The Collector

May 9, 2025

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Bike Safety Audit Next Week

Next Wednesday from 5:30-6:30 pm, CRTP will be conducting a bike safety audit of Eureka’s 4^th and 5^th Streets. We’ll meet at the corner of 4^th and C Streets in Eureka, and no bike is required to participate.

Bike audits are an opportunity to experience and take note of the conditions for bicyclists in a particular neighborhood or location. Unfortunately, due to the dangerous conditions on 4^th and 5^th Streets, we will not be riding bikes during the audit. But while we already know 4^th and 5^th Streets are not safe for bicyclists, the bike audit will help document the exact hazards, and suggest solutions to improve safety.

During the audit, we will walk or roll on the sidewalk while observing conditions for bicyclists, and will focus on observations of three intersections: 4th & C Streets, 4th & H Streets, and 5th & I Streets.

And don’t forget, May is Bike Month! The bike audit is just one of many local bike-related events and activities. Click here for more information about other bike-related events and activities scheduled for May.

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Truck Driver Hits and Kills Bicyclist in Eureka

We join friends and neighbors in grieving the loss of a beloved community member who died this Tuesday, when a truck driver hit him while he was riding his bike on Harris Street in Eureka. While the details of this awful incident are still emerging, we know, as the Times-Standard noted in their coverage, that this is not the first serious crash in the area. Just last September, a pedestrian using a mobility scooter was hit and killed by drivers a few blocks away, and neighbors at the time reported that they were afraid to even cross the street.

We also know that a tractor-trailer was involved in Tuesday’s crash. Such vehicles are often designed in ways that prevent their drivers from clearly seeing bicyclists and pedestrians, but safer options are available.

We appreciate the bike and pedestrian improvements the city of Eureka has made on Harris Street recently, but clearly more is needed. We are currently supporting the city and Rural Communities Housing Development Corporation in an application for state funding for the Sunset Heights affordable housing project which includes bike and pedestrian improvements on Harris and other streets in the neighborhood. We are also heartened by the fact that construction has finally begun on the first of the Broadway safety projects nearby. As always, we encourage everyone to keep supporting this progress by making reports of known hazards, crashes and near-misses on Street Story.

Traffic deaths are preventable. Better street designs and better vehicle designs save lives. We know what to needs to be done, and CRTP is working hard to ensure that the local agencies that control our streets and highways (and many vehicle fleets) make the right decisions.

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McKinleyville Town Center Environmental Impact Report

The draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the McKinleyville Town Center zoning ordinance is currently out for public review. CRTP has been involved in the development of the zoning rules for many years, and we are excited about the possibilities. As written, the rules will result in the most walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly development in unincorporated Humboldt County, with denser housing mixed in with commercial and civic uses, and major pedestrian and bike improvements on Central Avenue and Hiller Road.

We do have a few concerns about the Environmental Impact Report, which you can read about here. Most critically, we are worried that the county is planning to implement major intersection expansion projects in response to imagined future congestion. These projects would undermine the Town Center goal of a walkable and bikeable neighborhood and encourage even more driving, and their environmental impacts are not considered in the EIR. We are strongly urging the county to disavow the intersection expansion projects and stick with the bike and pedestrian safety improvements that are part of the Town Center plan itself.

We are also disappointed that some community members continue to oppose key elements of the Town Center plan, including denser development and a safer design for Central Avenue. We encourage CRTP members and supporters who live, work or play in McKinleyville to support the proposed Town Center zoning rules and street improvements, and to submit comments urging the county not to undermine this hard-won progress by expanding local intersections and encouraging more car and truck traffic.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Immigration Crackdown Threatens Freedom to Move

The federal government’s harsh immigration enforcement techniques are making many people terrified of being picked up by federal agents anywhere they go. As America Walks points out, living in a walkable neighborhood doesn’t mean much if you’re too scared to leave home. Speak up for the freedom to move safely regardless of immigration status.

Round 2 of State E-Bike Vouchers Rescheduled

Technical difficulties led to state officials scrapping their last attempt to distribute the second round of the wildly popular e-bike vouchers. They have rescheduled the voucher release for May 29th and promise things will go more smoothly this time.

More States Approve Speed Limiters for Reckless Drivers

State legislatures in Georgia and Washington state have joined Virginia in approving bills that allow judges to require speed-limiting devices in the cars of habitual reckless speeders. A similar bill has been introduced in California.

Dangerous Streets Make Parenting Harder

Kids need safer streets and other public places where they can roam free and just be kids. So do their parents.

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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

May 2, 2025

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May Is Bike Month!

