Humboldt Airports Collect Their Share of Air Industry Bailout

Posted on April 17, 2020 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

April 17, 2020

Local E-Bike Rebate Set to Roll Out
At its Community Advisory Committee meeting this week, Redwood Coast Energy Authority staff revealed that a new $500 rebate for purchasing an electric bike will become available to Humboldt County residents next week! RCEA will release more details soon. (Full disclosure: CRTP Executive Director Colin Fiske serves on the Community Advisory Committee, and CRTP was one of the organizations which originally proposed an e-bike rebate to RCEA.)

Airports & Airlines Get Huge COVID-19 Bailouts
Humboldt County airports are getting $18 million out of a national pot of $10 billion for airports. At the same time, airlines are getting an additional $60 billion in bailout funds. That’s a total of $70 billion for air travel, compared to $25 billion for transit. Meanwhile, transit agencies carry about 10 times more passengers than airlines in the US in a normal year (10 billion passengers vs. 1 billion for airlines – about a quarter of which is international travel). In other words, airlines are getting a much bigger subsidy – both in total and per passenger – than transit, despite the fact that they are much less needed for essential transportation, much less efficient at moving people, and much more environmentally damaging. So what do the airlines have going for them that transit agencies don’t? They’re big private companies with deep pockets and well-connected lobbyists, of course!

Local Bike News Updates!
The latest edition of Wheel People, the newsletter of the Humboldt Bay Bicycle Commuters Association, is now available.

Weekly Street Story Update: Near Misses During Shelter-in-Place
Four near misses for people walking and biking have been reported between Eureka and McKinleyville since the county’s shelter-in-place order was issued on March 20. If you see or experience something dangerous while traveling for essential reasons or for recreation, please make your Street Story report here.

Damn the Pandemic, Full Speed Ahead
So say the Army Corps of Engineers dredges in Humboldt Bay, apparently.

Bike Safe in the COVID-19 Era
Check out the helpful tips from CalBike.

Amazon, Climate and COVID
The fact that orders to stay at home have led to a massive increase in online shopping highlights an interesting fact: Although transportation systems are traditionally divided into those that move freight and those that move people, in reality lots of personal transportation is actually just the “last mile” of the freight transportation system (i.e., getting your groceries or other goods from the store to your home). With that realization, it becomes obvious that anyone who cares about transportation should be concerned about policies and practices at Amazon.

Open Streets Gaining Momentum During the Pandemic
More and more cities are realizing that sidewalks and bike lanes don’t provide enough space for social distancing (or even for normal walking and biking in many cases).

How to Rebuild the Right Way
Smart Growth America sharpens its focus on future stimulus legislation with a report on what went wrong with the 2009 stimulus package and how to do it right this time. (Hint: don’t build a bunch of new highways.)

Transit is Essential Because People Who Ride It Are Essential
A new report finds that over a third of regular transit riders work in jobs classified as essential.

Shifting Transportation Policy Goals from Speed to Access
That’s the goal of two new bills filed in Congress.

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.

Oakland Opening 74 Miles of Streets to Walking and Biking

Posted on April 10, 2020 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

April 10, 2020

Local FedEx Drivers Worry About Safety and Spreading the Virus
More people staying at home leads to more package deliveries.

Oakland Opening 74 Miles of Streets to Walking and Biking
The streets will still allow car access for local residents, but will be “slowed” to allow safe use for bicyclists and pedestrians practicing safe social distancing. This is an easy and practical model for local communities on the North Coast to follow.

Loose Cows!
We thought you might appreciate some slightly less serious transportation related news for a moment. But really, if you’re on Highway 101 south of McKinleyville, watch out.

Less Driving Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Fewer Deaths
Drivers are speeding up in many places, leading to a disproportionate number of fatal crashes. Local data are not yet available.

Weekly Street Story Update: Stay Safe Out There
Ironically, while sheltering in place, more of us are walking and biking than ever before. Thankfully, car traffic is down, making the streets generally safer. But if you see or experience something dangerous, please make your Street Story report here.

