The Collector

January 31, 2025

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Local Police Must Stop Victim-Blaming

If a driver hit and killed you while you were crossing the street, the police would release a public statement to the media. Here’s what it would say: According to the “initial investigation,” you were not in a crosswalk. You were not wearing brightly colored clothing. You stepped out in front of the vehicle for unknown reasons. The driver, meanwhile, would be described as “cooperating with the investigation.”

How can we know what such a public statement would say, despite not knowing the circumstances of your hypothetical tragedy? Because it happens almost every time. The only exceptions to this predictable pattern are when the driver is on an obvious rampage or severely intoxicated.

The police statement about last week’s horrific crash in Eureka, in which one or more drivers hit and killed a person walking across Broadway, is just the latest example of this rampant victim-blaming culture. The statement – which was reproduced without further investigation by one media outlet after another – implicitly exonerates the driver and blames the victim. It accomplishes this with biased statements (we have learned not to blame a sexual assault survivor for what they were wearing, but apparently not a pedestrian) and assertions which would be very hard for the police to verify (a person hit by a car is usually thrown or dragged a significant distance, making it difficult to know whether the victim was in a crosswalk when initially hit). Typically, these initial police statements are based almost entirely on an interview with the driver, despite the fact that the driver is clearly not an objective witness.

Even worse, the police statement treats this crash as an isolated incident, completely ignoring the many other similar crashes on Broadway in recent years. Reading it, you would never know that another person was killed while walking in almost the same location in 2015, and two other pedestrians and a bicyclist have been seriously injured within a few hundred feet of this location in just the last few years. You would never know that streets like Broadway are widely recognized as being dangerous due to their design.

Words matter. Research shows that these kinds of police statements – and the resulting media coverage – lead to public victim-blaming of pedestrians and undermines support for infrastructure improvements that would save lives. We call on the Eureka Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies to follow simple best practices in the future to ensure objectivity and avoid blaming the victim in the aftermath of a crash.

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Del Norte Regional Transportation Plan Update

The most recent update to the Del Norte County Regional Transportation Plan is scheduled to be adopted next week by the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission. CRTP and our allies at the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) and Friends of Del Norte previously submitted comments on the draft plan. While the final document still contains a number of elements we disagree with, we’re pleased to report that our comments led to a change in policy. The plan now officially acknowledges the need for bike and pedestrian infrastructure in communities outside downtown Crescent City, including places like Gasquet, Hiouchi, Smith River, and Oceanview.

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Want to Trade Your Old Car for Bus Passes or an E-Bike?

California’s Driving Clean Assistance Program is now available in Humboldt County. The main focus of the program is helping people buy an electric vehicle, but a lesser known option – known as the Clean Mobility Option – is also available, and allows a participant to scrap an older vehicle and receive $7,500 toward bus passes, an e-bike, or car-share or bike-share expenses. You can check your eligibility here, keeping in mind that the Clean Mobility Option is only available under the Clean Cars 4 All pathway. For more information, check out page 21 of the program’s official consumer guide.

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Free Bus Rides to Emergency Weather Shelters

When extreme weather hits, agencies in Humboldt County open some temporary emergency shelters for people who live outdoors. But it’s a big county, and not everyone who needs shelter is near one of the emergency shelter locations. That’s why it’s so important to know that anyone trying to reach an extreme weather shelter can ride the bus for free. CRTP worked with our friends at Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives and other local organizations to propose this policy last winter, and we are so grateful to the Humboldt Transit Authority for adopting the policy and providing this critical service.

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Watch Out for Wildlife!

A recent incident in which a driver hit a black bear on Highway 101 is a good reminder that people aren’t the only animals that walk across roads in our area. If you’re a driver, please stay alert behind the wheel, whether you’re on an urban street or a rural highway.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Federal Funding Chaos

Last week, the Trump administration ordered a freeze on disbursements from two major federal transportation funding programs. Then, a much broader Executive Order attempted to freeze spending across almost all federal programs. Days later, a judge stayed this broader order. Then, the administration said they were rescinding it, while at the same time making public statements that suggested that they are still actually trying to freeze a lot of funding anyway.

