Bike Lane Obstruction of the Week
Another case of trash and recycling bins in the bike lane. This one’s particularly egregious (check out the far side of the street). Send your photos of bike lane and sidewalk obstructions to colin@transportationpriorities.org.

Future of the Bay Trail to Be Decided on Tuesday
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors is slated to vote on the final four miles of the Bay Trail on Tuesday morning. The main debate is expected to center around the proposed removal of some of the eucalyptus trees overhanging the trail route. County staff have doubled down on their assertion that there can be no trail without eucalyptus removal, while a core of folks who just love those (non-native) trees insist the eucalyptus must be saved.

Driver Sentenced in Eureka Pedestrian Fatality
We would be remiss not to occasionally cover the depressingly regular car-on-pedestrian and car-on-bicyclist collision cases on the 101 corridor in Eureka.

Caltrans Looks to the Future While Planning for the Past
The agency’s latest quarterly newsletter (err, “performance report”) features an assessment of the challenges of planning for an uncertain transportation future, followed immediately by an article about funding massive highway expansion projects in order to (allegedly) relieve congestion. One assumes that the irony of guessing at the priorities of the 2050s while funding the priorities of the 1950s is rather unintentional.

More Evidence that Transportation is Driving Climate Change
This article buries the lede a bit, but finally there it is again: cars and trucks are foiling all our other efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Promised Self-Driving Future Squares Off Against the Proven Record of Public Transit
Planners face big choices amid plenty of confusion and overblown rhetoric.

A Nation Divided… by Cars
The politics of transportation have never been so divisive.

The Collector is CRTP’s weekly transportation news roundup, published every Friday. We focus on North Coast news, but we also include relevant state, national and international transportation news – plus other items that we just find kind of interesting! To submit items for consideration, email colin@transportationpriorities.org.

Bike Lane Obstruction of the Week
This week’s obstruction may not look like much, but it can still cause a person on a bike to swerve wildly around it – it’s a pile of broken glass! Granted, it may be harder for the responsible public agencies to prevent this kind of obstruction than to, say, ticket parked cars or move trash cans out of the way. But it’s still a problem! Send your bike lane or sidewalk obstructions to colin@transportationpriorities.org, and you could be in The Collector!

Lots of Local Active Transportation Projects Proposed!
The Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) Board considered letters of support to the California Transportation Commission for eight proposed local bike/ped projects yesterday, including Phase II of the Annie & Mary Trail, the Little River Trail, the Humboldt Bay Trail South, and the “Bay to Zoo” Trail in Eureka. Go trails!

Funding for Late-Night Bus Service Identified
Meanwhile, the HCAOG Board also discussed a source of funding for late-night weekday bus service identified by staff. Previously, this service had been identified as an “unmet transit need” which could not be funded. This represents real progress toward better transit in our region.

Local “Mobility on Demand” Plan in the Works
In yet more HCAOG news, the agency has issued a request for proposals to develop a “Mobility on Demand Strategic Development Plan” for the county. Keep your eye on this one – it’s not clear yet what direction it will take.

Humboldt Slated for Lots of SB1 Money…
…but not nearly enough to keep the roads maintained. Still, things will be a lot worse if the current effort to repeal the bill (which among other things raised the gas tax) succeed in November.

A Nostalgic Ode to the Great Redwood Trail
How can one be nostalgic for something that hasn’t happened yet? Just read it.

The Village Hearing Continues
We think you’ve heard it all by now. If not, this article is for you.

State Train Group Doesn’t Like the Great Redwood Trail Act
We know it’s hard for those outside the region to understand why local environmentalists might not like trains so much, but they really should do their homework before jumping into such an issue head-first. Oh, and they should have read the most current version of the bill (it actually does not require rail-banking at all, just that a trail be built somewhere on or near the rail right-of-way).

American Cities Have More Parking Than Housing… Way More
In one of the first studies of its kind, five very different American cities were analyzed for the amount of parking they provide. Hint: too much.

The Collector is CRTP’s weekly transportation news roundup, published every Friday. We focus on North Coast news, but we also include relevant state, national and international transportation news – plus other items that we just find kind of interesting! To submit items for consideration, email colin@transportationpriorities.org.

Bike Lane Obstruction of the Week
A parked vehicle blocking a bike lane… again. Well, the pictures reflect the reality! If you see a more interesting or unique bike lane obstruction – or just more parked cars and trash cans – take pictures and send them to colin@transportationpriorities.org

Rails Removed for Fish Passage
Salmon will get access to old spawning grounds blocked by railroad construction a century ago. A story that highlights the importance of unbuilding transportation infrastructure when the time is right for it to go.

Opposition to Great Redwood Trail Act Emerges
Meanwhile, the bill which could convert the whole North Coast rail line to trails will soon be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The North Coast Railroad Authority, which to date has more or less pretended to be OK with the bill, is finally complaining a bit. As is the Timber Heritage Association. If you think the objections are a bit silly – and we think you do – you might call the Governor’s office and let him know you support full funding for SB 1029. Or maybe write your own letter to the editor.

CRTP Submits Comments on Eureka General Plan Update
Summary: the denser infill development proposed will help reduce vehicle miles traveled, but a lot more could be done.

State Money Coming for Trails in McKay Tract
Soon, you’ll be able to walk to and through Eureka’s new public forestland!

Bike Commuting Reduces Carbon Emissions
No surprise there – but it’s nice to have some numbers.

California Carbon Emissions Inch Down, but Transportation Emissions Keep Going Up
There’s a lot of work to do to achieve a sustainable transportation system. But you probably knew that, or you wouldn’t be reading The Collector.

The Collector is CRTP’s weekly transportation news roundup, published every Friday. We focus on North Coast news, but we also include relevant state, national and international transportation news – plus other items that we just find kind of interesting! To submit items for consideration, email colin@transportationpriorities.org.

Bike Lane Obstruction of the Week
This week, another version of a classic obstruction – hey, we see them so often biking around town, why not put a few more pictures in The Collector? Send your pictures of bike lane and sidewalk obstructions to colin@transportationpriorities.org.

Joint State Transportation Meeting Reveals Major Disconnects
The first joint meeting between the Air Resources Board and the Transportation Commission received very little press coverage, but revealed stark differences between the agencies. While ARB board members, focused on meeting climate and air quality goals, pointed out that we need to significantly reduce driving in the state, Transportation Commissioners seemed to think that was impossible.

One More Week to Comment on Eureka General Plan EIR
Thank them for planning for dense infill development and better bike/pedestrian infrastructure, complain about their failure to reduce vehicle miles traveled… Just let them know what you think!

Arcata Plaza Closed to Cars Last Saturday
The Plaza was closed to cars for the farmers market and subsequent “Fairy Festival,” and guess what? The sky didn’t fall. In fact, people loved it!

Repainting the Bridge, or The Importance of Planning Infrastructure Maintenance
The North Coast Journal reviews how a poorly planned infrastructure maintenance project – in this case repainting the bridge connecting Scotia to Rio Dell – can seriously impact a local community.

SB 1 Repeal Would Have Big Impacts
Local governments, among others, are a little freaked out about how they’ll pay for transportation infrastructure if the repeal effort succeeds.

Cities Can Grow Cut Transportation Emissions… or Not
It all depends on the choices we make (and some things that most of us really can’t do much about).

The Collector is CRTP’s weekly transportation news roundup, published every Friday. We focus on North Coast news, but we also include relevant state, national and international transportation news – plus other items that we just find kind of interesting! To submit items for consideration, email colin@transportationpriorities.org.