HTA General Manager Greg Pratt receives the “golden bus” 2021 Responsible Transportation Champion award from CRTP Executive Director Colin Fiske.

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The Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities (CRTP) has named Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA) General Manager Greg Pratt the 2021 North Coast Responsible Transportation Champion. Pratt is being recognized for his remarkable efforts to keep public transportation running in Humboldt County throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while at the same time preparing for a rapid transition to zero-emission buses and initiating work on a much-needed downtown Eureka transit hub.

“HTA oversees almost all of the public transit in Humboldt County, and Greg has done an incredible job at the helm for many years,” said CRTP Executive Director Colin Fiske. “Even with all of his accomplishments and many years of service, though, nothing could have prepared him for the last couple of years. Running an effective public transit system during a global pandemic is a near-impossible task, but Greg has somehow managed it. Not only that, but at the same time he has been working behind the scenes to plan for long-term transit improvements, like a major hub in downtown Eureka, and to ensure that our local bus fleet hits zero-emission targets ahead of schedule.”

“HTA is in the process of applying to the state for a grant that will replace 10 diesel buses with 10 zero-emission buses,” Pratt said, “effectively removing 600,000 miles per year of greenhouse gas emissions in Humboldt County. And that’s only the beginning.”

The North Coast Responsible Transportation Champion award is given each year to a leader who furthers CRTP’s mission of “promoting transportation solutions that protect and support a healthy environment, healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy economy on the North Coast.” Past recipients include State Senator Mike McGuire, former McKinleyville Community Services District Director Mary Burke, and former Humboldt County Association of Governments Executive Director Marcella May.

Fiske added: “We sorely need more investment in our transit system from federal, state and local governments. But Greg’s ability to guide HTA in providing service to our huge county with the few resources currently available is truly remarkable. He richly deserves recognition as the 2021 Responsible Transportation Champion.”

The Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities extends its condolences to the family and friends of Michael Wray Robinson, who was killed by a driver while biking through the intersection of Broadway and Henderson Street last Friday, October 8, 2021. As members of the community in which he lived, we grieve Mr. Robinson’s death alongside those who knew him personally.

We also extend our wishes for a full and rapid recovery to the man who was struck by three drivers and critically injured while walking on Broadway on the same night. Our thoughts are with the victim and with his family and friends.

When tragedies like these occur, it is incumbent upon the community not just to publicly grieve our losses, although this is important, but also to take action to prevent future tragedies of the same kind. Appallingly, we have failed to take action many times before. Just in the last few years, we failed to take action when Oudom Douangdao, Robert Mitchell and Russell Busch were killed on Broadway in 2014. We failed when a 70-year-old man, whose name has not even been publicly reported, was killed in 2017. We failed when Raymond Severns was killed in 2018. We failed when Ashley Madonia and Zachary Herbert were killed in 2019. We failed when Kelsey Diffin, Matthew Sullivan and Thomas Burns were killed in 2020.

We cannot fail again.

Caltrans is responsible for building, repairing and maintaining Broadway. As transportation planning research makes clear, the built environment significantly influences the rate of pedestrian strikes, and changing it offers the clearest path for reducing similar tragedies in the future. Caltrans deserves credit for planning safety improvements to parts of Broadway, but the improvements are not comprehensive enough, nor are they coming fast enough.

The Coalition is currently collecting signatures on a petition asking Caltrans to make significant, evidence-based, near-term improvements to Broadway before more lives are lost. Members of the community can view and sign that petition here: https://transportationpriorities.org/broadway/. We welcome everyone to join us in asking Caltrans to take action now.

Contact: Colin Fiske,  colin@transportationpriorities.org

HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Calif.—The Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities and allies will be holding a memorial for people killed by cars in Humboldt County at 5:30 pm on Friday, August 27^th, 2021, at the Humboldt County Courthouse in Eureka.

