The Collector
March 17, 2023
McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee to Resume Town Center Review
Next Wednesday the committee will tackle a number of topics, including everyone’s favorite – parking! Excessive and unscientific parking mandates have resulted in the town center’s current landscape, where parking is the dominant land use (see below) and buildings are just islands in an asphalt ocean. Parking mandates must be eliminated to have any chance at a walkable town center.
Another Delay for Bay Trail South?
Humboldt County is requesting that the California Transportation Commission extend the deadline for awarding a construction contract for the final four miles of the Bay Trail from May to October. The reason? Apparently “public concerns were raised about the project’s legality and possible litigation.” Message to whoever is out there threatening to sue: cut it out! Local residents have waited decades for a safe bike and pedestrian route between Eureka and Arcata, and shouldn’t have to wait any longer.
Also on the Commission’s agenda next week: allocating funds for the long-planned Old Arcata Road improvement project, as well as planning money for a roundabout at Highway 199 and Elk Valley Cross Road in Del Norte County and for eventual replacement of the Highway 101 Eureka Slough bridges.
Infill Housing on Eureka City Council Agenda
Next Tuesday, the Council is slated to authorize a funding application for the Linc Housing affordable homes and transportation improvements project, a General Plan amendment application to allow multifamily housing on an old church property near Henderson Center, and a zoning code correction to allow smaller residential units. All of these efforts could result in more much-needed walkable housing in the future.
The Council also recently approved a repaving project with some important bike and pedestrian upgrades. We support the improvements but are concerned that the city didn’t follow procedures in its new Complete Streets Policy which could have resulted in even better conditions for people walking, biking and rolling.
New Lawsuit Filed Against Richardson Grove Highway Project
A recent letter to the legislature from advocates points out that there would be plenty of money to fund active transportation if the state redirected money from highway expansions. The Richardson Grove project is a prime example – the millions of dollars slated for this unnecessary highway project would go a lot further if spent on bike and pedestrian improvements. And, as a recent terrifying big rig crash in Gasquet remind us, a project that paves the way for more big trucks also has implications for road safety in the region.
Add Your Reports to Street Story!
Local residents have now made more than 1,000 reports on Street Story in Humboldt County alone. Most of the reports are for hazards, near misses and crashes – but a few safe spots have been reported too. Join your friends and neighbors and start making your reports today! La versión de Street Story en español está disponible aquí.
News from Beyond the North Coast
Take a Bike Survey!
Let researchers know what you think about different kinds of bike infrastructure. La versión en español está disponible aquí.
Urban Highway Building Destroyed Lots of Communities
Check out some examples of what was lost.
What Hydrogen Counts as Green?
The official definition could have a huge impact on transportation emissions and climate pollution in the United States.
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.