The Collector
May 22, 2026
How Can We Reconnect Arcata?
Reconnect Arcata is the city’s attempt to address the way Highways 101, 299, and 255 divide the community and create barriers to safe and convenient transportation. The project made headlines when it was introduced a couple of years ago with big dreams of a highway cap over US 101. But in reality there are many ways Arcata could be at least partially reconnected, from pedestrian bridges to land use changes to upgrades to existing overpasses and interchanges. In fact, planning for some of these projects is already underway.
Next week, the city and its consultants will be hosting public events to get input on how the decades-old damage done by these highways could be mitigated in the future. There are several opportunities to get involved:
- A walking tour of Valley West on Thursday (5/28) from 4-6 pm. Meet at Valley West Park, 1243 Hallen Court.
- A walking tour of Central Arcata on Friday (5/29) from 3-4 pm. Meet at the D Street Neighborhood Center.
- A public open house on Friday (5/29) from 4-6 pm at the D Street Neighborhood Center.
- A chance to chat with city officials and consultants at the Arcata Farmers Market on Saturday (5/30) from 10 am to 12 pm.
While the idea of a highway cap is exciting, it’s hard to imagine the city could securing enough funding for such a massive project. So CRTP is advocating to ensure that this planning process also includes smaller, near-term fixes to improve bike and pedestrian safety and connectivity.
Bike Month Continues with Bike Valet & More!
Bike Month continues this week with the famous pedal-powered Kinetic Grand Championship, more commuter rides, and the monthly Arcata Critical Mass ride next Friday. Check out the full event calendar here. And as always, wherever you ride, report any biking hazards, near-misses or even (we hope not) crashes on Street Story.
Of course, there are many other non-bike-themed events that you can pedal to as well. To give you a little extra encouragement, CRTP is providing free bike valet at Eureka’s Friday Night Markets and many other upcoming events. If you want to help us provide this great service, email crtpbikevalet@gmail.com to volunteer.
Finally, don’t forget that the Redwood Coast Energy Authority’s e-bike voucher program has funding available! You can apply now for vouchers of $400 or more toward the purchase of an e-bike!
Planning for Sea Level Rise
Humboldt Bay is experiencing the fastest sea level rise in California, and Caltrans has just released a draft plan for adapting the Arcata-Eureka US-101 corridor to the rising water levels. In short, the plan calls for “raised embankment with nature-based elements” along most of the corridor, with viaducts (i.e., raised bridges or causeways) in some places. Of course, this corridor also includes the beloved and regionally important Humboldt Bay Trail, which must also be protected. CRTP and our allies are currently reviewing the document, which is open for public comment until June 30th.
Incidentally, today marks 55 years since the Samoa Bridge was built connecting Eureka with the North Spit. Apparently that bridge was open only to pedestrians and bicyclists on its very first day – but ever since, it has been a terrifying, death-defying challenge to navigate the bridge without a vehicle. CRTP continues to advocate for low-cost bike and pedestrian accommodations on that bridge, but the situation is a reminder that future structures – such as those proposed for the Arcata-Eureka corridor – must be designed for people walking and biking from the start.
Assembly Bill Would Gut Local Transportation Protections
A bill which recently passed the California Assembly, AB 2059, would declare that any transportation project in a “nonmetropolitan” county can be assumed to have no impact on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) under the California Environmental Quality Act, more commonly known as CEQA. This might sound like a technical detail, but the impacts would be enormous for our local region. Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino, and Lake are all considered “nonmetropolitan” counties.
VMT has been the main metric for assessing transportation impacts for several years. It was chosen because reducing VMT is critical to meeting the state’s climate targets, and because VMT is a good proxy for other transportation impacts to human health and the environment. That means that projects that result in significantly more VMT – i.e., cause people to drive more – are required under state law to reduce or mitigate that impact.
In other words, projects are often redesigned to avoid inducing more driving, or are forced to fund better bike and pedestrian infrastructure. By exempting all future transportation projects in our region from this important process, AB 2059 would have the predictable effect of increasing climate emissions and health harming pollution, spurring the destruction of natural and working lands, and increasing deaths and injuries on our streets and roads. CRTP is advocating to keep it from passing the state Senate.
No LAFing Matter
The Humboldt County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) is an obscure but important agency that is required to approve changes in local government boundaries, among other duties. If McKinleyville decides to incorporate as its own city, for example, LAFCo will play a major role in determining how and if that happens. These changes can have long-term implications for transportation infrastructure and development patterns. If this sounds interesting to you, good news: there’s an opening on the Commission! Any member of the public can now apply to fill the vacant “Alternate Public Member” position.
Eureka’s Anti-Bike Crowd Is Making Some Noise
Eureka recently released the results of an online survey about the future G Street Bike Boulevard. A lot of people apparently took this as an opportunity to voice their discontent with bike infrastructure generally, and the recently opened C Street Bike Boulevard in particular. We have our own quibbles with the design of some of the city’s bike lanes, trails, and boulevards. But overall, recent changes represent major improvements in both safety and comfort for city residents and visitor.
We’ve got news for the anti-bike folks: lots of people bike in Eureka, and lots more people want to bike but don’t feel safe doing so. Bike improvements are crucial for community safety and well-being – and if we have anything to say about it, more of them are coming!
News from Beyond the North Coast
Bad Bipartisan Transportation Bill
The US House of Representatives unveiled a new multi-year transportation funding bill this week, and it’s not good news for safety, equity, or the environment – or even for people concerned about potholes. The bill includes massive cuts to transit and active transportation infrastructure funding and fails to provide any funding at all for transit operations, all while increasing highway spending. In addition, it fails to introduce any meaningful reforms to a decades-old funding system that has led to the steady deterioration of the country’s existing infrastructure, and even removes some of the few accountability mechanisms that currently exist. It’s also worth remembering that this bill is being introduced at a time when the Trump administration is blatantly ignoring spending directions from Congress in the existing, Biden-era transportation law.
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.