Cities Continue Adapting to the Pandemic
The National Association of City Transportation Officials is maintaining a list of actions cities across the country – and a few internationally – are taking to support needed transportation system changes in a time of social distancing.

Stay-at-Home Is Just the Beginning of the Crisis for Transit Agencies
Funding sources for many agencies will likely crash along with the economy, and future ridership is a big unknown.

Testing of Driverless Cars Continues in Bay Area
A second company has been approved to put them on the road.

League of American Bicyclists Announces that May is Still Bike Month
Biking is still important during a pandemic!

Will Pattern of Reduced Commute Miles Stick Around After the Pandemic?
This could be “the end of work as we know it,” or just a temporary pause followed by an explosion of new driving when the economy recovers.

Adapting Humboldt’s Transportation Systems to the Pandemic

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

April 3, 2020

Bike Repair is an Essential Service!
As reported by our friends at CalBike, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has now declared that bike maintenance and repair are essential services. Since the California stay-at-home order relies on DHS definitions, this means that bike repair and maintenance workers in the state can keep doing their critical work during the crisis. Locally, the revised Humboldt County shelter-in-place order does not specifically mention bike repair or bike shops – despite requests from CRTP and others – but we know that at least some local shops are still open and doing repairs.

Adapting Our Local Systems to the Pandemic
The National Association of City Transportation Officials is maintaining a great set of tools for local governments to adapt their transportation systems to the COVID-19 era. CRTP recommends that our local governments consider many of these tools, especially the use of traffic cones to create temporary protected bike lanes/sidewalk extensions in certain locations to allow more social distancing for people on foot and on bikes where the existing infrastructure isn’t sufficient. We’re also asking Arcata and Eureka, which have pedestrian “beg buttons” – intersections where you won’t get a walk signal without pressing a button – to reprogram traffic signals to give automatic pedestrian signals in order to reduce the repeated touching of common surfaces. If you have specific transportation-related recommendations for adapting to the pandemic, please send us an email.

National Fuel Economy Roll-Back Finalized by Trump Administration
Despite the pandemic putting many public processes on hold, the administration’s war on environmental regulations seems to have only intensified. Check out the related Action Alert put out by our friends at EPIC here.

Travel Is Down in Humboldt
But not as much as you might think. One company, using cell phone data, estimates that overall travel in the county is down only about 40% since the start of the pandemic. On the other hand, they say non-essential trips are down more than 70%.

Arcata Adopts New Stop Sign Installation Standards
The city will now consider multiple factors – including high bike and pedestrian activity – when considering whether to install a new stop sign. Previously, the decision was based almost entirely on traffic volumes.

Parking Lots May Get Put to a New Use
The Times-Standard reports that unused parking lots at churches and other locations in Arcata may soon see city-sanctioned tent encampments to help support and stabilize the homeless population during the pandemic.

Kinetic Grand Championship Race Canceled
The region’s premier art-and-active-transportation event is another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Car-Culture Restaurant Opening Delayed
The new drive-through on Broadway won’t be opening soon after all.

Last Chance Grade Geotechnical Study Move Forward
The environmental documentation for the study has been finalized – but this is all just a prelude to the environmental documentation for the final project, which will take years to complete.

Transit Got Some Funding in Stimulus Package; What Now?
Transit agencies will need a lot more support before this is over. TransForm has put out a set of bold but practical recommendations for policymakers in California to rescue transit in our state.

Recommendations for the Next Stimulus Package
Negotiations are already under way for future stimulus packages in Washington, DC, and reports indicate that the next legislation might focus on infrastructure. Smart Growth America has a set of recommendations to make sure that we focus those dollars where they will actually help, rather than contributing to more sprawl and more driving.