A large proportion of transportation funding originates with the federal government, and state and local officials are still trying to figure out what’s really going on. One thing seems clear: Trump and his allies will be trying to defund anything that sounds too “green” or “equitable” – which will likely include a lot of the projects and programs that align with CRTP’s mission of promoting safe, sustainable and equitable transportation.

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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.

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The Collector

January 24, 2025

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McKinleyville Wants Better Bike and Pedestrian Infrastructure

A recent survey of people who live, work, attend school, or play in McKinleyville found that the vast majority of community members want to make it safer and more convenient to walk, roll, and bike. In fact, of the topics covered in the survey, bike and pedestrian improvements emerged as two of the top priorities for local respondents. We’re excited to see this level of support, especially since the McKinleyville Town Center ordinance is finally on track to be adopted this year, clearing the way for more walkable and bikeable development.

As always, if you want to help shape future bike and pedestrian improvements in McKinleyville (or anywhere else), you can report crashes, near-misses, hazardous locations or safe places on Street Story.

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Caltrans Says Indianola Undercrossing Structure Will Be Done This Year

The Eureka-Arcata corridor project has taken many years to plan and construct, and tied up much of the region’s discretionary transportation funding. The biggest and most expensive component, an undercrossing at the Indianola cutoff, is expected to reach a major construction milestone this summer.

The massive new undercrossing structure will eliminate the dangerous at-grade highway crossing that previously existed at Indianola. Major improvements were surely needed here, but we wonder why a quicker and lower-cost option wasn’t chosen. (Another crossing hazard at Airport Road will be dealt with simply by adding a traffic signal.)

More critically, we are concerned that Caltrans may try to raise the speed limit again after the new construction is done. The special Safety Corridor speed limit of 50 mph, which has been in place for decades now, hasn’t solved all the corridor’s safety problems but has substantially reduced serious and fatal crashes. Our past requests for information from Caltrans about the agency’s post-project speed limit plans have not yielded clear answers.

CRTP will always argue for lower speeds to improve safety, especially when pedestrians and bicyclists are present. In this case, the Humboldt Bay Trail, which is also nearing completion adjacent to the highway, will draw many more people to the corridor. While the trail will be much safer than the highway shoulder, higher speeds could still make it possible for a vehicle to depart the highway and end up on the trail. And higher speeds would surely result in more deaths of vehicle drivers and passengers as well.

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New North Coast Assemblymember Appointed to Key Committees

Newly elected District 2 Assemblymember Chris Rogers has been appointed to several committees of particular interest to transportation advocates. Those committees include the Assembly Transportation Committee and the Budget Subcommittee on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy and Transportation. We hope and expect that Rogers will be a voice for safe, equitable and sustainable transportation, both on the North Coast and throughout the state.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Where Are the Calls for “Car Control”?
Two major vehicle-ramming attacks over the holiday season – one in Germany and the other in New Orleans – generated worldwide media coverage and appropriate condemnation. Locally, just a few weeks ago, a man was arrested in Eureka for repeatedly ramming his truck into another vehicle in an apparent attempt to hurt or kill the other driver.

In the United States, when there is a mass shooting, (some) citizens and politicians always point out how easy it is to obtain such dangerous weapons, and call for some kind of gun control. But tens of thousands of people are killed every year by drivers with no such public reaction. In fact, “vehicular manslaughter” statutes make it impossible to convict a driver for killing somebody with their vehicle unless the driver was breaking some other traffic law at the same time. Even in the aftermath of intentional vehicular attacks, nobody proposes to make it more difficult to own a vehicle, or even to make the vehicles themselves less dangerous.

To address the carnage on our streets and highways, we will have to stop making exceptions for cars and trucks and treat them like the extremely dangerous machines they really are.

