The Collector
August 14, 2026
The EaRTH Center is Coming!
The old parking lot on 3rd Street between G and H Streets in Eureka will be closed starting next Monday, which means construction will soon begin on the Eureka Regional Transit and Housing Center. Eureka has long needed a good downtown transit hub and more walkable housing, and this project provides both. CRTP has been advocating for the EaRTH Center for years, and we can’t wait for it to be built!
The EaRTH Center is one of many local transit projects made possible by the state’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP). As we have previously reported, TIRCP is one of the critical transit and housing programs that is anticipated to be defunded by rule changes recently made by Governor Newsom’s appointees to the California Air Resources Board. If you want to understand the details of this policy disaster, check out this blog post from TransForm. The bottom line is that billions of dollars that should be going to transit, housing, and clean air and drinking water will instead go to oil companies and other polluters, unless the state legislature acts quickly to overturn the policy.
Bikes Continue to Play a Central Role in Eureka Politics
New bike infrastructure, including the H & I Street buffered bike lanes, featured prominently in recent Eureka city council elections. This fall, bike-related issues are shaping up to again play a central role in council elections. Perhaps most notably, both candidates for the Fifth Ward have focused on biking in their initial public statements, with one talking about biking on local trails and the other identifying as a nondriver and bicyclist.
Meanwhile, the existing council will hear an update next week on implementation of the city’s Complete and Green Streets Policy. CRTP played a central role in the city’s adoption of the policy in 2023. The city has made significant progress since then on developing safer biking and walking facilities, and we appreciate all that’s been done. However, we remain concerned about how the policy is being implemented. The city is still adding bike and pedestrian infrastructure piecemeal, rather than including it in all projects by default as the policy requires.
Bikes, E-Bikes, and E-Motos, Oh My!
E-bikes continue to generate both enthusiasm and consternation, both locally and nationally. This week, the Eureka Police Department’s launched a public information campaign to “educate our community” about the laws around e-bikes, e-motos, and e-scooters. While we are not thrilled about the tone of the department’s press release, which basically places all the blame for community complaints about electric mobility devices on the riders, we are pleased to report that their summary of the laws is quite clear and fairly accurate.
In Sacramento, a bill supported by bike advocates aims to help clarify the current confusion around small e-mobility devices by, among other things, requiring that retailers provide clear and permanent labels on e-bikes and e-motos that identify the legal category they fall into. The bill passed out of a key committee this week, raising hopes that it will reach the governor’s desk soon.
HCAOG Gets a New Leader
The Humboldt County Association of Governments is the county’s official regional transportation planning agency, so their planning and funding decisions play an important role in CRTP’s work. This week, HCAOG announced that their new executive director will be Rob Holmlund, who previously led planning work at the Humboldt Bay Harbor District and the city of Eureka. During his time at the city, Holmlund spearheaded the overhaul of the city’s General Plan, which has helped facilitate much of the infill development the city has seen in recent years.
News from Beyond the North Coast
New Housing Could Be Reducing Driving a Lot…But It’s Not
A new report finds that state-mandated local housing plans in California could reduce vehicle miles traveled by 5-6% if they focused new housing in the most walkable areas. But instead, local governments have made planning decisions that will barely reduce driving at all. We’ll be keeping this study in mind as local governments in Humboldt County update their own plans this year.
Congress Pretends It’s Business As Usual
Members of Congress continue their slow progress toward a typical (bad) transportation funding bill, even while the Trump administration openly disregards the existing funding law. Why do legislators expect something different this time around?
The Gender Politics of Biking
Around the world, far more men than women ride bikes. The city of Bogotá, Colombia is demonstrating that more women will ride when there is safer infrastructure and a more welcoming bike culture.
There’s Really No Reason to Speed
Speeding costs drivers money, increases pollution, and increases the chance of hurting or killing someone – and it barely saves any time at all.
If You’re a Driver, Switch to an EV as Soon as Possible
Conventional wisdom says that the environmentally responsible choice is to drive a gas-powered car to the end of its useful life before switching to an electric vehicle. But a new study contradicts that advice, concluding that switching to an EV usually reduces total climate pollution even if your gas car is still in good shape.
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.