Big Decisions Coming Up for Gateway Plan

Posted on August 19, 2022 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

August 19, 2022

Big Decisions Coming Up for Gateway Plan
At a study session next Tuesday, the Arcata City Council and Planning Commission are likely to make decisions about some of the most contentious issues, including building height, the proposed L/K Street couplet, and the ongoing review process for the plan. CRTP’s priorities include preserving density for housing and walkability – meaning taller buildings must be allowed – along with improving bike and pedestrian safety on K Street, and ensuring that plan adoption isn’t unnecessarily delayed. People who bike, walk, take the bus, or need a place to live can’t afford to wait for this plan to be implemented – and neither can the climate! Email the City Council and attend the meeting to make your voice heard.

Bike Share System Expanding in Arcata!
At its meeting this week, the Arcata City Council approved adding 4 new stations and 20 new bikes to the existing bike share system. The new stations, funded through the Sorrel Place and 30th Street Commons projects, will be at those project locations and near well-used bus stops. (Meanwhile, a bill which would threaten the financial viability of all bike-share systems is still moving through the legislature.)

Harris Street Partially Closed Due to Risk to Firefighters
After a near-miss incident, the City of Eureka closed Harris Street to vehicles in the area where fire crews have been staging to fight wildfires in the region. We’re happy the city took action before someone was actually hit by a driver. We also think firefighters aren’t the only people who deserve protection from speeding drivers, and we hope the city expands this policy to temporarily close other streets where near-misses, hazards, and crashes occur.

Workshop Shows Support for Denser Development
This week’s workshop on form-based codes and the Arcata Gateway Plan was the best-attended public meeting yet on the plan, with over 50 people tuning in via Zoom. Live polling during the workshop showed broad support for taller buildings – perhaps a surprise to those who have only been listening to the comments at other recent meetings – and a focus on walkability and transit.

Nordic Aquafarms Environmental Approval Appealed
CRTP is not part of the appeal, but remains concerned about issues including the safety and emissions impacts of a lot of new trucks on local roadways.

Hey you! Yes, you.
Have you experienced a near-miss, collision, or hazardous location on a local street or highway? Report it today on Street Story, so CRTP and others (including the government agencies in charge of our streets) can help identify the spots most in need of safety improvements. La versión en español está disponible aquí.

What Do the Federal Climate Bill’s EV Incentives Mean for the North Coast?
Representative Huffman and Redwood Coast Energy Authority Executive Director Matthew Marshall give their thoughts in this Times-Standard article. Meanwhile, experts point out that the best way to fight both inflation and climate change is to get people out of the trap of car ownership to begin with.

A Whole Bunch of Transportation Bills Are Nearing the Finish Line in Sacramento
Bills likely to make it to the governor’s desk would decriminalize jaywalking, legalize the rolling “safety stop” for adults on bikes, require drivers to change lanes when passing bikes, provide further support for the Great Redwood Trail, align funding with climate targets, require traffic signals to give a pedestrian head-start, give a tax credit to each member of a household without their own car, and a lot more. If Newsom signs them all, expect to see pretty significant changes on our streets and roads in the years to come.

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.

To the EaRTH Center and Beyond

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

August 12, 2022

To the EaRTH Center and Beyond
Local clean energy guru Peter Lehman, who recently helped win a huge state grant for Eureka’s planned transit hub and zero-emission buses, will give a virtual talk next Monday (co-sponsored by CRTP) about the future of zero-emission transportation on the North Coast. Click the link above to register.

Arcata Gateway Workshop Next Week
This week, for the third meeting in a row, Arcata Planning Commissioners talked for hours about design standards in the draft Gateway Plan but came to no conclusions. In this context of endless meetings with no clear progress, it is unsurprising that public participation has been minimal and limited to the same handful of people saying largely the same thing over and over again. CRTP and our allies warned of this result months ago. But inexplicably, opponents are now pitching the idea of starting over with another new committee to hold yet more meetings as a way to encourage more people to participate. Color us skeptical. What’s needed is not more delay, but urgent action to address our dire housing, climate and transportation challenges. We hope that next Tuesday’s form-based code workshop will help educate the public and build support for quick action on the Gateway Plan.

New Pedestrian Crossing on Broadway!
It’s up and running, providing a critically needed safe crossing between signalized intersections. This landmark improvement is thanks in part to the advocacy of CRTP, our members and allies.

CRTP and Allies Respond to Planning Commission’s Fish Farm Approval
We’ve won some major improvements to the project, but we still have concerns. Check out the full statement for details.