Trump Orders Halt to Most Federal Transportation Funding
The new president ordered the US Department of Transportation to stop disbursing money under both the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, which together account for most federal transportation funding programs, including targeted bike, pedestrian, transit, and climate-focused transportation programs. Legal experts have described the order as unconstitutional, but it remains to be seen what incoming Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy – who has little transportation experience and has questioned the reality of the climate crisis – will do.

Meanwhile, in California, environmentalists and transportation advocates are calling for the state to align its own transportation spending with climate priorities, and to redirect budget allocations away from massive highway expansions and toward bike, pedestrian and transit improvements.

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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.

The Collector

January 17, 2025

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EaRTH Center Moves Forward

The City of Eureka Design Review Committee approved the city’s long-awaited downtown transit and housing hub last week – but only barely. The fact that a committee charged with making aesthetic judgements about architectural design ever had the potential to stop such an important city project is highly concerning. In fact, the committee has a history of objecting to infill development projects based on factors (like parking) that it is not legally supposed to consider. That dysfunction was on full display last Wednesday, when the committee initially deadlocked with a 2-2 vote, failing to approve the EaRTH Center based on vague objections to the project’s appearance and location. The project was only approved when one of the committee members left the meeting for another appointment, allowing approval with a 2-1 vote. While the final outcome was a victory, the process was another reminder of the problems that arise from subjecting important projects to a few people’s opinions about architectural attractiveness (and whatever other opinions they care to hide behind the language of design).

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Arcata Housing and Transportation Updates

This week’s annual Arcata State of the City meeting highlighted several projects of great interest to CRTP and our members. The Annie & Mary Trail Connectivity Project, which will finally provide a safe bike and pedestrian route between the Sunset neighborhood near Cal Poly Humboldt and Valley West, West End Road and Baduwa’t (Mad River), is expected to break ground this year. The trail goes right by the new Hinarr Hu Moulik (hi-NAD HU ma-LEEK) dorm project, which will open on the former Craftsman’s Mall site this summer, providing housing for nearly 1,000 students within easy walking and rolling distance to campus.

Congressman Jared Huffman also recently announced $15 million in federal funding for the city’s Sunset Avenue interchange project, which aims to replace two of the city’s most dangerous intersections with roundabouts. CRTP has been advocating to ensure that the new designs are actually safe for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.

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Safe Routes to School Workshop in Arcata Next Week

Next Wednesday, January 22nd, at 5:30 pm, the City of Arcata, the Humboldt County Association of Governments, and Fuente Nueva Charter School will be hosting a public workshop focused on identifying needed improvements to allow kids to safely walk, bike and roll to schools and parks in the neighborhood. The workshop will be at Fuente Nueva Charter School at 1730 Janes Road in Arcata. If you can’t make it to the workshop, the city and HCAOG are encouraging people to use Street Story to report safety issues in the area.

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Eureka Plans First Quick-Build Projects

When Eureka adopted its citywide bike plan last year, one of CRTP’s requests was for the city to embrace a quick-build approach to upgrading infrastructure. Quick-build is a strategy that uses low-cost materials like paint and bollards on existing streets, allowing rapid safety improvements that can be modified or made permanent later. It is a change in paradigm from the traditional years-long process that often keeps simple upgrades like bike lanes and crosswalks from being built in a timely manner.

We’re glad to report that the city is now showing a real interest in quick-build. At this week’s Transportation Safety Commission meeting, city staff reported that they intend to construct their first two quick-build projects this year: a couple of small traffic circles near downtown and some quick-build “sidewalks” – designated pedestrian areas on the side of the street where actual sidewalks are missing – near the new DMV office.

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Humboldt County Airport Planning Meetings Next Week

Here at CRTP, we have our reservations about air travel, given that it is generally the most carbon-intensive way to get around. But as long as people are flying, we think you should be able to get to the airport without a car. Unfortunately, the Humboldt County Department of Aviation has historically done little to support ground transportation outside of private vehicles. But that could change!