Humboldt Transit, Heroically, Keeps on Busing

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

March 27, 2020

CRTP and Partners Submit Letter About Broadway Improvements
Addressing the current planning effort for the corridor, the letter calls for specific, immediate improvements for pedestrians, bikes and transit to tackle the safety crisis on Broadway.

Humboldt Transit, Heroically, Keeps on Busing
All Humboldt Transit Authority buses – including Redwood Transit, Eureka Transit, Willow Creek and intercity services – continue to run on their normal schedule. To protect passengers, frequent cleaning and social distancing are in force. To protect drivers, passengers enter the rear door of the bus and skip the fare box. HTA deserves high praise for keeping this essential service running for free, while still looking out for the well-being of drivers and riders. The Arcata-Mad River Transit System is also still running, although on a reduced schedule.

Transit Gets $25 Billion in Stimulus Package
The fight isn’t over yet, but it appears that the $2 trillion legislation will include a significant amount to rescue beleaguered transit agencies around the country. This money wasn’t on the table initially, so if you called your representatives and said something, go ahead and pat yourself on the back.

Tell the State that Bike Shops Are Essential
Our friends at Calbike are calling on the state to designate bike repair as an essential service, in recognition of the fact that many people rely on bikes for essential travel. As we reported last week, car repair shops and gas stations have been considered essential, but bike shops generally have not (except in San Francisco).

Zagster Suspends All Rentals
Although it appears that no local announcements have been made, Zagster’s corporate website has a statement dated Thusday, March 26, that all bike rentals have been suspended as a result of the pandemic. Previously, they had been advising users to disinfect bikes before and after use.

Creekside Homes Project to Be Considered by Council Next Week
The big development with both single-family homes and senior housing is currently scheduled to be considered by the Arcata City Council at its (virtual) meeting next Wednesday. You can read CRTP’s comments on the project here.

Airport Spreads Virus, Stays Open
Please don’t fly anywhere unless you really need to.

Weekly Street Story Update: Yield to Bikes in Cutten
This report will sound familiar to many bicyclists: “Drivers rarely make complete stops at this 3-way, regardless of cyclists right-of-way…. constant problem.” Are you encountering street hazards, near misses, or collisions as you walk or bike for your shelter-in-place exercise, or as you make your way to an essential service job? You can make your own Street Story report here.

State Parks Close to Vehicles to Enforce Social Distancing
But you can still walk or bike there! Following all local rules, of course, and staying 6 feet apart.

Will the Pandemic Set Back the Electric Vehicle Revolution?
EV sales have dropped far more quickly than sales of gas-guzzlers.

Congress Clashes Over Bailouts for Dirty Transportation
Airlines and cruise ships are known as mega-polluters. Will there be any strings attached to federal rescue funds? The answer is not yet clear.

Packages Aren’t Teleported to Your Door
The impacts of ramping up online shopping through Amazon and other behemoths are felt acutely by marginalized communities near shipping and distribution hubs.

Walking, Biking and Transit in the Time of COVID-19

Posted on March 20, 2020 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

March 20, 2020

Editor’s Note: Here at CRTP, we’re sheltering in place as ordered by local public health officials. But we know that the transportation system remains critical for the continued functioning of essential services, and we will continue to advocate for responsible transportation priorities as best we can from the isolation of our own homes. Thanks for your continued support, and stay healthy!

What Does “Shelter in Place” Mean for Active Transportation?
Humboldt County’s Shelter in Place Order allows only “Essential Travel.” To support Essential Travel, businesses providing needed transportation services are allowed to remain open. The order specifies that this includes gas stations and auto repair shops, but says nothing about bike repair. CRTP and others have asked the county to address this oversight, as San Francisco did, to reflect the reality that lots of people need to rely on bikes for Essential Travel. So far, no changes to the order have been reported. However, outfitting stores – some of which also provide bike repair services – will remain open.

Additionally, it’s unclear how the statewide “Stay at Home” order may affect support for travel by bike or by foot. The governor stated publicly that outdoor recreation (as opposed to transportation) is allowed as long as social distancing guidelines are followed. But the key transportation modes identified by the Department of Homeland Security, on which the state order relies to identify “Essential Critical Infrastructure,” do not include walking or biking.

