The Collector
November 6, 2026
Caltrans Undermines Progress in the “Safety Corridor”
Mere weeks after completing decades of work – and spending nearly $50 million – on safety projects in the US 101 corridor between Arcata and Eureka, Caltrans announced that it would raise the speed limit from 50 mph to 60 mph. With that change, the agency undid much of the safety progress it spent so many years and so many dollars pursuing.
The new higher speed limit significantly increases the likelihood of crashes, and the chances that those crashes will result in severe injuries or deaths. And it may even be illegal, because Caltrans didn’t follow the standard procedure for changing a speed limit.
Caltrans offered no reason for making the change. Perhaps that’s because the only thing they achieved is a reduction of 50 seconds or so in commute time between Eureka and Arcata. Sacrificing safety just to shave off a few seconds of travel time is par for the course for state transportation agencies, but it doesn’t sound very good in a press release.
Read more in CRTP Executive Director Colin Fiske’s op-ed in the Lost Coast Outpost.
Election Wins for Transit, Bikes, and More!
Around the country on Tuesday, transit funding ballot measures were approved by large majorities of voters. That includes the biggest transit funding measure in the country, aimed at preventing major service cuts at San Francisco Bay Area transit agencies. Meanwhile, the big blue wave washed away a number of anti-bike candidates, and carried into office a new generation of candidates who advocates hope will embrace transit, biking, and walkability.
There’s still a lot of work to be done, however. History shows that Democratic control of Congress provides no guarantees of good transportation policy.
At the state level, we are relieved to report that Propositions 43 and 45 both look set to fail. Proposition 43 would have made it virtually impossible for local voters to raise money for things like transit service or bike and pedestrian infrastructure, while Proposition 45 would have gutted the California Environmental Quality Act, removing critical environmental safeguards for projects ranging from highway expansions to sprawling subdivisions.
In Humboldt County, while ballots are still being counted, the election doesn’t seem likely to bring major changes to the local political landscape. CRTP-endorsed Measure G, which renews an existing Arcata sales tax that has funded significant bike and pedestrian infrastructure over the last two decades, is on track to pass with a huge majority.
You Can Still Vote…for CRTP!
Voting is ongoing in the North Coast Co-op’s annual contest to choose recipients of the Seeds for Change register round-up program. The organizations that receive the most votes from Co-op owners will each get donations for one month next year from all customers who “round up” their purchases at the register. That’s a significant amount of money for a small-but-mighty organization like CRTP! If you’re a Co-op owner, please click here to vote for CRTP, or vote in person at one of the Co-op stores. Voting ends Sunday, November 15th.
Students Speak Up for Bus Funding
On Monday, Cal Poly Humboldt students delivered a petition to Vice President for Administration and Finance Michael Fisher demanding that the university commit to long-term funding of evening bus service in Arcata, as well as the Hinarr Hu Moulik (HHM) dorm shuttle. The petition was signed by more than 1,600 students. That’s more than 25% of all students on campus.
The university says they will fund evening bus service through the spring semester, but according to public statements they haven’t reached an agreement with the Humboldt Transit Authority to do that. And as the students have made clear, one more semester is not enough. The university must commit to long-term, year-round funding to keep Arcata evening buses running.
You can stand in solidarity with Cal Poly Humboldt students by emailing President Richard Carvajal and Vice President Michael Fisher and asking them to commit to long-term, year-round funding of Arcata evening bus service. You can also attend the University Senate meeting next Tuesday at 3 pm – either in person at Goodwin Forum or on Zoom – to support the students as they voice their demands to the administration. Click here for the meeting agenda and Zoom link.
Active Transportation Program Funding Decisions Announced
The Active Transportation Program is by far the biggest source of funding for bike and pedestrian infrastructure in California. But while demand for that funding has been rising for years, the state has repeatedly cut the program’s budget. The results are clear in this week’s announcement of the latest round of funding decisions. The program received applications requesting a total of five times more money than was actually available, and less than 8% of projects were funded.
On the North Coast, only one project was funded: the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation’s shared use path on Ocean View Drive in Del Norte County. We celebrate the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation’s success. Other local projects – including the long-awaited Little River Trail connecting McKinleyville and Trinidad, an Arcata Safe Routes to School project, and Fortuna’s John Campbell Memorial Greenway Trail – did not make the cut.
News from Beyond the North Coast
If Lancaster Can Do It, We Can Too
Lancaster is known more for being a Southern California conservative stronghold than for progressive transportation policy. But the community achieved one of the most celebrated streetscape transformations in the country in recent years by converting a five-lane highway through town into a thriving pedestrian oasis.
What’s the DMV Trying to Hide?
The California Department of Motor Vehicles is notorious for refusing to provide information to journalists and academic researchers.
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.