The department is currently updating its “Airport System Plan Study,” which aims to identify “potential long-term development concepts to meet the needs of each airport, its users and the surrounding communities.” Next week there will be a series of public meetings, including one on Tuesday afternoon at the main airport in McKinleyville. This is a great opportunity to tell the county to focus more on providing good public transit to the airport, as well as long-term bike and bike trailer storage options.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

2024 Traffic Deaths May Have Gone Down Slightly
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released estimates for traffic fatalities in the first three quarters of 2024, and they are slightly below the total for the same period in 2023. That’s good news. But to be clear, the numbers are still unacceptably high – more than 29,000 people died on streets and highways in this nine month period. And we don’t yet know the figures for pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities, which in recent years have often increased even when overall traffic deaths go down.

More Evidence That the Bike “Safety Stop” Really is Safe
Rolling slowly through an intersection without coming to a complete stop when there is no cross-traffic – a.k.a. the bike safety stop – has long been legal in many states, and is common among bicyclists everywhere. Two new studies add to the evidence that safety stop rules do not increase safety risks, and may make bicyclists safer. Unfortunately, Governor Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed it in California.

Cities Have to Take Sidewalks as Seriously as Streets
A new study reviewed 30 US cities with complete streets policies, and found that in only 3 of them does the city itself take responsibility for building and maintaining sidewalks. In the rest – as well as in local communities on the North Coast – adjacent property owners are legally responsible for sidewalks. This piecemeal approach would never be accepted if applied to vehicular infrastructure, and it is undermining progress toward pedestrian safety and walkability.

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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.

The Collector

December 20, 2024

Editor’s Note: The Collector will be on a break for the next few weeks, but do not fear – your favorite transportation newsletter will return in January. Happy Holidays!

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Using Public Transit for Long-Distance Trips
Residents of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties can get to San Francisco, Redding, and places much further away by combining multiple trips on local public transit systems. But these journeys, while generally quite affordable, are not always quick or convenient. And there are also important destinations in the broader Northern California/Southern Oregon region that are not accessible at all by public transit. The Shasta Regional Transportation Agency is looking for public input about regional public transit needs across this large region. If you use public transit for long-distance trips – or if you would like to do that in the future – click here to take their brief survey.

Supervisors Talk Transit
At their regular meeting this week, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors took some time to talk about local transit needs. When the recently approved Measure O was discussed, Supervisor Rex Bohn asserted that – despite the Board promising before the election that a significant amount of the revenue would go to transit – he plans to “stick to getting the work done that needs to be done on the roads.” Thankfully, other supervisors including Supervisor Steve Madrone continue to acknowledge the need for transit investment from Measure O. CRTP will keep fighting to ensure that transit gets its fair share of Measure O revenues.

Got Ideas for the Humboldt Bay Trail?
With the long-awaited trail connecting Eureka and Arcata slated for completion early next year, the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) is looking for proposals from community organizations and government agencies to help maintain the trail or add amenities (things like signs, places to sit, pedestrian-scale lighting, etc.). If your organization or agency has a proposal, HCAOG would like to hear it!

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News from Beyond the North Coast

California Transportation Commission Adds New Complete Streets Guidance to Funding Program
The State Highway Operations and Protection Program (SHOPP) is the biggest source of funding for Caltrans projects. After months of resistance, Transportation Commission staff finally added language required by the new Caltrans Complete Streets law (SB 960) to SHOPP funding guidelines.

How Does Excessive Parking Impact Public Health?
From enforcing car dependency to reducing housing availability, a new study counts the ways.

The Car Share Industry is Struggling
Car sharing is often seen as a key to getting people to give up individual vehicles and drive less, especially in rural and suburban areas. But car share companies have struggled to turn a profit, and many have shut down operations in recent years. Some experts think that – just like with most other transportation systems – car sharing is inherently unprofitable and will require public subsidies to work.

