The Collector
September 19, 2025
Bike, Housing, and Parking Progress in Eureka
The City of Eureka began the next phase of construction on the long-awaited C Street Bike Boulevard project this week. The project extends from Henderson Street to Waterfront Drive. It includes traffic-calming curb extensions, median islands, and flashing beacons at key intersections, and other measures to reduce traffic speeds. Crucially, it also includes measures to reduce the volume of traffic: although vehicles will still have access to every block, alternating one-way designations will prevent drivers from using the street as a cut-through, while continuing to allow two-way bike travel throughout.
Meanwhile, construction continues on the three downtown Linc Housing projects, replacing underutilized city parking lots. And the Wiyot Tribe’s Laqilh Hou Daqh housing project for elders, which also replaces an old city parking lot, will go before the city’s Design Review Committee for approval next week.
While some have bemoaned the loss of parking spaces to these new walkable, transit-oriented housing projects, the evidence suggests that downtown Eureka doesn’t have a parking supply problem. Instead, it has a parking management problem. That’s why we’re glad to see the city continue to modernize its parking management program, including adopting resident and employee permit systems, setting new meter rates, and planning to extend metering from lots to curb spaces. Setting meter rates at the right level encourages efficient use of parking spaces while ensuring that some spots are open at all times, which reduces “cruising for parking.” Plus, it begins to address one of the enormous subsidies that hide the true cost of driving!
McKinleyville Town Center Plans Clear Another Hurdle
This Thursday, the Humboldt County Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the McKinleyville Town Center ordinance, including the repurposing of two lanes of Central Avenue for protected bike lanes, dramatically increasing safety and comfort for people walking, biking, and rolling.
The Planning Commission added a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors for a comprehensive McKinleyville transportation to accompany the Central Avenue redesign. CRTP supports this idea, but will ask the Supervisors not to make Central Avenue improvements contingent on this new plan being completed, given significant uncertainties around timelines and funding.
Bike to the Fair – and Volunteer for Bike Valet!
CRTP is providing bike valet for the North Country Fair this weekend and next week’s Arcata Friday Night Market. We encourage everyone who can to bike to these events and leave their bikes with us for safekeeping!
We also still need volunteers for these events! If you’d like to help out with bike valet, please email CRTP Bike Valet Coordinator Jerry Von Dohlen at jvondohlen@humboldt.edu.
Crosswalks Restored!
Back in 2018, as part of what was called a pedestrian safety project, Caltrans removed a number of crosswalk markings on 4th Street in Eureka. A few years later, when the City of Arcata repaved part of G Street, they did the same thing. And just this month, after repaving part of H Street, Arcata again removed crosswalk markings from several intersections.
Because many drivers may (incorrectly and unsafely) look only in the direction of approaching traffic way when turning onto a one-way street, some people believed that these changes would make it safer for pedestrians by directing them to cross on the side of the intersection where drivers were more likely to be looking. But that belief is mistaken.
The path between sidewalks at an intersection is a legal crosswalk in California, whether painted or not. Failure to paint them will not stop people from crossing there. It will just make it more dangerous to do so, because drivers will be even less likely to look for pedestrians or yield to them. Moreover, even if pedestrians go out of their way to follow the markings, their crossings are likely to be more dangerous, because crossing three streets when you only need to cross one increases your exposure and risk of being hit.
We are happy to report that, following advocacy from CRTP, both Caltrans and the City of Arcata are now in the process of correcting these past mistakes and re-painting high-visibility crosswalks across all sides of these important intersections. That’s a major win for safety!
The Week Without Driving Is Almost Here
The third national Week Without Driving begins in just over a week! From September 29th to October 5th, thousands of people around the country and dozens of people in Humboldt County will try to get around without driving a car. The Week Without Driving provides first-hand insights into what it’s like for the many people in our communities who can’t drive due to age, disability, income, or for other reasons. Everyone is invited to participate, and public officials and transportation decision-makers are particularly encouraged to take part. Click here to learn more and sign up to participate.
In other mobility and access news, Tri-County Independent Living will be hosting its 2025 Expo next Friday, September 26th, from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm in Eureka. The Expo will focus on supporting the Independent Living of people with disabilities and those who are aging. CRTP will be there, and we hope you can come too!
Join CRTP at Eureka “Sun Day” Event
Sun Day is a national day of action this Sunday, September 21st, celebrating the availability of cheap, abundant renewable energy and other climate solutions. CRTP will be joining 350 Humboldt and other local environmental groups for a family-friendly event at Eureka’s Carson Park from 1 to 4 pm. Join us!
News from Beyond the North Coast
Trump Administration Cancels Funding for Being “Hostile to Motor Vehicles”
The US Department of Transportation this week sent letters to cities, counties, and transportation agencies across the country canceling grants that had previously awarded for safety improvements for people walking, biking, and rolling. In at least some of those letters, the department described such grants as “woke” and “hostile to motor vehicles.” Apparently hostility toward people’s safety is just fine with this administration, as long as we give motor vehicles their due.
What’s It Like to Get Hit and Nearly Killed by a Driver?
The CEO of the San Francisco Standard was hit while biking by the driver of a pick-up truck. He had a lot of advantages most people in that situation don’t have, including a platform to tell his story. But his experiences are still deeply disturbing. Check out his story of being critically injured, victim-blamed, mistreated by his insurance company, and more.
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.