The Collector
October 18, 2024
Simpler, Lower Fares for Humboldt County Buses
A few weeks ago, the Humboldt Transit Authority Board of Directors approved a comprehensive new fare structure. Fares for almost all bus rides throughout the system will now be $2, while day passes good on all systems are $5, week passes are $15, and month passes are $50. This represents a reduction in fares for most riders, and makes the fare structure much simpler and more equitable (it now costs the same whether you pay with cash or card, for example). The changes have already been implemented on most routes and will be fully implemented by November 1st. The only exception is the Arcata & Mad River Transit System (AMRTS), which will still have lower-cost day and month passes good only on Arcata buses (but the systemwide passes will still work on AMRTS buses too!).
Join a Walking Tour Saturday in South Arcata to Provide Input on Safety Improvements
The City of Arcata is hosting a tour of the South Arcata Multimodal Safety Improvement Project area this Saturday from 9 am to noon. The project aims to improve safety for walking and biking in the notoriously dangerous Samoa Boulevard/US-101 interchange, as well as other parts of Samoa Boulevard and South G Street. If you can’t make the tour, there are other ways to provide input on the project website and on Street Story.
Reflections on the Week Without Driving
In the latest episode of the EcoNews Report, Arcata City Councilmember Sarah Schaefer and Humboldt County Association of Governments Executive Director Beth Burks join CRTP’s Colin Fiske and EPIC’s Tom Wheeler to discuss experiences participating in the Week Without Driving. You can also check out some reflections from local Week Without Driving participants here.
More Information on the Status of Humboldt Bay Trail Construction
As we reported previously, the projected completion date of the long-awaited trail between Arcata and Eureka has been pushed back to May 2025. A new story in the Lost Coast Outpost includes additional information about the reasons for the delay and updates on all the work that’s been done so far.
Check Out a Recording of Our Street Story Training on Our YouTube Channel!
Our Outreach Specialist, Kelsey, has been out in the community providing Street Story presentations to local agencies and organizations. The presentation provides information about Street Story, why it’s important and how to utilize it in the community. Now it has been recorded! We are excited to provide this resource for folks to use in their future street safety efforts! Click here to watch the presentation, then check out the rest of our YouTube channel and subscribe to future videos. And don’t forget to make your Street Story reports!
Bike Repair Basics for Femmes and Thems
Humboldt’s local queer-owned bike shop Moon Cycles will be offering a series of workshops this fall on bike repair basics for people who identify as femme or non-binary. If that’s you, we encourage you to check it out!
News from Beyond the North Coast
It’s Pedestrian Safety Month, and the Messages Are Depressingly Predictable
As we have commented before, most of the public messaging telling pedestrians how to (theoretically) be safe from speeding drivers is unhelpful, and constitutes a subtle form of victim-blaming. This Pedestrian Safety Month, safety expert Angie Schmitt comments on some of the most common (and pointless, and kinda insulting) messages public agencies direct toward pedesetrians. After reading her piece, check out the Eureka Police Department’s pedestrian safety message and see how it measures up.
Speed Cameras Don’t Have the Same Biases as Police Officers
The fact that police officers pull over people of color more often than white drivers is well documented, as are the tragic consequences that sometimes result from escalations of these traffic stops. A new study finds that speed cameras do not share these human biases – nor, obviously, the potential for violence – and may therefore be a key strategy to enforce traffic safety laws in a more equitable way.
Car Dependency Can Make Natural Disasters Worse
For one thing, people who can’t drive but live in car-dominated landscapes often find it very difficult to evacuate ahead of major storms or fires.
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.