How the Pandemic is Affecting Public Transit
Public transit is an essential service, and systems remain operating in Humboldt and around the country. Ridership has dropped precipitously, however, and transit agencies will need significant public support to get through this intact. Yet the Senate is proposing billions to bail out the private airline industry and not a single cent for public transit.

Practically Every Public Meeting Has Been Canceled…
…including many which would have addressed important transportation topics. But you probably knew that already.

COVID-19, Telework, and Vehicle Miles Traveled
EPIC Executive Director and CRTP Board Member Tom Wheeler extols the virtues of telework – including reducing vehicle miles traveled – in a Times-Standard op-ed.

HSU Provides Free Bus Rides to Students Returning Home
Buses will go to San Francisco and Los Angeles.

COVID Can’t Stop Car-Culture Restaurant
The new Broadway drive-thru is still on track.

Measure Z Funds are Shrinking
The sales tax measure has regularly provided funds for local road repairs. Future revenues are uncertain – now more than ever.

Weekly Street Story Update: Another Milestone
Even as non-essential transportation has ground to a halt, people are still reporting hazards, near-misses and crashes on Street Story. In fact, we’ve now hit 600 reports in Humboldt County. You can make your own Street Story report here.

CalBike Advocates for the “Dutch Reach”
A simple driver-training measure could save the lives of many bicyclists.

A Green New Deal for Transportation
A new report investigates how changing development patterns and mode shift can help address the climate crisis.

New Yorkers Switch to Bikes for Social Distancing
The bad news: a lot of them are doing it to avoid public transit.

Big Data Poised to Dramatically Change Transportation Systems
Is that good or bad? That depends on who you ask.

Free Transit Tuesdays Coming to Humboldt!

Posted on March 13, 2020 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

March 13, 2020

Free Transit Tuesdays Coming to Humboldt!
Every Tuesday from April 7 – June 29, Redwood Transit, Eureka Transit, Southern Humboldt and Willow Creek buses will be free! If you haven’t tried local transit in a while – or ever – this is your chance to give it a try. Here at CRTP, we love it!

Ornelas Resigns, Leaving Plaza Changes in Question
Susan Ornelas recently cast the deciding vote on the Arcata City Council for pursuing partial pedestrianization of the Plaza. She was also just appointed to a Council sub-committee to receive input from businesses (and possibly other stakeholders) on trial closures of 8th Street on the Plaza. Until someone is appointed or elected to fill her seat, the Council now appears to be evenly split between members supporting and opposed to pedestrianization. Some decisions could be made at next week’s Council meeting – unless it’s canceled due to COVID-19.

McKinleyville Town Center Discussion Continues
This week’s meeting again featured talk of form-based codes, road diets, and walkability. Nothing has been decided, but at least good modern land use and transportation planning practices are on the table!

Weekly Street Story Update: Broadway
We know we’ve featured Broadway here before. But it’s such a hazard for bicyclists and pedestrians that it merits returning to it from time to time. And as the City of Eureka and Caltrans explore possible changes to the corridor, we’d like to remind them: lots of people have made informative reports on Street Story! You can make your own Street Story report here.

Coronavirus Is Reducing Transportation Emissions
But it’s also making people scared to ride public transit, despite evidence that transit probably isn’t a major contributor to outbreaks.

New Federal Bill Supports Walkable, Transit-Oriented Development
And it’s bipartisan! Wonders never cease.

Media Coverage Affects Public Perception of Collisions
Victim blaming, ignoring history and context, absolving the driver – it’s not news to us. But it’s a good reminder to be careful about how we write and talk about street safety.

Suburban Malls Try to Become Real Town Centers
Could this become a trend?