May is Bike Month in Humboldt County, so prepare for lots of bike-related fun courtesy of the Bike Month Humboldt Coalition (of which CRTP is a member).

Events during Bike Month include Eureka and Manila Mural Rides, two pancake breakfast rides, Bike to Work and School days, and of course CRTP’s Eureka Bike Safety Audit.

A full schedule of Bike Month events can be found here.

Bike Month also comes with the Bike Month Challenge. New and experienced bicyclists of all ages and abilities are encouraged to sign up to track their rides, with the goal of biking at least five miles during the month of May. You can use a regular bike, an e-bike, a trike, an adaptive bike, or any other pedal-powered device that meets your needs!

Finally, don’t forget to visit some of our local bike-friendly businesses to get special deals when you ride your bike to shop or dine during Bike Month.

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Take the Survey on Arcata Safety Improvements

The city of Arcata is considering plans to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety and access across US-101 on Samoa Boulevard, as well as adjacent upgrades to Samoa Boulevard and South G Street. Initial concepts supported by CRTP include removing several highway ramps and providing separated bike and pedestrian facilities on the overpass, as well as adding separated bike lanes on Samoa Boulevard and traffic calming measures on South G Street. If you walk, bike or roll on any of these streets – or would if they were safe! – click here to provide your input to the city.

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Eureka City Council to Vote on Waterfront Plan

Several years ago, the city of Eureka adopted new zoning rules encouraging more housing production and higher density development consistent with existing Downtown and Old Town patterns, building on the strengths of the region’s most walkable neighborhoods. But a lot of this area near the waterfront is in the coastal zone and therefore requires different land use regulations addressing the mandates of the state’s Coastal Act.

The Waterfront Eureka Plan, which the city began developing in 2023, is the city’s new plan for its core coastal area. It provides a high-level vision, along with some general development parameters. (Specific zoning rules are expected later.) Next Tuesday at 6 pm, the City Council will vote on whether to adopt the plan. CRTP generally supports the plan, which will build on the dense, mixed-use character of these neighborhoods and encourage more walkable, bikeable development – but of course there’s always room for improvement!

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More About That Measure O Transit Funding

As we reported last week, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted to allocate 15% of Measure O sales tax revenues to public transit and 85% to roads for the next five years. That’s a meaningful amount, and will greatly benefit local transit, but of course we think it should have been more. And as the Lost Coast Outpost reports, it very well might have been more if the Board’s agenda for the day had accurately described the required vote. A majority of supervisors supported a higher amount for transit, but the supervisors in the minority used that inaccurate staff report to effectively reduce the final percentage. We find that very troubling.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Red States Are Banning Safe Street Designs

The culture war over transportation is heating up. Idaho recently passed a state law to prevent local governments from implementing widely used, evidence-based safe street designs like lane reductions (a.k.a. “road diets”) and the conversion of car lanes into bike lanes, and Texas is now debating a similar law. The Trump administration has expressed support for policies like this – Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, for example, has complained about bike lanes taking street space from cars – and many advocates fear that this anti-safety trend will spread.

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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

April 25, 2025

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Measure O Transit Funding Secured

On Tuesday, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to allocate 15% of Measure O revenue to transit and 85% to roads. They also removed some of the more onerous restrictions on transit that had been proposed. For example, after the county road fund balance is paid off, the supervisors specified that any excess revenues above projections will be split between transit and roads, instead of all going to roads as had been proposed. And they allowed the Humboldt Transit Authority to schedule their spending as needed over the next 5 years, instead of having to give money back each year if they don’t spend it on a certain schedule. Supervisor Wilson also inserted a 5% target for spending on complete streets features, which will help ensure that at least some of the Measure O “road” money is spent on things like bike lanes and sidewalks.

The supervisors did not give transit as much funding as we asked for, and we continue to believe it’s not enough. But this is still a win for local transit. All in all, the Humboldt Transit Authority will likely receive close to $4 million each year for the next 5 years from Measure O. For an agency that has been operating with an annual budget of about $10 million, that’s a lot, and we’re confident that they will be able to use that funding to implement meaningful service improvements.

The supervisors mentioned during Tuesday’s meeting how many calls and emails they’d been getting in support of transit funding, so it’s clear our message got through. In fact, we are confident that without the advocacy of CRTP and our allies, members and supporters – starting all the way back in early 2023 when Measure O was just a twinkle in the supervisors’ eyes, and continuing through this Tuesday – there would have been no funding for transit at all. CRTP extends our deepest appreciation to everyone who helped make this happen.

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Save the Date: Eureka Bike Safety Audit

On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, from 5:30-6:30 pm, CRTP will be conducting a bike safety audit of Eureka’s 4^th and 5^th Streets. We’ll meet at the corner of 4^th and C Streets in Eureka, and no bike is required to participate.

