant or other destination.”
The report concludes that better foot traffic from improved pedestrian and bicycle connection across the tracks may offset the impacts of any potential reductions to vehicle traffic on Castro Street.
To prevent negative impacts from a construction project, the report recommends preserving and improving sidewalk access and outdoor seating, improving access to parking via better signage and measures to improve utilization, and measures to mitigate construction impacts, such as phasing construction, building as much as possible after hours, and actively promoting downtown business while the construction is ongoing.