In the last decade, at least 80 people in Humboldt County have been killed by drivers while walking, biking, skateboarding, or rolling in a wheelchair. The county is consistently ranked among the most dangerous in the state for people walking and biking. Too often, the lives of these people killed on our streets are minimized or ignored, or the victims blamed for their own deaths. That is unacceptable.

This event will be a gathering for friends and families to remember those who have been killed, and for community members to acknowledge and honor the losses. At the event, the names of those killed will be read aloud, friends and family members may speak about their lost loved ones if they wish, and actions to prevent future tragedies will be discussed. There will also be a short, silent walk of commemoration in downtown Eureka, where participants will contemplate the vulnerability of pedestrians in the current streetscape.

The event will be led by Rev. Molly Cate, and social workers will be present to provide support for those grieving. This is a public, outdoor event, and all are encouraged to attend and pay their respects. Attendees are requested to wear masks, keep 6 feet apart from people not in their households, and follow all other public health guidelines and traffic laws during the event.

The Collector

May 28, 2021

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E-Scooters, Transit, Millions of Dollars, and More
“Technical Advisory Committee” might sound boring, but next week’s agenda for this quiet but influential Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) committee is anything but. The committee will get a presentation from the e-scooter company Bird about its interest in operating in Humboldt, hear the annual Unmet Transit Needs report and a presentation about the McKinleyville Transit Study (see below), make recommendations about newly available Coronavirus relief funding, and consider a draft of the first-ever Regional Transportation Plan “land use-transportation element.” And that’s not even all of it!

McKinleyville Transit Study Draft Report Available for Review
The report calls for piloting an on-demand micro-transit system as a first step toward improving public transportation in McKinleyville. Take the survey (en español aquí) or provide any other comments by June 25th. There will also be public presentations at next week’s Humboldt County Association of Governments Technical Advisory Committee and Social Services Transportation Advisory Council meetings.

CRTP & Allies Comment on Nordic AquaFarms Environmental Documents
We asked for a full Environmental Impact Report, and we got it. We’re happy about that, and ready for the next phase of analysis.

Eureka City Council to Vote on How to Spend SB1 Money
SB1 created, among other things, the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account, from which the city expects to receive about half a million dollars next year. They plan to spend it on repaving parts of Washington and E Streets. But this money could be spent instead on critical safety projects, including bike and pedestrian infrastructure. Maybe it’s just us, but we think that’s a little more important than repaving, given Eureka’s traffic safety crisis.

Humboldt County Wants to Hear from You About Sea Level Rise
Critical transportation infrastructure is at risk, especially around Humboldt Bay.

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Make your Street Story reports!
Local residents have reported 763 reports (and counting) on Street Story. La versión en español está disponible aquí. CRTP uses reports to advocate for change, and local agencies use them to apply for grants and prioritize improvements. Your reports are important!

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Bike Supply Chains Still Struggling to Meet Demand
It’s a good sign that demand is still high this far into the pandemic.

Will That Electric F-150 Save Us?
Despite some fawning press coverage, let’s not forget that it’s still an oversized pedestrian-killing machine.

The “CalBike Insider”
Ever wonder what’s really going on in Sacramento? This new feature from CalBike provides some behind-the-scenes insights into transportation politicking in the state capital.

The New York Times Talks Urban Highway Removal
Planners are beginning to realize that it’s better to build cities that are nice to live in than ones that are convenient for suburban commuters to get in and out of.

Environmentalists Ask for Habitat Connectivity Money in Transportation Budget
Streets and highways have a huge impact on wildlife populations.

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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 21, 2021

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Humboldt Supervisors Support a “Qualified” Climate Action Plan
“Qualified,” in this case, is a good thing. It means that the Plan will meet state greenhouse gas reduction targets and require monitoring and updates to ensure the targets are met. Since transportation is the county’s biggest source of emissions, this would mean major changes for our local transportation system.