Bike audits are an opportunity to experience and take note of the conditions for bicyclists in a particular neighborhood or location. Unfortunately, due to the dangerous conditions on 4^th and 5^th Streets, we will not be riding bikes during the audit. But while we already know 4^th and 5^th Streets are not safe for bicyclists, the bike audit will help document the exact hazards, and suggest solutions to improve safety.

During the audit, we will walk or roll on the sidewalk while observing conditions for bicyclists, and will focus on observations of three intersections: 4th & C Streets, 4th & H Streets, and 5th & I Streets.

And don’t forget, May is Bike Month! The bike audit is just one of many local bike-related events and activities scheduled for Bike Month. Click here for more information about other bike-related events and activities scheduled for May.

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Hiller Road Quick-Build Safety Project Moves Forward

This week the McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee gave some direction to Humboldt County Public Works staff about what they’d like to see in a new quick-build safety project on Hiller Road between Central Avenue and McKinleyville Avenue. The committee voted for buffered bike lanes along the entire stretch, narrowed traffic lanes and other traffic calming features, and a new design prioritizing safety for people (especially kids) walking and biking at the intersection of Hiller and McKinleyville.

A quick-build project uses paint and other low-cost materials to rapidly transform existing paved surfaces. These projects are generally intended to stay in place until more permanent improvements can be made – often several years – but can be easily modified based on public feedback and experience. County staff have said they plan to build the Hiller Road project this summer, which will make it the first quick-build project in the region.

CRTP is represented on the committee’s active transportation subcommittee. We suggested a quick-build at this location, and we’ve been advocating to ensure that the project prioritizes evidence-based bike and pedestrian safety measures. We’re pleased with the direction the project is going and excited to see it implemented.

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Fortuna Council Approves Roundabout & Bike/Pedestrian Bridge

Last week, the Fortuna City Council approved designs for a major project including a complex, five-leg roundabout at 12th Street and Newburg Road and an adjoining bike and pedestrian bridge over US 101. The future Great Redwood Trail will also pass directly through this area, which will mean many more people walking and biking. At CRTP, we appreciate the important new bike and pedestrian infrastructure in this project, but we have concerns about the roundabout. It can be challenging to design a roundabout – especially one as big as this – in a way that is actually safe and comfortable for people walking and biking, especially kids, seniors and people with disabilities, and we’re not convinced the city has achieved that.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

US DOT Threatens to Pull Huge Amounts of Federal Funding

A new memo from US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatens to withhold all federal transportation funding for projects deemed to be promoting “DEI.” By the Trump administration’s vague, broad definition, that would seem to include almost all federal funding given out in recent years, since the Biden administration used equity-related metrics to prioritize funding based on legal mandates.

The new memo also threatens to immediately cut all funding to sanctuary cities and states. That designation applies to California, Humboldt County, Eureka, Arcata, and many other jurisdictions in the region. If Duffy follows through on this threat, a huge number of transportation projects locally and throughout the state will be defunded. It’s not clear if the threat also includes federal transit funding.

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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

April 18, 2025

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Transit Funding Decision Expected Next Week

At the time of this writing, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors has not yet published their agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting. But we are expecting that the meeting will include a vote on how much of the new Measure O sales tax revenue should go to support public transit. If you need some background on this issue, give a listen to the latest EcoNews Report.

As you can see from the chart, the amount we’re asking for represents a big boost for transit, but it’s only a tiny fraction of what the county spends on roads. Unfortunately, some people are still saying that transit shouldn’t get anything at all. If you haven’t called or emailed the supervisors yet to show your support for Measure O transit funding, please do it today. You can find their contact information by clicking here. And if you’re free on Tuesday, come on out to the meeting and speak up in person!

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Earth Day Rally & Safe Routes to School

Next Tuesday is not just the anticipated Measure O transit funding decision day – it’s also Earth Day! Now more than ever, we need to show our support for strong environmental action, locally and globally. Join 350 Humboldt, the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), the Humboldt Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Climate Action Campaign, and CRTP for an Earth Day rally on the Arcata Plaza at 4:45 pm. Speakers will include Humboldt County Supervisor Natalie Arroyo and EPIC Climate Attorney Matt Simmons.

After the rally, you can head over to Fuente Nueva Charter School to hear some updates and provide input on local plans to improve safety for kids walking and biking to school. The community workshop, sponsored by the City of Arcata and the Humboldt County Association of Governments, starts at 5:30 pm and includes light dinner and childcare.