Funds for Local Projects on State Transportation Commission’s Agenda Next Week
The CTC will consider approving funds for the initial design stages of long-awaited projects to improve bike and pedestrian safety at the Sunset/LK Wood intersection in Arcata and the 12th Street interchange in Fortuna, as well as some accessibility and pedestrian improvements on Broadway and 5th Street in Eureka, and pedestrian upgrades in Rio Dell.

It’s the Biggest Climate Legislation Ever, But It Still Doubles Down on Cars
Transportation is our country’s biggest source of climate-harming emissions. We can reduce those emissions in two ways: switching to zero-emission vehicles and driving less. Experts say we need to do both. But the landmark climate legislation heading to President Biden’s desk pretty much only supports cars and trucks. Read one advocate’s reaction here.

Was the Hyperloop an Attempt to Distract from High-Speed Rail?
Or was it just a crazy idea like many others that Elon Musk has broadcast to the public without much consideration?

Hydrogen-Powered Buses and Offshore Wind

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

August 5, 2022

Hydrogen-Powered Buses and Offshore Wind
Congressman Huffman heard about local plans for transitioning to hydrogen buses this week. For these vehicles to be truly zero-emission, however, the hydrogen fuel will need to be “green” – i.e., produced from water using renewable electricity (rather than from fossil fuels). That’s why CRTP and allies recently submitted comments to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management requesting that they prioritize off-shore wind developers who commit to building local green hydrogen facilities.

Density Debate at Arcata Planning Commission
An attempt by some Commissioners to cap building height in the Gateway area at 4 stories was unsuccessful (for now at least). We are grateful to those who recognize the importance of greater density for housing and walkability. The Commission will reconvene for yet more Gateway discussion next Tuesday. Earlier this week, the Transportation Safety Committee recommended that instead of the Gateway Plan’s proposed K/L Street single-lane couplet, the L Street corridor should be car-free in the Plan and K Street should stay more or less as it is. While CRTP strongly supports car-free streets, we can’t support leaving K Street as a car-dominated thoroughfare that’s unsafe to bike on or to cross while walking, biking or rolling.

Humboldt Planning Commission Approves Nordic Aquafarms
Disappointingly, they did not add any additional conditions of approval to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions or the safety impacts of all those additional car and truck trips. More permits will be required, however – most notably from the California Coastal Commission – so the story isn’t over yet.

Bike and Pedestrian Improvements Coming to W and Dolbeer Streets?
The City of Eureka is trying out a new configuration this week. Take the survey and tell them bike and pedestrian safety is more important than moving cars quickly through the neighborhood.

Arcata Council Approves New Bus Agreement with Cal Poly Humboldt
The agreement will cover bus rides on the Arcata & Mad River Transit System for students, faculty and staff, and the university will pay for extended service hours.

More Subsidies for the McKinleyville Airport
If only money flowed so freely for, say, public transit.

Street Story: The Public Platform for Street Safety
Local residents have made 945 reports so far. Add a report any time you see a hazardous spot or experience a collision or near miss. La versión en español está disponible aquí.

California’s Electric Vehicle Incentive Programs Struggling
Underfunded programs are not keeping pace with increasing car prices, putting zero-emission vehicles financially out of reach for a growing number of people.

Down to the Wire for “Kill Bike-Share Bill”
AB 371, which would apply onerous insurance requirements for bike-share systems, is coming up for a key vote in the state legislature.

What Happens When a Company Loses Contact with Its Robot Cars?
San Francisco is finding out.

Discussions Continue on Gateway Plan, Fish Farm

Posted on July 29, 2022 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

July 29, 2022

Humboldt County Planning Commission Hears from Public on Fish Farm
CRTP and others expressed gratitude for the commitments to renewable electricity and employee commute programs that Nordic Aquafarms has already made, but also asked for additional mitigation for other major impacts – such as the impact of adding 190 new truck trips a week to local highways that are already experiencing a safety crisis. Check out the comments we submitted with a coalition of other groups here. The Commission did not make any decisions, instead continuing the hearing to next Thursday when public comment wrapped up…almost four hours into the meeting.

Arcata Planning Commission to Keep Discussing Gateway Design Principles
There was a lot of discussion this week, but no resolution…so they’ll keep discussing the same topic at a special meeting next week. We know it’s no fun to attend these interminable meetings, but the Commissioners really need to keep hearing from people like you about the importance of walkable and bikeable design!