New, More Political Environmental Group Debuts on the North Coast
The Redwood Coalition for Climate and Environmental Responsibility (RCCER, or “rocker”) is not a non-profit, so it can do political work that other groups (including CRTP) can’t. Its mission is “to ensure that local elected officials and government agencies on California’s North Coast take robust, just, and equitable actions to address the climate crisis and other key environmental issues.”

Deadline Approaching for Comment on Fish Farm Environmental Documents
When does a fish farm relate to transportation? When it generates 95 trucks trips per week and has 150 commuting employees. CRTP has teamed up with other local environmental groups to provide detailed comments on the project’s impacts. You should have your say too! You can find out more on last week’s EcoNews Report.

Arcata to Get More Public Input on Old Arcata Road Project
It appears the project is headed for a full Environmental Impact Report.

McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee to Hear Transit Study Update
The draft transit study report is expected to be released before the meeting next Wednesday.

Arcata Transportation & Energy Committee to Hold Annual Joint Meeting
The meeting will focus on the current Regional Transportation Plan update process, presumably with discussion focusing on proposed greenhouse gas and vehicle miles traveled reduction targets.

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Make your Street Story reports!
Local residents have reported 761 reports (and counting) on Street Story. La versión en español está disponible aquí. CRTP uses reports to advocate for change, and local agencies use them to apply for grants and prioritize improvements. Your reports are important!

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A Busy Week Killing Bills in the Legislature
This week was when we found out which bills were sent to the notorious “suspense file” – where bills go to die. Bills that received that fate include the decriminalize-jaywalking Freedom to Walk Act, the e-bike subsidy bill, the session’s main pro-housing density bill, and a bill that would pilot programs to make it easier to lower speed limits. Fortunately, SB 69, the bill to create the Great Redwood Trail Agency, survived the bloodbath.

This is Global Road Safety Week
Among other things, the United Nations is circulating an open letter calling for speed limits of 30 km/hr (20 mph) “on streets where people walk, live and play.”

Air Resources Board Set to Mandate Electric Uber & Lyft Vehicles
But who will pay for it – the companies or their “independent” drivers?

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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 14, 2021

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A Contested Vote to Support Railbanking
Despite the fact that by all indications the Great Redwood Trail is a wildly popular idea, and it relies on railbanking of the North Coast Railroad Authority right-of-way, the vote to express support for railbanking was closely contested and barely passed. It appears that a new wave of property-rights activism in rural parts of the county may be the reason this routine letter of support suddenly became controversial. Several other local agencies are considering letters of support next week.

Update on 101 Safety Corridor Project
Caltrans will provide a report on the project at Thursday’s Humboldt County Association of Governments meeting. CRTP has learned that the project is currently “out to bid” – meaning construction can be expected before long.

New Report on Adapting Humboldt’s Trail System to Sea Level Rise
The report was produced by Humboldt State students for CRTP and Humboldt Baykeeper. It calls for long-term planning and collaboration to ensure a resilient trail system and encourage more active transportation.

Even More Bike Month!
This Sunday is the Eureka Bike Scavenger Hunt. Then on Monday is a Virtual Bike Skills Workshop, and Thursday is officially Bike to Wherever Day. And don’t forget about Bike Bingo!

EPIC & Tribes Call on Caltrans to Cancel Richardson Grove Project
The new statement on an old project brings tribal concerns to the forefront.

Arcata Council to Consider Old Arcata Road Project
Next week, the City Council will consider the long-planned project’s environmental documents and hear public input. The project includes much-needed bike and pedestrian improvements which CRTP fully supports, as well as a roundabout – which is car-oriented design that we’re not so excited about.

Register for the 2021 Humboldt Trails Summit
It’s just a few weeks away!

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Make your Street Story reports!
Local residents have reported 761 reports (and counting) on Street Story. La versión en español está disponible aquí. CRTP uses reports to advocate for change, and local agencies use them to apply for grants and prioritize improvements. Your reports are important!