California Zero-Emission Vehicle Rules Finally Approved
Long-time readers of The Collector will know that adoption of electric vehicles will not, by itself, reducing climate pollution fast enough to meet important climate goals – we will also have to start driving a lot less. But it is still critical that the miles we drive in the future do not produce greenhouse gas emissions. Which is why climate advocates breathed a sigh of relief this week when the Biden administration approved the state’s mandate for a transition to zero-emission vehicles.

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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.

The Collector

December 13, 2024

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Affordable Housing and Transportation Safety in Eureka
This week, the Eureka Planning Commission gave its approval to an affordable housing development at Sunset Heights, on the bluffs above Broadway between Harris and Henderson Streets. CRTP supports housing in this location, which is transit accessible and within walking, biking and rolling distance of many destinations. However, we can’t ignore the fact that Broadway, Harris and Henderson are all dangerous streets for pedestrians and bicyclists, and there is a history of serious crashes in the area, including some that have been fatal. If you have experienced a hazard, crash, or near miss in this area, don’t forget to report it on Street Story.

We asked the city to coordinate this project with safety improvements on Harris and Henderson Streets, and Planning Commissioners agreed with our concerns. Depending on which funding programs are used for the affordable housing project, there might even be some money included to support such bike and pedestrian upgrades.

The Planning Commission also asked the City Council to set aside some land in the development area to accommodate the potential for one day building a pedestrian bridge over Broadway. While CRTP appreciates the intent to improve pedestrian safety and connectivity, we have concerns about a bridge. Walkability advocates have long pointed out that footbridges generally require pedestrians to walk significantly out of their way just to cross the street, and consequently they are inconvenient and often unused. They also do nothing to improve safety for bicyclists and other street users.

CRTP has worked hard for years to get Caltrans to improve bike and pedestrian safety on Broadway (a state highway). As a result of our work, Caltrans has proposed and is now seeking funding for major improvements throughout the corridor – including, in the Sunset Heights area, protected bike lanes, traffic calming, and intersection safety upgrades. We will be advocating for these changes to be implemented long before the future residents of Sunset Heights move in.

King Tide & Tea: Bike Ride on Sunday!
The Northcoast Environmental Center and CRTP are sponsoring a fun bike ride on the Eureka waterfront on Sunday, during one of the highest tides of the year. This is the latest – and possibly the last – in the series of rides our groups have sponsored over the last couple of years. Join us!

Arcata Unmet Transit Needs Hearing Next Week
The Arcata City Council is scheduled to hold a hearing to collect public input on unmet transit needs during its regular meeting next Wednesday. This is the last scheduled unmet transit needs hearing of the year – but if you can’t make it, your transit needs can still be heard! You can submit comments by calling or emailing the Humboldt County Association of Governments (go to this link and click on “Comment on Unmet Transit Needs”), or you can fill out an online survey. Responda la encuesta sobre necesidades de transporte insatisfechas en español aquí.

Check Out Our Comments on the Del Norte Regional Transportation Plan
CRTP and our friends at the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) and Friends of Del Norte have submitted a comment letter on the draft Del Norte County Regional Transportation Plan. You can submit your comments, too! We encourage you to read through our comments to get some ideas, and then submit your own comments on the plan via the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission site.

Get More Information on State E-bike Voucher (Launching Next Week!)
The state’s e-bike incentive program is finally launching next Wednesday. The first phase of the program will only release enough funding for up to 1,500 vouchers on a first-come, first-served basis, so be prepared to file your application quickly when the program launches! More information can be found on the official program website and from CalBike. CalBike is also hosting a webinar on Monday to provide information and answer questions about the program. Click here to register.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Parking Reform Can Increase Housing Production 40-70%
According to a new study from Colorado, removing costly mandates to build excessive parking with new development can dramatically increase the construction of new housing. According to the study, this reform alone can have a greater impact than two other common reforms – allowing more apartment buildings near transit and allowing accessory dwelling units in single-family neighborhoods – combined.