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Public Meeting on State Route 255 Corridor Management Plan

Caltrans has developed a draft corridor management plan for State Route 255, which connects Eureka and Arcata via the Samoa Bridges and the Samoa Peninsula. The plan includes a refreshing new focus on bike and pedestrian safety, but still leaves a lot to be desired. Most notably, it does not include a clear vision for adding safe bike and pedestrian facilities to the Samoa Bridges. Check out CRTP’s full comments on the plan here.

You can weigh in on the future of State Route 255 at a public meeting hosted by Caltrans at the Manila Community Center, next Thursday at 5:30 pm. You can also provide feedback via a form at the end of the online plan.

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Discussion of Hiller Road Quick-Build Safety Project

We expect next week’s meeting of the McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee to include a discussion of plans for the new quick-build bike and pedestrian safety project on Hiller Road, which the committee has been working on with Humboldt County Public Works staff since last year. To see what the county is proposing, you can join the meeting next Wednesday. Information about the meeting will be posted here.

We also expect the meeting to include a discussion of the draft Environmental Impact Report for the McKinleyville Town Center zoning ordinance. That report was published last week, and CRTP is currently reviewing it.

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Public Hearing on Waterfront Eureka Plan

The Waterfront Eureka Plan, which the city began developing in 2023, will help govern future development in Old Town, the Library District, and along the adjacent waterfront. The Eureka Planning Commission will consider a new draft of the plan at a special meeting next Wednesday at 5:30 pm. CRTP generally supports the plan, which will build on the dense, mixed-use character of these neighborhoods and encourage more walkable, bikeable development. If you want to dive into the details, you can read the comments we submitted this week with the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) and Humboldt Waterkeeper.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Dangerous Drivers Keep Their Licenses, with Tragic Results

A disturbing new investigation from CalMatters reveals that state courts and the Department of Motor Vehicles often allow dangerous drivers to keep their licenses, even after they have killed someone. Research shows that a small number of drivers is often responsible for a disproportionate number of serious crashes, and we think it’s clear those people should not have licenses.

For dangerous drivers who are allowed to keep their licenses – or who drive without one – AB 981, currently being debated in the California legislature, would allow judges to order the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices to prevent their vehicles from speeding. While this wouldn’t fix all dangerous driving, it would certainly help make the streets safer.

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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

April 11, 2025

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Arcata Trail & Student Housing Make Progress

The Lost Coast Outpost reports that housing for more than 600 students will be completed in time for the Fall 2025 semester as part of Cal Poly Humboldt’s Hinarr Hu Moulik housing project. Contrary to the Outpost’s reporting, the new housing is only about half a mile from campus by the shortest route – easy walking, rolling or biking distance for most students. It will also be served by nearby bus stops and a new university shuttle to campus. (We hope the university will re-think its plans to put a massive remote parking lot at the end of Foster Avenue, but if it goes through with those plans, the shuttle will go there too.)

The City of Arcata’s Annie & Mary Trail Connectivity project will go right by the Hinarr Hu Moulik housing, providing a direct path south toward campus – and connecting north all the way to Valley West and the first Mad River pump station. The new trail will be part of the much larger Great Redwood Trail, and next Wednesday the City Council is slated to approve an agreement with the Great Redwood Trail Agency to build and maintain it. The city is expected to begin construction on the trail this summer.

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Unmet Transit Needs and Measure O

Next week, the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) Board of Directors will vote to adopt the official annual report of unmet transit needs. The report is marked by a long list of unmet needs which the agency acknowledges are “reasonable to meet” but are unfunded, including: more frequent service, express service, Sunday service, and later night Saturday service on the Redwood Transit System; more frequent service and South Arcata and Bayside service in Arcata; expanded service in Myrtletown and Blue Lake; and later Southern Humboldt service.

Coincidentally, the very next item on the Board of Directors agenda is a discussion of how new transit funding from Measure O will be spent. The Board is likely to adopt eligibility rules that will result in Measure O transit funding being directed toward that official list of unmet needs. CRTP supports meeting all of those needs; but there are lots of other transit needs as well, and we don’t think it’s necessary to put new restrictions on this funding.

The bigger question, though, is how much money there will be to spend. Don’t forget to email the Supervisors and ask for at least 20% of Measure O revenues to go to transit!

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Climate Funds Threatened by Both Trump and Newsom

President Trump has issued an executive order demanding that the US Attorney General investigate state and local climate programs across the country, with the goal of dismantling them. California’s climate cap-and-trade program is specifically called out and attacked in Trump’s order. The cap-and-trade program, while controversial for many reasons, brings in a lot of funding for climate action programs. Unfortunately, even while Trump is attacking the program, Governor Newsom is proposing to raid the very same climate funds to fund the state’s “Motor Vehicle Account.” The irony of using money meant to reduce climate pollution to instead support cars and drivers should not be lost on readers of The Collector.