And Another Gateway Meeting, Too
In case you were worried there weren’t enough public meetings about the Gateway plan, the Arcata Transportation Safety Committee will also continue its discussion of the plan next week. The main topic of conversation will likely be the proposed single-lane K and L Street couplet. CRTP supports this proposal, along with any other proposal for the corridor that would do all of the following: (1) Narrow K Street and add significant and meaningful bike and pedestrian safety features; (2) Maintain or improve the existing trail; and (3) Not add substantial vehicular capacity.

CRTP Featured on “Community Voices”
Executive Director Colin Fiske talks about the Greater Eureka Area Traffic Safety Task Force on KEET TV.

Agencies Continue to Explore Extending Municipal Water to Trinidad Rancheria
The Rancheria wants to secure water for its new hotel development. But extending municipal water lines to exurban areas can have sprawl-inducing effects. The McKinleyville Community Services District will consider an agreement to investigate the possible water line extension at a meeting next Wednesday.

Millions of Dollars for Local Airports
Massive subsidies never fail to prop up the most climate-destructive modes of transportation.

Walkable Senior Housing Under Construction in Eureka
Advocates point out, however, that the sidewalks and intersections in the area aren’t exactly conducive to walking or rolling for people who have various mobility challenges.

Humboldt County Working on New Economic Development Plan
Will proven strategies like robust public transportation and walkable communities make an appearance?

Annual Celebration of Cars in Fortuna
We’re still waiting to see a Ferndale PedExpo or a Blue Lake Bike Show or a Scotia Scooter Spectacular.

The Most Dangerous Road in the Country
Does US-19 in Florida remind you of any local roads on the North Coast? Both US-19 and Eureka’s Broadway are typical examples of the urban/suburban “stroad.” Check out the article for more details.

Humboldt Supervisors Discuss Road Tax Proposal

Posted on July 22, 2022 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

July 22, 2022

Humboldt Supervisors Discuss Road Tax Proposal
There is a huge maintenance deficit for local roads. But as CRTP told the Supervisors, merely fixing up the roads without also addressing the road safety crisis and investing in our public transit system would be fiscally and environmentally irresponsible. On the other hand, a dedicated local tax to help fund public transit, bike and pedestrian infrastructure along with roads would be a game-changer.

Decision on Massive Fish Farm Could Be Made Next Week
The Humboldt County Planning Commission is expected to hold a hearing next Thursday evening to consider the project’s environmental impacts and issue permits. CRTP and our allies have been able to secure commitments from Nordic Aquafarms to use 100% renewable electricity and to implement a comprehensive program to divert commuting trips away from single-occupancy vehicles. However, we remain concerned about other significant and unmitigated road safety and climate impacts.

No Clear Answers on How to Deal with Sea Level Rise in the Safety Corridor
The Coastal Commission has required Caltrans to come up with a plan for adapting the vulnerable highway (and future trail) between Arcata and Eureka to the increasingly urgent threat of sea level rise. Caltrans is still considering its options.

Arcata Planning Commission to Discuss Gateway Design Principles
Let the Commissioners know that you support bike and pedestrian-oriented design – and that includes dense, mixed-use development that makes distances walkable and bikeable!

Coastal Commission Limits Digital Billboards in Eureka
As some commenters and Commissioners pointed out, animated signs on streets like Broadway may distract drivers and contribute to the safety crisis.

Road Rage Hate Crime?
Two white men allegedly attacked a black man in Eureka and shouted racial slurs, all because they were upset about backed-up traffic after a 4th of July event. This kind of hate and violence is obviously not just car-related. But road rage is a real phenomenon that deserves a serious societal response.

Street Story: The Public Platform for Street Safety
Local residents have made 944 reports so far. Add a report any time you see a hazardous spot or experience a collision or near miss. La versión en español está disponible aquí.

Where Is the $10 Million for E-Bikes?
It was budgeted by the state legislature and due to be rolled out by July 1st, but nothing has happened yet.

Big California Cities Are Losing Residents
Unaffordable housing and the availability of remote work are two of the likely causes of the trend. But if people disperse to more suburban and exurban locations, driving will continue to increase and it will be nearly impossible to meet critical climate and safety targets.

Postal Service Backs Down a Little on Plan for Gas-Guzzling Fleet
The USPS now says it will buy a lot more electric vehicles than it originally planned.