Big Trucks and SUVs Are Pedestrian Killers
New research adds to the mountain of evidence that enormous pick-up trucks and SUVs are much more dangerous to pedestrians and bicyclists than smaller vehicles. In fact, the new study found that pedestrians hit by a big vehicle at just 25 mph – the most common speed limit in residential and other “low speed” areas – have an 83% chance of suffering at least moderate injuries. The risk of a serious injury or fatality is also significant at relatively low speeds.

Star Safety Ratings Will Finally Consider Pedestrians
Until now, huge vehicles routinely got five-star safety ratings from the federal government, because the testing only considered people inside the vehicle. With the new changes, at least a little consideration will be given to the risks posed by the vehicle to pedestrians and bicyclists. It is the latest and one of the last in a series of safety reforms from the US Department of Transportation under Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

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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.

The Collector

December 6, 2024

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Your Next Opportunity to Speak Up About Unmet Transit Needs
The Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) is in charge of transit planning for the region, including running the annual public process to collect information on unmet transit needs. The next unmet transit needs hearing will be held next Thursday at 5 pm at the HCAOG Board meeting (at Eureka City Hall or online).

With the recent approval of Measure O providing a potentially significant source of new transit funding, the defeat of Measure F removing a roadblock to development of the Eureka Regional Transit and Housing Center (EaRTH Center), and plans proceeding to add many new housing units along our main regional transit corridor, this is a particularly important time for decision-makers to hear from riders and potential riders about how to prioritize transit investments.

A better transit system is also a key climate solution, since the majority of local greenhouse gas emissions come from driving personal vehicles. So you might want to stick around at the HCAOG meeting after you make your transit comments and listen to the Board’s discussion about taking a leadership role in implementation of the Humboldt County Regional Climate Action Plan. CRTP and our environmental allies advocated for HCAOG to take on this role, and we are excited to see staff preparing to hit the ground running when the plan is finally approved next year.

State E-Bike Voucher Program Finally Launching!
After countless delays and rumors of cancellation, the state of California has announced that its e-bike incentive program is finally launching on December 18th. The program will provide vouchers of up to $2,000 to income-qualified residents toward the purchase of an e-bike. If you received but have not yet spent an e-bike voucher from the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, the local voucher can be combined with the state’s to provide even more financial support. (There may also be some limited local voucher funding still available, especially for Arcata residents.)

The first phase of the program will only release enough funding for up to 1,500 vouchers on a first-come, first-served basis, so be prepared to file your application quickly when the program launches on December 18th! More information can be found on the official program website and from CalBike.

Arcata Transit Will Fully Integrate Into Regional System
The City of Arcata has formally requested that the Humboldt Transit Authority take over the city’s Arcata & Mad River Transit System. CRTP supports fully integrating the Arcata system into HTA, which will allow more efficient operations and help efforts to make the entire local transit network more seamless and understandable for riders. However, some crucial details need to be worked out, including how to maintain and upgrade the Arcata Transit Center, which will still be owned by the city. The HTA Board discussed these issues at its meeting this week, and is scheduled to finalize the transition at its February meeting.

Draft Del Norte Regional Transportation Plan Available for Comment
Del Norte County’s Regional Transportation Plan is updated every four years, and it has come a long way since CRTP first commented on the 2016 version (just a year after our organization was founded). But we believe the current version still lacks the necessary ambition to meet major challenges like reducing climate pollution, increasing bicyclist and pedestrian safety, and improving public transit. You can submit your comments on the plan via the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission site until December 26th.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

US Department of Transportation Publishes Parking Reform Guide
The federal government now officially recognizes reforms like eliminating parking mandates for new development and charging for curb parking as “Climate Strategies that Work,” and has provided a helpful guide for local communities.

Congestion Pricing Is Back in New York City
New York’s governor unexpectedly canceled the long-planned congestion pricing launch shortly before the election, but it’s now back on – albeit with a greatly reduced toll. Congestion pricing has a long and successful track record of reducing traffic and air pollution while supporting public transit and biking in cities around the world, but New York’s will be the first such program to launch in the United States.

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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.