New Round of E-Bike Vouchers Scheduled for Release

The first time around, the state ran out of e-bike vouchers – each worth up to $2,000 – almost immediately in the face of extremely high demand. This time is expected to be no different, but a new process will randomize recipients rather than relying on a first-come, first-served system. But you still have to be waiting online at 5 pm on April 29th for a chance to get one!

Trump Administration Changes Safety Funding Priorities

We’re glad the administration is releasing a new round of Safe Streets and Roads for All funding. (The first round, released under the Biden administration, is paying for a regional transportation safety plan in Humboldt County.) But we’re not so pleased with some of the changes which were made to the program, including penalizing projects that reduce vehicular capacity. Apparently safety is only a priority if it doesn’t inconvenience any drivers.

“Tesla Takedown” Protests Take Off

It has not escaped the notice of many Americans that the unelected billionaire systematically dismantling the federal government is also a car salesman.

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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

April 4, 2025

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Progress on Anti-Speeding Technology…But Not Here?

As we reported last week, the City of Eureka is installing “telematics systems” on city-owned vehicles. CRTP sees this as a great opportunity to also invest in Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology, which detects the local speed limit and prevents a vehicle from speeding.

Higher speeds make crashes more likely, and also make tragic outcomes more likely when a crash occurs. Speed limits are often set too high, so ensuring vehicles go the speed limit wouldn’t solve all safety problems. But it would be a huge step in the right direction.

Thankfully, there has been significant progress toward ISA adoption across the country lately. The District of Columbia, for example, recently added ISA to school vans, and Virginia became the first state to allow judges to require ISA devices be installed in the vehicles of the most extreme speeders. A similar bill has been introduced in the California legislature as well. Unfortunately, neither Eureka nor any other local government in our region has taken up CRTP’s suggestion to add ISA to their own public fleet vehicles – at least not yet.

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Comments on Climate Action Plan EIR Due Tomorrow

There’s still time to submit your comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Humboldt County Regional Climate Action Plan! Comments will be accepted until tomorrow (April 5th).

This will be an important guiding document for local communities for years to come, so CRTP and our allies are working hard to ensure that it is as rigorous, clear and accurate as possible, and that it will facilitate real and meaningful climate action (and can’t be misused for anything else).

You can find the comment letter submitted by CRTP and our allies here. Check it out if you want to dive into the nitty gritty details and get some inspiration for your own comments.

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Community Benefits of Future Development in Arcata

At its meeting next Tuesday, the Arcata Planning Commission will be discussing the Community Benefits Program the city is developing as a complement to the new General Plan and Gateway Area Plan adopted last year. The program is basically a list of services and amenities a developer could provide in exchange for the city allowing denser development and a streamlined review process. CRTP’s top priorities for transportation-related benefits include car-share systems, bike-share systems, and bus passes for residents of new development. There is also the intriguing possibility of entirely car-free development – a strategy pioneered by a developer in Tempe, Arizona.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Ask Your State Representatives to Support $2 Billion for Transit

Transit advocates are keeping up the pressure for a $2 billion allocation for struggling public transit systems in the next two state budgets, and you can help! Without this extra money, many of the state’s biggest transit agencies will likely have to start cutting service. And as any transit rider anywhere in the state can tell you, there are plenty of important unfunded transit needs even in the best of times. Click here to find out more and take action.

When It Comes to Building Bike Lanes, Caltrans Has a Long Way to Go

New data released by Caltrans and analyzed by the California Bicycle Coalition show that since 2018, Caltrans has built 554 new miles of highway and only 160 miles of bikeways. Even worse, most of those “bikeways” are actually just useless sharrows, and many of the actual bike lanes counted are not new but rather repainted lanes that already existed. The safest and most useful bike infrastructure – protected bikeways and separated bike trails – together accounted for only about 15 miles of new facilities.

It’s Time to Start Removing Lanes…and Even Entire Highways

Research has demonstrated that not only do new roads and new highway lanes fill up with traffic almost as fast as they’re built, the inverse is also true. Removing lanes, and even whole interstate highways, results in all the traffic they used to carry mostly disappearing. In other words, people make logical transportation choices based on the infrastructure that’s available. If we want people to drive less, we need to provide fewer places to do it.