Humboldt County Considering Climate Bonds

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

March 6, 2020

Arcata City Council Indicates Support for Trial Closures of 8th Street
On Wednesday, three of the five Councilmembers supported weekend closures of 8th Street on the Plaza during the summer months, as a pilot for potential permanent pedestrianization. The Council then created a subcommittee made up of members Susan Ornelas and Michael Winkler to meet with affected businesses and gather input on how to implement the trial with minimal negative impacts on business. Unfortunately, no other stakeholder or interest group was singled out for outreach on how to allocate space in our public right-of-way. But if you have input, you can always call or email Ornelas and Winkler to let them know!

County to Consider Climate Bonds
At its Tuesday meeting, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted to direct staff to move forward with investigating the issuance of municipal bonds to fund projects related to mitigating and adapting to the climate crisis. If this goes forward, transportation projects are sure to be in the mix!

County Holding ADU Ordinance Hearings
Humboldt County is holding hearings on its proposed ordinances to implement the new state mandate allowing accessory dwelling units (also known as “granny flats” and many other names) by right in residential areas. A single family neighborhood can effectively double its density without changing its character if every home adds an ADU. Is this the path forward for infill development in many of our historically low-density residential areas?

Want to Help CRTP Provide Bike Valet for Local Events?
We’re looking for a Bike Valet Coordinator for the 2020 event season! The Coordinator will work with event organizers and volunteers and generally make sure bike valet goes smoothly. There is a stipend for this position. To find out more and to apply, email colin@transportationpriorities.org.

Next McKinleyville Town Center Meeting Coming Up
The parade of meetings continues next Wednesday. The topic: land use. Of course, that’s kind of been the topic all along. But the discussion is sure to be interesting!

Trinidad Hotel Project Gets Another Approval
The hotel is closely tied to a proposed new interchange on Highway 101, although that part is often left out of discussions.

Weekly Street Story Update: Bike vs. Railroad
More than one report on Street Story highlights the hazard that Eureka’s waterfront railroad tracks present to bicyclists. With the city and county encouraging people to use the new waterfront trail, this is an important issue to note. Here’s an example from M St: “I broke my wrist here because the railroad track ate my bicycle wheel and flipped me over.” You can make your own Street Story report here.

“The Congestion Con”
A new report from Transportation for America lays out clearly what researchers have been saying for years: no matter how much money you spend building new lanes and new highways, you can’t build your way out of congestion. Maybe transportation planners and politicians will finally take note?

State Senate Committees Address Rising Transportation Emissions
The urgency is clear. The solutions are clear. But the difficulty is perhaps what’s most clear to elected officials.

Oakland Getting Ready to Unveil New Pedestrian Commons
Just sayin’, Arcata. It’s super cool, and hardly revolutionary.

Parking Policy, Road Diets Debated for McKinleyville Town Center

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

February 28, 2020

County to Partner with Energy Authority on Clean Mobility
At its meeting yesterday, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority’s Board of Directors discussed a partnership with Humboldt County Public Health to apply for a state Clean Mobility grant, which would provide “voucher-based funding for zero-emission carsharing, carpooling and vanpooling, bike-sharing/scooter-sharing, innovative transit services, and ride-on-demand services in California’s historically underserved communities.”

Parking Policy, Road Diets Debated for McKinleyville Town Center
Although the Times-Standard coverage doesn’t mention these topics, parking and transportation were probably the most talked-about planning areas discussed at this week’s Town Center planning meeting. As they laid out in a memo prior to the meeting, County staff took the revolutionary step of admitting that McKinleyville has more free car storage than it needs, and that maybe the Town Center should require less of it. They also suggested (amazing!) that reducing lanes on Central Avenue through the Town Center area may be needed to make the area more walkable. These ideas got a surprisingly warm – if at times a little skeptical – reception from members of the McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee. The Town Center conversation will continue at public meetings held every two weeks until at least the end of May.

