The Collector
January 26, 2024
Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation Releases Draft Pedestrian & Bike Safety Plan
Tribal members are less likely to have access to a vehicle and more likely to walk, bike, carpool or ride the bus than people in the surrounding region. But the area is full of hazards for bicyclists and pedestrians, including Highway 101, and lacks safe bike and pedestrian infrastructure. The new Connected Communities Plan aims to change that, and it’s now open for public comment.
Big Secrets and Big Money Surround Anti-Housing Efforts in Eureka
At a town hall meeting this week, Eureka residents were frustrated by the continued lack of information about the mysterious company that recently appeared out of nowhere to buy the former Jacobs school campus. The property is central to the bait-and-switch strategy being used to promote the anti-housing initiative on the November ballot: supporters claim that housing should be developed at the Jacobs site instead of downtown, despite the fact that the initiative blocks downtown housing while providing no guarantee of anything being built anywhere else. The ballot initiative campaign says it has nothing to do with the recent Jacobs purchase, but the buyers, the initiative proponents, and the people suing the city to stop downtown housing are all represented by the same San Diego lawyer. They have also claimed that conservative billionaire Rob Arkley has nothing to do with their efforts, but his company is bankrolling their campaign (and lawsuits) with huge amounts of cash.
Given the fact that Arkley had previously publicly laid out his plans to sue the city and put forward a ballot initiative to preserve downtown parking lots and block affordable housing, we’re not sure why he doesn’t want to be associated with those efforts now. But perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised at the misdirection coming from an initiative that aims to block affordable housing while labeling itself “Housing for All.” We hope Eureka voters will see through all the smoke and mirrors and reject the initiative in November, allowing walkable, transit-oriented housing to finally be developed downtown (and maybe eventually at the Jacobs site too!).
There’s Still Time to Apply to Work at CRTP!
The new Outreach Specialist will focus on promoting Street Story and on organizing for improved transit service in our region. Apply today to help increase transportation equity and street safety and take action for the climate at the same time!
New Bike Club Holds Kick-Off Meeting Next Week
Humboldt Bicyclists will provide new opportunities to ride with friends and neighbors and celebrate all things bike. If that sounds fun to you, you can join them for their initial meeting next Friday in Arcata.
Arcata Committee Will Review Street Story Reports
Arcata’s Transportation Safety Committee recently decided to review Street Story reports on a quarterly basis and use the information to make recommendations for safety improvements. This is a great example of the importance of making reports on Street Story! Make a report every time you experience a near-miss, a crash, or a hazardous location – or report a place you feel safe. La versión de Street Story en español está disponible aquí.
News from Beyond the North Coast
Rural Areas Need Complete Streets Too!
It’s no surprise to those of us living on the North Coast: small towns and rural communities have big bike and pedestrian safety problems, and we need safer streets just like big cities do.
Major Transportation Safety Legislation Introduced in Sacramento
State Senator Scott Wiener has introduced a bill that would require all new vehicles in California to have intelligent speed assistance that prevents them from operating at unsafe speeds, and would also require side guards on trucks to keep people walking and biking from being sucked under and crushed. Wiener also introduced a separate bill that revives past attempts to establish an official complete streets mandate for Caltrans – meaning bike, pedestrian and transit improvements would be the default for all projects on state highways. These bills, if they become law, will represent some of the most significant transportation safety advances in decades and will save countless lives.
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.