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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

March 28, 2025

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The Safety and Efficiency of Eureka’s City Vehicles

At next Tuesday’s Eureka City Council meeting, the agenda includes a new “Telematics Policy” for city-owned vehicles. The proposal involves installing systems that collect data on how those vehicles are being operated. According to city staff: “This policy aims to enhance operational efficiency, promote safety, ensure regulatory compliance, and protect the privacy of employees and the public.”

These new telematics systems will be collecting many of the kinds of data needed for Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), which is a technology used to detect the local speed limit and prevent a vehicle from speeding. ISA is a cheap and effective way to improve safety on our streets (a version is already required on new vehicles sold in Europe). So while they’re investing in new technology for city vehicles, we’re encouraging the city to install systems capable of Intelligent Speed Assistance. Ensuring that city vehicles follow the speed limit will save lives and save dollars – and it will show that the city is willing to lead by example when it comes to street safety.

Also on Tuesday’s agenda, the Council will vote on whether to endorse the international Fossil Fuel Nonproliferation Treaty Initiative. Needless to say, fossil fuels are wreaking havoc on the global climate, and the bulk of local fossil fuel is burned in the engines of cars and trucks.

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One Week Left to Comment on Climate Action Plan EIR

Nearly three quarters of local climate pollution comes from cars and trucks. The Humboldt County Regional Climate Action Plan, in development since 2018, seeks to address this and other sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Its adoption would be a significant milestone in the region’s efforts to fight climate change, although there are a lot of improvements we’d like to see to the draft plan before it’s finalized.

Before the Climate Action Plan can be adopted, it also has to undergo the same environmental review as any other state or local public project. The draft Environmental Impact Report for the plan is still available for public review and comment – but the deadline is April 5th, so don’t delay! Rest assured that CRTP and our allies have reviewed the report and will be submitting our comments as well.

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Update on Wiyot Housing Projects on Parking Lots

At a community meeting this week, the Wiyot Tribe’s Dishgamu Humboldt Community Land Trust presented updates on its plans to develop affordable senior and family housing on two downtown Eureka city-owned parking lots. Like similar projects on other city-owned parking lots, these developments will provide much-needed housing in a walkable area with the region’s highest concentration of jobs and government services, as well as the best transit service in the region.

CRTP supports these projects and has intervened in litigation to ensure they move forward. Put simply, we believe the need for permanent housing for people outweighs the need for temporary storage for cars. We also support plans to strengthen parking management and increase transit service to improve access to downtown. And we think these housing projects add even greater urgency to the need to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists in the notorious downtown 4th and 5th Street corridor.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Car-Free Community Thrives in the Middle of Arizona Sprawl

Culdesac Tempe is a development in the famously sprawling Phoenix area that provides residents with bus passes and has on-site restaurants, stores and e-bike services – but nowhere to park a car. We’ve been following this project for several years, and we’re excited to see that it seems to be thriving, with residents reporting many health, community and quality of life benefits from living in a car-free community. If car-free living is possible in car-dominated Phoenix, it’s possible almost anywhere!

Paris Will Pedestrianize 500 Streets

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has moved quickly in recent years to dramatically improve bike and pedestrian infrastructure in a city that has historically been very car-centric (at least by European standards). Paris voters recently gave their approval for the next phase of this effort, which involves pedestrianizing 500 streets in neighborhoods throughout the city.

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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

The Collector

March 21, 2025

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Save the Date for Humboldt Bay Trail Grand Opening Celebration!

The time is almost upon us when there will be a complete bike and pedestrian trail along the shores of Humboldt Bay between Eureka and Arcata. We’ve been waiting a long time for this, and it’s time to celebrate! CRTP is working with many other local groups to organize a Grand Opening Celebration for the Humboldt Bay Trail on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at the Adorni Center in Eureka. Mark your calendar and stay tuned for more details!

Even as this critical trail linkage nears completion, we’re also very excited that the regional commuter trail network is continuing to expand. Arcata’s Annie & Mary Trail project to extend the Bay Trail north through the city, past Valley West to the pump station on West End Road, is expected to begin construction this year. And planning is under way to extend the trail network south from Eureka to College of the Redwoods, too!

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Draft Long-Term Plan for State Route 255

Caltrans has released a draft Corridor Management Plan for State Route 255 in Humboldt. This road connects Arcata and Eureka via the Samoa peninsula, and is the only (land-based) connection between the peninsula communities of Fairhaven, Samoa and Manila and the rest of the North Coast. It is a high-speed roadway with no safe facilities for walking or biking, but is nevertheless well used by pedestrians and bicyclists – including some who have no other option.

Caltrans is accepting comments on the draft plan through May 23rd. CRTP’s priorities for this corridor include adding bike and pedestrian facilities between Arcata and Manila and on the Samoa Bridge to Eureka, as well as providing safer crossings in Manila. We encourage our supporters to provide feedback to Caltrans. And don’t forget to make your reports on Street Story too!