Eureka May Be Next Local City to Adopt a Complete Streets Policy

Posted on July 15, 2022 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

July 15, 2022

Humboldt Transit Authority Wins Big Grant for Transit Center, Hydrogen Buses
The downtown Eureka EaRTH Center will provide a much-needed transit center along with centrally located housing. The grant also funds the purchase of zero-emission buses capable of making the long regional bus routes in Humboldt and a new express route all the way to Ukiah.

Eureka May Be Next Local City to Adopt a Complete Streets Policy
At its meeting this week, the city’s Transportation Safety Commission formed a subcommittee to develop a complete streets policy. As a reminder, Arcata recently became the region’s first local government to adopt a policy requiring bike, pedestrian and transit facilities be included in all street projects. With this new development, we hope Eureka won’t be far behind!

Arcata Transportation Committee to Discuss Gateway Plan
The latest meeting on the bike and pedestrian-friendly infill development plan will be next Tuesday. And if you missed the city’s recent primer on form-based codes like the one intended for the Gateway Area, you can still watch it here.

Eureka Council to Talk Waterfront, Sea Level Rise, Traffic Enforcement
The Council will hear an update on efforts to develop a pedestrian-friendly plan for the waterfront, adopt a resolution committing to more efforts to address sea level rise, and accept a grant for traffic enforcement in the name of safety. On the last topic, we remind the city that traffic enforcement is notoriously biased and, especially in the case of pedestrian and bicycle enforcement, often punishes people just for trying to use streets that weren’t designed for them.

Arcata’s Bus System in Desperate Need of Investment
Check out the commentary by CRTP Board Member Peggy Martinez.

More Public Art Coming to Eureka’s Roads and Bridges
This year’s Eureka Street Art Festival will be in the “Bridge District” along the northern waterfront. Research suggests that, in addition to creating a more engaging and welcoming environment for pedestrians, public art can actually improve street safety.

Public Meeting on Student Housing Environmental Analysis
In case you missed it, Cal Poly Humboldt is planning to build 1,050 new student beds at Arcata’s Craftsman Mall site. Next Wednesday, there will be a virtual meeting for the public to provide input on which topics the required environmental impact analysis should cover. Might we suggest a review of the climate and safety impacts of associated transportation infrastructure?

Update on Last Chance Grade
At a recent town hall, Caltrans and elected officials shared information on the slow but steady progress being made toward a permanent fix for the troubled section of highway.

Street Story: The Public Platform for Street Safety
Local residents have made 943 reports so far. Add a report any time you see a hazardous spot or experience a collision or near miss. La versión en español está disponible aquí.

Caltrans Has a New Director
It remains to be seen whether Tony Tavares will continue the progress of former Director Toks Omishakin, who was the first director in the agency’s history to make active transportation and transit a real priority. In related news, the agency just released its first action plan for complete streets.

Climate Outlook Seems Grim in Wake of Supreme Court Decision
Transportation, of course, is the nation’s leading source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Pedestrian Deaths Surging Nationwide
The latest edition of the Dangerous by Design report highlights how the US – unique among the rich nations of the world – has seen a huge increase in pedestrian fatalities during the pandemic. The biggest increases came in cities and states that already had high death rates – because they have designed streets and communities for speeding traffic rather than for safety.

Infill Development is the Smart Fiscal Choice for Local Governments
Sprawl is expensive.

Broadway Demonstration Meeting Next Week

Posted on June 24, 2022 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

June 24, 2022

Editor’s Note: The Collector will be taking a summer break for the next 2 weeks. But never fear, we’ll be back online and in your inbox by mid-July!

The Coal Train is Really and Truly Dead
The time for an appeal has come and gone, so the decision rejecting the coal interests’ bid to take over our rail line is now permanent. It’s a moment to celebrate! The parent company of the Skunk Train, however, continues to fight to take over part of the line near Willits, which would still strike a significant blow to the vision of the Great Redwood Trail.

Gateway Saga Continues
The Arcata Planning Commission will review the draft plan’s housing chapter at its meeting next Tuesday. Meanwhile, disgraced Councilmember Brett Watson seems to have aligned himself with anti-Gateway activists as part of his ongoing campaign to undermine city staff. We are deeply disappointed that some of the discourse around this bike and pedestrian-friendly infill plan has devolved into toxic personal attacks, and we continue to advocate for quick and effective review and approval of the plan.

Broadway Demonstration Meeting Next Week!
Pop-up demonstrations coming this summer are part of the effort to implement near-term bike and pedestrian safety improvements on the region’s most dangerous roadway. Find out more here, and show up at Tuesday’s meeting to support a major makeover of Broadway.