The Collector

November 22, 2024

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Stay Safe Out There!
Contrary to popular belief, it’s perfectly possible to walk, bike or roll in all sorts of weather. On the other hand, extreme conditions can make all kinds of travel more dangerous, including driving, and it’s true that people walking, biking and rolling can be vulnerable to flooded streets and high winds. So however you’re getting where you need to go this week, please be careful during this big winter storm.

Bike and Pedestrian Funding Cuts Hit Home
As we previously reported, the state’s Active Transportation Program – which funds most major bike and pedestrian safety projects in the state – experienced draconian budget cuts this year. (Highway funding, in contrast, was not cut.) Last week, we saw the results of this short-sighted decision when the California Transportation Commission released its recommendations for project funding awards. It turns out there is only enough money for 13 projects in all of California, leaving hundreds of much-needed projects unfunded. None of the applications from Humboldt County – including safe routes to school improvements in Loleta, bike and pedestrian upgrades in Orleans, and a trail segment in Blue Lake – will receive funding.

Party on Wheels for Trans Week of Resistance
We are in the middle of Trans Week of Resistance here in Humboldt County, and tonight (Friday, November 22nd) the calendar features a “TransPorting Joy” event in Old Town Eureka organized by local bike activist Molly Martin. The event calls for community members to show up with bikes, skates or wheelchairs and join the celebration.

Meanwhile, many local schools celebrated Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day last week, honoring the legacy of the young black student who integrated an all-white elementary school in Louisiana in 1960 in the face of violent resistance. These events are reminders that under many conditions, simply walking, biking, rolling, or riding the bus can be a potent act of political resistance.

Judge Rejects Injunction in Richardson Grove Case
The latest ruling in the 17-year legal battle over Caltrans’ plan to expand Highway 101 through Richardson Grove State Park is a disappointment for opponents of the project, including CRTP. But we have no doubt the fight will go on until Caltrans finally abandons this harmful and completely unnecessary project.

Report Missing Crosswalk Markings on Street Story
There are many legal crosswalks, connecting two well-used sidewalks, that lack the painted markings alerting drivers that they should yield to people walking or rolling. It is particularly common in one-way street design to see unmarked “downstream” crosswalks. (On a one-way street, an “upstream” crosswalk is on the side of an intersection reached first by oncoming traffic, while a “downstream” crosswalk is on the side of an intersection reached second—i.e., the far side of the intersection from the perspective of approaching drivers.)

Some past road designers argued incorrectly that this lack of marking was safer, as it discouraged pedestrians from crossing in a location where drivers turning onto the one-way street might not be looking. But this ignores several key facts. First, a pedestrian at the marked (upstream) crosswalk, while potentially more visible to turning drivers approaching from a side street, is often less visible to drivers already on the street, especially when vehicles are parked too close to the intersection. The lack of markings also means that drivers may not expect pedestrians to use the (still legal) downstream crossing locations. Finally, a pedestrian wanting to use only marked crosswalks would have to cross up to three legs of the intersection just to get to the other side of the street, and each crossing increases exposure to vehicles and therefore crash risk.

You can unfortunately see examples of intersections set up this way on 4^th & 5^th Streets in Eureka and on G and H Streets in Arcata. Check out our Walk Audit report from 4th and 5th Streets where we discuss this issue. And if you know of other locations with missing crosswalk markings, report them on Street Story!

Haga clic aquí para hacer un informe en español.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Support Side Underride Guards for Trucks
Big trucks sometimes pull bikes, pedestrians, and even smaller cars underneath them, resulting in a particularly horrific and deadly kind of crash. There’s a simple solution called “side underride guards” that prevent this from happening, and the California Highway Patrol has the power to require them. Tell them to take action!

Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Is Increasing Climate Pollution
The 2021 law, one of the Biden administration’s signature accomplishments, was supposed to help reduce emissions and repair existing infrastructure. But a new report shows that, without many restrictions on spending, state departments of transportation are spending billions on big highway expansions that result in more driving and more emissions with no real benefits.

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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.