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Measure O Transit Funding Update

In February, CRTP Executive Director Colin Fiske was selected by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors to sit as an official transit advocate on a Measure O ad hoc committee. The committee was charged with recommending how much of the new voter-approved sales tax revenue should go to public transit, and how much to road work. Since the earliest discussions about a potential new tax measure, CRTP has worked hard to ensure that transit gets its fair share of the funding. This local revenue is especially crucial at a time when state transit funds are decreasing and federal funding is very much at risk.

The ad hoc committee met once and decided to recommend that 14% of Measure O funding be allocated to transit, and 86% to roads. This decision was made over CRTP’s objections, because 14% is not nearly enough funding to protect local transit service from federal and state funding cuts, let alone increase service to meet longstanding needs like late night and Sunday service – or to provide the even higher level of service needed to attract new riders and help meet our region’s climate goals. We expect the committee’s recommendation to come to the Board of Supervisors for a final decision in the coming weeks. We will continue to push for equitable and sustainable transit funding at every opportunity.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Parking Reform, Illustrated

CRTP has been advocating against costly, unscientific parking mandates for many years. Regular readers of The Collector know the importance of parking reforms, but sometimes the issue can seem pretty dry and abstract. So we’re grateful to the Parking Reform Network for sharing the graphic above, which provides a clear visual illustration of the negative impact of parking mandates on our communities.

CRTP Joins Allies in Objecting to State Bill

North Coast Assemblymember Chris Rogers has introduced a bill that would prioritize fire department response times over other safety considerations when new street improvements are proposed. While response times are important, this issue has unfortunately often been used by fire departments to block important street safety improvements, including things like bike lanes and speed humps. CRTP is joining with many other organizations statewide in requesting the bill be re-written to “take a more comprehensive view of public safety.” We can look to a recently updated City of Arcata General Plan policy as one example of this more comprehensive view. The policy, which CRTP advocated for, states that “when determining needed improvements, ease and speed of emergency vehicle access shall be weighed against safe design for all street users.”

Legislators Request More Money for Walking & Biking

Last year, $400 million was cut from the state’s primary funding program for bike and pedestrian infrastructure. This left many important projects – including several on the North Coast – unable to secure funding from the already underfunded Active Transportation Program. So we’re grateful that some state legislators are now advocating for restoring the lost funding in this year’s budget.

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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

The Collector

March 14, 2025

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Community Walk to Identify Transportation Improvements

The city of Eureka and the non-profit Rural Communities Housing Development Corporation are applying for a big grant that would help fund the Sunset Heights affordable housing project as well as bike, pedestrian and transit improvements nearby. Following up on a recent community meeting about the project, the city and RCHDC are hosting a community walk along streets in the area next Thursday at noon to get more input on needed transportation improvements. CRTP is helping plan the walk, and we encourage anyone who lives, works or plays in this area to participate. And as always, we also encourage everyone to make reports on Street Story about hazards, crashes, and near-misses you’ve experienced in the area.

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Arcata Committee Considers Important Safety Upgrades

As we previously reported, the Arcata Transportation Safety Committee recently began a new annual process of using Street Story and official crash reports as the basis for proposing specific low-cost safety upgrades to the City Council for implementation in the next year. The committee’s meeting next Tuesday will be devoted entirely to a discussion of possible safety projects. Committee members have submitted some exciting ideas for consideration, from buffered bike lanes on Giuntoli Lane to a protected bike intersection at Foster and Alliance and stop signs at 11th and Q Streets. We’ll be encouraging the city to fund as many upgrades as possible, and to make sure that they are well designed to achieve the goal of safe, comfortable transportation for people walking, biking and rolling.

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Eureka’s Bay to Zoo Trail Project Reaches a New Phase

Eureka’s Bay to Zoo Trail project, which the city has been planning for years and has secured millions in grant funds for development, is moving into a new phase: buying right-of-way to allow trail construction along portions of the route that traverse private property. At next Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Councilmembers are slated to award a contract to an outside company to help with right-of-way acquisition.

CRTP remains excited for this much-needed new bike and pedestrian connection between the Eureka waterfront and areas to the south, including the medical district and Sequoia Park Zoo. However, we also remain concerned that the part of the “trail” south of St. Joseph Hospital (orange in the map at left) is actually not a trail but just paint on the street, which does not provide the kind of safety and comfort required for users of all ages and abilities. We will continue to advocate for improvements to this section of the route, and to make sure that trail crossings of major streets are safely designed as well.