Rail Proponents Just Keep Chugging Along
Humboldt County’s train lovers haven’t given up on bringing back something to ride the rails around here. This time, they’re not talking about freight trains or passenger rail – which, as Senator McGuire so succinctly said, “will never come back” – but small-scale tourist or demonstration projects. A new feasibility study concludes that even these small-scale projects would be very expensive, but still possibly achievable. Of course, any new rail project would have to be compatible with the new Great Redwood Trail, which is now the law of the land governing the North Coast Railroad Authority right-of-way.

Weekly Street Story Update: West End Road
Numerous reports highlight the dangers of walking and biking on West End Road in Arcata, which is one of the main connections between Valley West and the rest of the city. Here’s one report: “Too many work trucks and cars that drive too fast and can’t see you due to no sidewalks, no lighting. A terrible road to walk or bike on.” You can make your own Street Story report here.

New Report Aims for Carbon-Free Transportation in California
Electrify cars and buses and increase walking, biking and transit. Seems easy enough, right?

Car-Free Market Street Doesn’t Affect Traffic Much
Every time a major street goes car-free, or an urban freeway is removed, people predict that terrible traffic jams will result. The word “carmaggedon” is much used. But every time, nothing that bad happens to traffic – and neighborhoods benefit enormously.

Why Would a Bike Shop Owner Oppose Safer Bike Infrastructure?
Fear of change is a very real thing – even when the data all indicate that the change would benefit you.

Bike Commuting Has a Problem
In big cities like San Francisco, it seems to be dominated by wealthy white men. Why that is, and what can be done about it, are much debated topics. Of course, in areas like Humboldt County with less extensive public transit systems, lower-income commuters without cars are more likely to rely on bikes for commuting as well.

Arcata City Council to Rank Plaza Recommendations

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

February 21, 2020

Town Center Land Use & Design on the Agenda
At next Wednesday’s McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee meeting, the Committee will take on topics of “Land Use/Zoning, Streetscape and Design” for the proposed Town Center. Transportation has been pushed to the next meeting – but when you put them all together, land use, streetscape and design pretty much add up to transportation anyway, so you can bet CRTP will be there! Meanwhile, the Town Center planning process is causing many to re-consider the old idea of cityhood for McKinleyville.

Arcata City Council to Rank Plaza Recommendations
On Wednesday, the Council received the final report from its Plaza Improvement Task Force. Discussion at the meeting seemed to indicate general support for the bike and pedestrian improvements recommended by the Task Force. Councilmember Susan Ornelas was the lone Councilmember to discuss street closures in any detail, suggesting pedestrianization of 9th Street as part of a package of other changes on and off the Plaza. Now, Councilmembers will rank the recommendations (and possibly some of their own ideas) and take up the topics again at a future meeting for official prioritization. Meanwhile, a somewhat factually flawed article in the Times-Standard highlighted many of the proposals CRTP has made for the Plaza over the last 3 years.

Stop Signs to Make You Stop and Think
The Stop&Sign project invites the public to join in an event of the 4th Annual Womxn’s Festival Art Installation on Feb., 29th at 12 p.m. on the Arcata Plaza called Stop&Sign. For this project community members will hold hand made stop-signs at four-ways around the Plaza to interact with the public. So far, community members have made signs that address everything from love to hate. Sign making workshops are held at the Sanctuary’s (1301 J St.) Taco Tuesday from 6:30-7:30 P.M. & at the Arcata Playhouse (1251 9th St.) from 3-6 P.M.

Disturbing Vehicular Violence in Ukiah
A person driving a car intentionally ran over a person on a bicycle with whom they were arguing. This is a tragic reminder that cars are deadly weapons, and we can’t let their ubiquity in our landscapes blind us to the dangers they pose.

Friends Raise Money for Bicyclist Hit By Driver
After a collision with a vehicle in Arcata, the bicyclist is seriously injured.

Caltrans Eureka-Arcata Corridor Wetland Mitigation Approved
But as with the project itself, the mitigation doesn’t seem to have taken much account of sea level rise.

