The Collector
June 5, 2026
Petition for Safer 4th & 5th Streets Delivered to Caltrans
On Tuesday, CRTP delivered our petition signed by 738 concerned residents asking Caltrans to make immediate safety improvements for people walking, biking, rolling, riding the bus, and driving on 4th and 5th Streets (US-101) in Eureka, and to fund and build already planned safety improvements on Broadway.
In addition to CRTP, the petition is supported by the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), Tri-County Independent Living, Area 1 Agency on Aging, California Nurses Association, Caltrans District 1 Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, and Ink People Center for the Arts, as well as all current Eureka city councilmembers and Humboldt County Supervisor Natalie Arroyo.
Caltrans has already responded to the petition by announcing a “feasibility study” of safety improvements for all users of the 4th and 5th Street corridor. “This announcement amounts to an acknowledgement of the need for more safety improvements, which we appreciate,” said CRTP Executive Director Colin Fiske. “However, this ‘feasibility study’ must not result in just more study and delay. We already know that major safety upgrades are feasible. And every year we put off making those improvements, more people are injured and killed. We need change now.”
It’s Free Transit Summer!
Kids under 18 and adults over 61 ride transit free in Humboldt County all summer long, from June 1st to August 31st.
The Humboldt Transit Authority also recently announced that they have extended hours for the new Flex service until 10 pm on weekdays. If you live in the Humboldt Bay area but you’re too far from a regular bus stop, or your bus isn’t running at the right time, you can hail a Flex vehicle to pick you up and bring you across town, or to a bus stop to connect for a longer trip. And if it’s your first time trying Flex, you can use the code FLEXUP for 2 free rides!
With gas prices soaring and taxi companies closing, there were already a lot of good reasons to try riding transit this summer. Free trips and extended hours make it even easier. See you on the bus!
Arcata Council, Planning Commission to Discuss Zoning Reforms
Next Monday, the Arcata City Council and Planning Commission will meet in a special study session to discuss zoning code changes to implement the new General Plan adopted in 2024. These changes include important land use and transportation reforms to encourage walkable, safe, climate-friendly development, including vehicle and bike parking reforms, increases in allowable density, and more. Unfortunately, some of these improvements – including more robust long-term bike parking requirements – are now being questioned before they’ve even been implemented.
A new Reconnect Arcata survey shows that Arcatans want more protected bike lanes, paths, and connections across our highways. But to take advantage of safe places to ride, they’ve got to have safe places to store those bikes! CRTP will be working to ensure that bike parking requirements and other hard-won General Plan reforms are fully implemented in the zoning code. We encourage our supporters in Arcata to join us at Monday’s meeting.
Eureka Approves Funding for Climate Action Staff
The Eureka City Council on Tuesday approved the city’s contribution toward funding a Regional Climate Action Plan (RCAP) Administrator. We have also heard from Arcata and Humboldt County that they will be budgeting for their own contributions toward the staff position, despite earlier indications that they might be getting cold feet. And the Redwood Coast Energy Authority re-committed last week to create and staff a new department that includes the Administrator position.
The Eureka City Council’s approval of funding follows advocacy by CRTP and our allies to ensure that local governments fulfill their promises to fund the position. Eureka city staff had opposed the funding, but Councilmembers agreed with us that it was a necessary commitment to meaningful, coordinated climate action. The implementation of the plan relies on an Administrator to coordinate among agencies, seek resources to support climate action, and hold the region accountable to its climate goals.
Myrtle Avenue to Get Wider Bike Lanes
Construction starts soon on a paving project that will also bring improved bike lanes to Myrtle Avenue between Hall Avenue and Freshwater Road. The new bike lanes will still leave a lot to be desired. As we pointed out to the county, lanes in this kind of high-speed environment should have some kind of physical protection. Nevertheless, the new bike lanes will be substantially wider than the current lanes, which is an important improvement for this well-used but high-stress bike route.
Final Environmental Impact for Last Chance Grade Tunnel Project
The tunnel, which will surely be one of the most expensive infrastructure projects ever built on the North Coast, is mean to secure a reliable route for US-101 through the unstable coastal terrain south of Crescent City. It is scheduled for construction in the 2030s.
News from Beyond the North Coast
State Air Board Undermines Climate, Transit, and Housing Progress
Last week, the California Air Resources Board approved a new policy that will allow oil companies to pollute more, and likely eliminate funding for transit, housing, and clean air and water programs that rely on revenue from the state’s “Cap and Invest” climate program. This terrible policy undercuts a deal made just last fall by the governor and the legislature to reauthorize the “Cap and Invest” program, and advocates including CRTP are asking the legislature to intervene and overturn the rule. If you’d like to contact the legislature yourself, click here for more information.
Denser Development Is a Key Safety Strategy
Two new studies analyze data on traffic safety and find that land use development patterns are a key factor influencing injuries and fatalities. A study in Florida found that the placement of “household-supporting businesses” along major urban arterials (think Eureka’s Broadway or McKinleyville’s Central Avenue) instead of traditional main streets is significantly associated with higher rates of serious pedestrian and bicyclist crashes. And a study of communities across the country found that car-dominated development patterns are associated with increased traffic deaths (including for drivers) compared to more walkable communities, likely because the risk of a crash is directly correlated with the amount of time cars spend on the road.
“Right-Sizing Traffic Enforcement”
The Vision Zero Network, a national traffic safety organization, has a new report about the role of police enforcement in traffic safety. The report cautions against an over-reliance on enforcement, especially for “non-safety stops” (e.g., for minor violations like broken taillights), due to inequitable outcomes for low-income people and people of color and the potential for traffic stops to lead to violence.
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.