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Regional Climate Action Plan Meeting on Tuesday

Next Tuesday evening at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka, Humboldt County will be hosting a public meeting about the Regional Climate Action Plan’s recently released Draft Environmental Impact Report. As we have reported previously, transportation accounts for about three quarters of the climate pollution covered by the plan, so improvements to walkability, bikeability and transit systems are critical parts of the plan.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Trump Administration Looks to Cancel All Bike Lane Funding

The US Department of Transportation has ordered officials to flag all federal grants for projects focused on bike infrastructure or other climate-focused or “green” transportation grants. According to the memo this week, bike lanes and related projects fall into the category of “climate, equity and other priorities counter to the Administration’s executive orders.” Experts expect any federally funded projects containing bike, pedestrian or zero-emission vehicle infrastructure to be canceled or forced to remove those elements.

Advocates Demand $2 Billion for Transit in State Budget

Transit agencies across California are still facing major funding shortfalls, and many of the state’s biggest transit systems could be forced to cut service next year without significant state funding.

When Driving is Less Convenient, More People Bike

American decision-makers have spent the last century overhauling communities and spending trillions of dollars to make it easy and convenient to drive – and inconvenient and unsafe to get around any other way. So while adding safer bike infrastructure is critically important, most people won’t choose to bike (or walk or ride the bus) unless we also address the historical inequities and make it a little less convenient to drive.

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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

March 7, 2025

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The Urgent Need for Safety Improvements in Eureka

Check out CRTP Executive Director Colin Fiske’s latest article in the EcoNews for an overview of the unsafe conditions on Eureka’s Broadway, 4th and 5th Streets – also known as state highway US-101. We’ve been fighting for safety improvements on Broadway for years, and have recently been focusing attention on 4th and 5th Streets as well. One way you can help is by making reports on Street Story about hazards, crashes, and near-misses you’ve experienced in this corridor.

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There’s a Lot Going on at the Humboldt Transit Authority

At the Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA) Board of Directors meeting this week, the Board took a final vote to take over “all management, functions and assets” of the Arcata & Mad River Transit System, at the request of the City of Arcata. The city-owned Arcata Transit Center will stay largely the same for now.

At the same meeting, the Board also directed HTA staff to investigate bringing its Dial-a-Ride paratransit service in-house. Dial-a-Ride provides door-to-door transportation for people with disabilities that prevent them from using the public bus system, and has been operated by a private contractor for many years.

Neither of these changes will have an immediate impact on transit riders. Over the long term, however, we hope that HTA taking over Arcata transit service and operating the Dial-a-Ride system with its own employees will lead to cost savings, service improvements, and better coordination among transit services.

Meanwhile, HTA also announced that it will be getting its first hydrogen-powered bus by the end of this month. The shift to hydrogen has been planned for many years in response to the state mandate to transition to zero-emission transit vehicles. CRTP continues to advocate for the prioritization of green hydrogen fuel, to ensure these vehicles aren’t just displacing emissions to other communities.

And don’t let the new grant-funded buses fool you – HTA is still in desperate need of long-term operating funds. In fact, if you’re looking for a job, they need drivers too! Because while new buses are nice, it’s the service they provide that’s most important. Or as CRTP Board Member Peggy Martinez puts it, “transit is as useful as it is available.”

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Take Humboldt County’s Economic Development Survey

Humboldt County is currently looking for public input on its economic development strategies. If you believe, like we do, that high-quality public transit, comfortable sidewalks and bike lanes, and a good commuter trail network are important for economic development, take the county survey and let them know!

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Sunday: Bike Film Screening & Community Event

This Sunday from 1-3 pm at Eureka’s Jefferson Community Center, KEET PBS will be screening the documentary “Bike Vessel,” about “a father and son’s inspiring cycling journey to reclaim their health.” After the film, there will be a community event with bike safety tips, an introduction to the Eureka Bike Kitchen, and more. Click here to RSVP.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Overwhelming Demand for State E-Bike Vouchers

When the first round of e-bike vouchers was released in December, almost 100,000 people logged onto the state website in the first hour hoping to get one. But only the first 1,500 people succeeded. Fortunately, there will be more rounds of vouchers released in the future, and the state is hoping to make the process fairer and more accessible.

Car and Truck Safety Rules at Risk

The Trump administration is taking aim at rules meant to keep motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians safe. Despite having a huge mandate and relatively few employees, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is among the many agencies being directed to cut staff, and its new rule requiring automatic emergency braking on new vehicles was frozen shortly after Trump took office. Reporters have also gained access to leaked documents suggesting the administration will end a rule requiring automakers to report crashes involving their experimental autonomous 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.

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