All about that bird WEEKEND | 16 SEPTEMBER 8, 2017 VOLUME 25, NO. 33
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Council balks at proposed bike rules RESTRICTIVE CITY CODE UPDATES COULD HAVE ‘CHILLING EFFECT’ ON ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION Tuesday night that Mountain View needs to update its decadesountain View City old city code regulating where Council members people can ride and park bikes roundly criticized a and other transportation devices. package of changes to city laws The laws date back to 1960, Tuesday night that would have long before vehicles like electric imposed strong restrictions on skateboards hit the streets. But bicyclists, saying that city’s staff’s many of the proposed changes proposal was out of touch with by city staff ran afoul of suggesthe reality of trying to get around tions from BPAC, which sought the city using alternative modes to loosen the rules and make it more practical to get around the of transportation. city. In a unaniIn the case mous decision ‘It appears to of riding on at the Sept. 5 sidewalks, meeting, counme that the BPAC recomcil members allowagreed to send recommendations mended ing bicyclists back to the Bike ride against and Pedestrian ... were written by to the direction Advisory Committee (BPAC) people who don’t of traffic if vehicle traffic several prospend a lot of time goes above 35 posed ordimiles per hour, nance changes bicycling around if there is only that would one sidewalk have regulated Mountain View.’ on the road, or the use of bikes, if the bicyclist scooters, roller COUNCILMAN LENNY SIEGEL stays below 5 skates, skatemiles per hour boards and electrically motorized boards — the same rules would apply to — all of which would be defined people using other transportaunder the new catch-all term tion devices. City staff recommended against all of the recom“transportation devices.” Among the most contentious mendations, noting that riding a changes, the update would have bike against the flow of traffic on made it illegal for bicyclists to the street — while not the same ride on the sidewalk against the thing — is the No. 1 cause of flow of traffic, and would have bicyclist at-fault collisions in the prohibited riding bikes along city. “We want to be able to have a downtown Castro Street as well as on San Antonio Road from clear message to kids and everyCalifornia Street to El Camino body that going against traffic on Real. Proposed changes also the roadway or the sidewalk is a restricted bike parking on side- risk factor,” said Nate Baird, the walks to bike racks, lockers or city’s transportation planner. BPAC member Theron Tock, “areas designated for bicycle parking” including bike-share speaking on his own behalf at corrals. Everyone seemed to agree See BIKE RULES, page 10 By Kevin Forestieri
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MICHELLE LE
Hundreds gathered in Mountain View’s Civic Center Plaza Tuesday night for a candlelight vigil protesting the Trump administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that offers legal protections to young undocumented people brought to the United States as children.
Hundreds protest DACA repeal STATE, LOCAL OFFICIALS DECRY END OF OBAMA-ERA IMMIGRATION POLICY By Kevin Forestieri
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ay Area politicians and immigrant advocacy groups sharply condemned a decision by President Donald Trump’s administration Tuesday morning to end
a U.S. immigration policy that granted deportation relief and work permits to nearly 800,000 young people across the country — an estimated 24,000 of whom live here in Santa Clara County. At the grassroots level, a
candlelight vigil held in downtown Mountain View on Tuesday night drew a peaceful crowd of about 500 people offering testimonials and support for the so-called Dreamers who See DACA, page 11
Fatal crash driver’s case dismissed PEDESTRIAN WAS KILLED IN CROSSWALK; PROSECUTORS CITED INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE By Mark Noack
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anta Clara County prosecutors are dropping a manslaughter case against the driver involved in a 2015 accident in Mountain View that killed a woman walking across El Monte Avenue. On Aug. 16, a county Superior Court judge approved a motion by the district attorney’s office to dismiss the case against Glenn Kawaguchi, the Los Altos
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resident involved in the accident. There was insufficient evidence showing that Kawaguchi was at fault in the crash, said Deputy District Attorney Marisa Landin, the prosecutor on the case. “We looked closely at the intersection with regard to the light that was there at the time of the collision,” she said. “We determined that we couldn’t prove the defendant was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” The accident occurred on Oct.
22, 2015 at El Monte Road near the intersection of Marich Way. The victim, 54-year-old Michelle Montalvo of Los Altos, was hit by Kawaguchi’s SUV while crossing the street in a marked crosswalk. At the time, Montalvo was walking just a few steps behind her sister Delia Moyles. In his testimony at the scene, Kawaguchi said he couldn’t see Montalvo until it was too late. See CRASH, page 10
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