McKinleyville Committee Reviews New Draft of Town Center Ordinance
It’s getting better, but we still have concerns about its ability to facilitate a truly walkable town center. Read CRTP’s complete comments on the latest draft here.

Caltrans Asks for $22 Million More for Dr. Fine Bridge Project
The Highway 101 bridge replacement near Crescent City now will cost nearly $90 million, making it one of the most expensive projects in our region in decades. We can’t help but think how many protected bike lanes, sidewalks and road diets could be built with that amount of money.

Local Households Spend a Lot on Cars
After mortgage or rent, car loans and car insurance are the next biggest bills paid by the average Eureka household. And that doesn’t even count the cost of gas! Transforming our communities so that people can walk, bike, roll or take the bus where they need to go is one of the biggest things we can do to make it more affordable to live here. (And those same cars cost local governments a lot too: just removing vehicles abandoned on the street costs over $100,000 a year in Humboldt, let alone the costs of maintaining the road network, responding to collisions, treating injuries, and on and on.)

New State Climate Plan Falls Short
CRTP’s Executive Director joins other local environmental leaders to interview statewide expert Professor Dan Kammen about the plan.

Fight Continues Over the “Kill Bike Share” Bill
AB 371, which just passed another committee in the state legislature, would impose onerous insurance mandates on bike and scooter sharing systems.

Police Are Not the Answer
People often think that the solution for safer streets is more enforcement of traffic laws. But pervasive bias in law enforcement and the sometimes tragic consequences of traffic stops of black and brown drivers cannot be ignored.

Biden Calls for Gas Tax Holidays
The move would just encourage more driving and more emissions while putting a big hole in already strained transportation budgets.

Free Bus Rides Throughout Humboldt County!

Posted on June 17, 2022 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

June 17, 2022

Great Redwood Trail Railbanking Saga Continues
As you’ve probably heard, the federal Surface Transportation Board rejected the attempt by shadowy coal interests to take over our region’s old railroad corridor. That’s great news, and we hope this is truly the end of the coal train threat (although we will continue to monitor for further developments). In the meantime, the STB let another rail line takeover attempt move forward. So we’ll have to keep working to stop a different corporation – the parent company of the Skunk Train – from punching a hole in the middle of the future Great Redwood Trail north of Willits. Watch this space for more updates in the coming weeks and months.

Free Bus Rides in Humboldt!
Gas prices getting you down? Dump the pump and take the bus for free today on all local routes. Plus, anyone under the age of 18 can ride free all summer long!

Arcata Transportation Committee to Discuss Road Safety Plan
The process to develop a citywide plan is just beginning.

Arcata Planning Commission Keeps Slogging Through Gateway Plan
This week’s meeting focused on non-transportation infrastructure, but walkable development is the core of the plan and is always front and center. We continue to advocate for moving forward with plan adoption and implementation as rapidly as possible to help address our overlapping crises of housing, climate, and transportation safety.

Street Story: The Public Platform for Street Safety
Local residents have made 937 reports so far. Are you making your reports? La versión en español está disponible aquí.

Transportation Bills Moving in Sacramento
Plus, a new bill that would provide a tax break if you don’t own a car. Imagine that!

How a Whole Country Eliminated Costly Parking Mandates
New Zealand has the highest car ownership rates in the world, but its national government has almost entirely eliminated local government mandates for car parking in new development.

Humboldt’s Climate Action Plan Moves Forward

Posted on June 10, 2022 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

June 10, 2022

What Is the Coal Train Company Hiding?
It doesn’t appear to have the money it says it does. But its bid to take over the rail lines, along with more limited bids by groups like the Skunk Train and a Humboldt Bay “bikes on rails” start-up company, still have the very real potential to prevent many local commuter trails and the broader Great Redwood Trail from becoming reality. CRTP continues to work with our allies in the No Coal in Humboldt coalition to stop the coal train and protect the future of our active transportation system in the region.

Climate Action Plan Proceeds to Environmental Review
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted to move the regional plan forward, but not before adding caveats about protecting the “rural lifestyle” (read: car-dependency) and other constraints which could severely undermine effective climate action. The Supervisors were the last stop before the plan moves to the environmental review phase. We’ll see if and how the plan changes during environmental review.

Eureka Is Experimenting with Lane Reductions on 6th and 7th Streets
Check out the demonstration this week, and fill out the survey to show your support!