Weekly Street Story Update: Stroller on the Shoulder
This report from McKinleyville demonstrates what can happen when there aren’t sidewalks where people need to walk: “I was walking on shoulder of road, with a double stroller. A large truck moving hay came around the corner too fast and went over the white line. It zoomed past me, missing my children and me.” You can make your own Street Story report here.

How Do You Get More Money for Bike Projects?
Make sure you have decision-makers who don’t see everything through the windshield of a car.

San Francisco Mayor Looks to Proven Cures for Congestion
No, not road widening – that doesn’t work! Instead, she’s proposing congestion pricing and less free parking – hey, those do work!

LA May Pedestrianize Broadway
Now that San Francisco removed cars from Market Street, anything is possible!

Planning a New Mega-City from Scratch in Indonesia
Will they take the opportunity to make it plan for people and nature instead of cars?

New Arcata Plaza Mini-Documentary Released

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

February 14, 2020

Supervisor Candidates Discuss Buses in Eel River Valley
Ferndale City Council doesn’t want buses in the Victorian village. One supervisor candidate seems to think that’s OK, while the other says there’s a real need for transit service. Some other candidate comments on transportation issues can be found in their interviews and questionnaires with the North Coast Journal, here and here.

Infill Development in Ferndale?
Speaking of Ferndale, the mayor says that the little city’s biggest opportunity is denser infill housing development. Sounds transit-friendly to us!

New Video Features CRTP Proposals for Arcata Plaza
Just in time for next week’s delivery of Plaza Improvement Task Force recommendations to City Council, Arcata News is out with a 14-minute mini-documentary about the choices the Council faces.

We Take Caltrans to Task Over Permit Amendment
Along with our allies at Humboldt Baykeeper, Northcoast Environmental Center, and EPIC, CRTP pushed back against the Caltrans permit amendment application which would have effectively added an extra lane to part of the Route 101 Arcata-Eureka corridor. The application is being discussed by the Coastal Commission today, but the word on the street is that Caltrans has backed off the lane-adding part. That’s one small victory for good planning and common sense.

Samoa Redevelopment Plan Takes Another Step
At next week’s meeting, the Humboldt County Planning Commission will consider approval of the next phase of the long-running Samoa Town Master Plan: a 332-parcel subdivision. The low-income housing and mixture of other uses in a compact area sound good, but given its location, will this project just end up adding to the county’s already high level of vehicle miles traveled?

New Open Door Clinic One Step Closer to Approval
The Arcata Planning Commission recommended approval of the project on Tuesday. The new clinic will consolidate services and update infrastructure, but it will put services a little farther from a major transit hub for some people. CRTP has worked with Open Door to provide guidance on how best to encourage employees and patients to walk, bike or take the bus to the new clinic.

Weekly Street Story Update: Help Complete the Annie & Mary Trail!
The City of Arcata and County of Humboldt are both seeking grant funding this spring to complete segments of the Annie & Mary Trail between Arcata and Blue Lake. Crowdsourcing collisions, near misses, and hazards along West End Road, Highway 299 and other roads connecting Arcata and Blue Lake will help our local jurisdictions make the case for funding to construct the Annie & Mary Trail. You can make your Street Story report for any of these areas here.

Eureka City Council to Hear Update on Broadway Plans
Maybe staff has abandoned the old capacity-increasing ideas and will now focus instead on making Broadway safer and more appealing for people on foot and on bicycles? A person can dream.

Are You the Next Arcata Planning Commissioner?
You won’t know if you don’t apply.

Leftover Measure Z Funding Goes to Roads
Of course, it won’t put a dent in the county’s road maintenance backlog. Nor will it make the streets safer for people walking and biking.

New York Will Crack Down on Worst Traffic Offenders
Research shows that repeat traffic law violators are more likely to hurt or kill someone in a crash. So now New York City will start requiring them to take a traffic safety course, or have their vehicle impounded.