Another Pedestrian Killed on Highway 101
A bicyclist was also hit by a driver at a notorious intersection in McKinleyville, but fortunately survived. We are saddened and outraged by these incidents and continue to call for safer streets and highways in our region, along with a culture of responsibility for drivers.

Parking Lot Housing Project Designs Back for Review Next Week
The Eureka Design Review Committee will be considering modified building designs next Wednesday. Hopefully these changes will help secure funding so that the car storage areas can be replaced with walkable, transit-oriented housing sooner than later!

Street Story: The Public Platform for Street Safety
Local residents have made 934 reports so far. Are you making your reports? La versión en español está disponible aquí.

Charge for Parking, Get Money to Spend on Other Cool Stuff
Find out how to do it in your community with this handy guide for activists.

The District of Columbia Wants You to Pay for Your Enormous Vehicle
Want to drive a huge, dangerous vehicle that does a lot of damage to the street? In Washington, DC, you’ll soon have to pay a hefty vehicle registration fee for the privilege. Could this be a model for local ordinances addressing “truck bloat” in other communities?

They Said Technology Would Save Us
All the fancy safety gadgets in new cars these days have not managed to lower the death toll on the roads.

Hawaiian Kids Sue Over Emissions from Transportation
The state’s failure to reduce climate-harming emissions is threatening their future.

Did We Defeat the Coal Train or Not?

Posted on June 3, 2022 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

June 3, 2022

Have We Defeated the Coal Train or Not?
On Wednesday night, state Senator Mike McGuire announced that the shadowy coal train company that intervened in the railbanking process last year had failed to actually file its attempt to take over the rail line. But then on Thursday morning the filing showed up after all, with the coal train backers asking for permission to file late because their attorneys had been on vacation. It’s unclear whether the federal regulatory agency in charge (the Surface Transportation Board) will accept that excuse. Even if the coal train company’s bid fails, though, the Skunk Train’s parent company also filed notice of its intent to take over part of the rail line near Willits for freight trains, which would punch a hole right in the middle of the future Great Redwood Trail. So the fight is far from over.

VOTE!
Next Tuesday is Election Day, and there are many important contests at the local, state and federal level that will help determine the future of our transportation systems and communities.

Humboldt Supervisors to Discuss Climate Action Plan
We expect the Supervisors to take up the draft plan at their meeting next Tuesday. This will hopefully be the last stop before it moves on to the full environmental review process – where we will be advocating to strengthen the plan and to ensure that our local communities are set up to actually implement it before 2030.

Eureka Waterfront Plan Workshop Next Thursday
Show up and support walkable, transit-oriented infill development!

State Requirements Mean Gateway Plan Has to Move Forward Quickly
And most or all of the new housing units have to be approved ministerially. Those were among the messages Community Development Director David Loya brought to the Arcata City Council this week. CRTP is excited to get a look at the form-based code that will fill in a lot of the details and to see this plan approved without much more delay.

It’s Local Government Budget Season
The Eureka City Council will be considering its Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget next Tuesday, and the Arcata City Council will be holding a budget study session the same night. If you think more local dollars should go to sidewalks or bikeways or transit, let your elected officials know.

Little River Trail Virtual Workshop Next Week
Provide input on the plans to connect McKinleyville and Trinidad with a trail and bridge over the Little River near Clam Beach. And don’t forget to celebrate all trails with local National Trails Day events on Saturday!

What Role Does Transportation Play in Humboldt’s Economic Development?
Healthy, sustainable transportation is not currently listed as a local economic development priority, but you can fill out the survey and suggest it! On a related note, we’ve learned that the Headwaters Fund Board is currently seeking new members – maybe they could use a transportation-minded person like you, dear reader.

Street Story: The Public Platform for Street Safety
Local residents have made 933 reports so far. Are you making your reports? La versión en español está disponible aquí.

Cars Are Just the Second Leading Killer of Kids Now
Deaths by car have long been so pervasive that they are used as a yardstick for other causes of death.

Negotiations Heat Up in Sacramento
The governor and the legislature continue to fight over whether the best way to help people deal with inflation is to send everyone a check, or (unbelievably) only help people with cars. Also remaining on the table is how to spend the billions earmarked for climate action.

Parking Mandates Are Holding Us Back
Farhad Manjoo explains another important transportation issue with his typical clarity and power.

Gas Prices Are Still High
But remarkably little public discourse considers alternatives to driving, and people still have a “mental block” about buying electric vehicles.

Robot Taxis Coming to San Francisco
They can’t handle bad weather or busy pedestrian streets, but the state just approved the first fleet of driverless taxis anyway.