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Last Chance to Tell Pete Buttigieg to Reform the Federal Traffic Manual
It’s quick and easy using the template provided by America Walks. And the deadline is midnight tonight!

How Should Local Bike Safety Be Measured?
Traditionally, collisions are compared to local population. A new report instead compares them to local bike miles traveled (BMT), with some surprising results.

COVID “Slow Streets” Were Great for Business
Many towns and cities are now making these vehicle-restricted streets a permanent fixture. Unfortunately, none of our local communities took this step over the last year.

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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 7, 2021

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More City-Owned Parking Lots Slated for Affordable Housing
Following up on its success attracting the Linc Housing project last year, Eureka is preparing this year to ask developers to build housing on another 3 city-owned lots in the downtown area. At community meetings this week, a lot of business owners complained that this isn’t the right place for such housing, because the demand for car storage is too high. CRTP believes strongly that the fact that downtown is a busy area with lots of businesses and other destinations is exactly why it’s the right place for new housing. Although we are also intrigued at the possibility of redevelopment of the Bayshore Mall parking lot, a suggestion made by a few community members at these meetings.

Bike Month Continues!
Next week there’s a Friendly Driver webinar, which teaches you how to keep walkers, bikers and rollers safe when you’re behind the wheel. Find out more about Bike Month on the latest EcoNews Report, and keep logging those rides and playing Bike Bingo!

New E-Bike/E-Scooter Sharing Company Coming to Humboldt?
At this week’s Technical Advisory Committee meeting for the Humboldt County Association of Governments, representatives of Arcata and Fortuna revealed that they have been approached by Bird, one of the giants in the dockless e-scooter/e-bike sharing industry, with interest in setting up shop in Humboldt. We’ll bring you more details when we get them…

Humboldt Transit Authority Moving Toward Zero Emission Buses
This week the Board authorized staff to apply for grants to fund new buses – likely electric for in-town routes and hydrogen fuel-cell buses for longer routes. At the same meeting, the Board approved discounted bus passes for a bulk purchase by Linc Housing, which will provide them for free to its future tenants in Eureka.

Speaking of Linc Housing…
Next week, the nonprofit affordable housing developer will hold another community meeting to share which bike, pedestrian and transit improvements it will be applying to include in its Eureka project.

A Rare Arrest in a Vehicle-Pedestrian Crash
We are grateful that the victim’s injuries are only “moderate.” Charges were also filed this week in a separate pedestrian hit-and-run incident. Is the Eureka Police Department getting more aggressive in pursuing drivers in pedestrian-related crashes?

New Pedal-Powered Business Opens in Arcata
Just another cool use for the incredible machine we call the bicycle.

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Make your Street Story reports!
Local residents have reported 760 reports (and counting) on Street Story. La versión en español está disponible aquí. CRTP uses reports to advocate for change, and local agencies use them to apply for grants and prioritize improvements. Your reports are important!

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State Transportation Commission to Approve $58 Million for Safety Corridor Project
The funding allocation is a sign that construction of the long-planned changes to the Arcata-Eureka Highway 101 corridor is getting closer. Also at next week’s meeting, the Commission will consider requests to delay active transportation improvement projects in Arcata and Blue Lake.

What’s It Like to Be a Driver Who Kills a Pedestrian?
We don’t normally look at these crashes from the driver’s perspective, but this podcast is really worth a listen.

How Can Bikeshare Programs Be More Equitable?
They’ve got to make it a priority.

More on the Fight Over the Federal Traffic Manual
Supporters of the auto-centric manual are portraying themselves as the victims of a “cancel culture” attempt to overhaul it. We agree with former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, who responded: “I thought the victims were the people getting killed on the streets.”

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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 30, 2021

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Transportation Survey Results Released
CRTP has just released the results of our Humboldt County transportation attitudes survey. The 128 respondents represented a broad demographic and geographical cross-section of Humboldt County, and along with overall findings we looked at results related to community of residence, age, gender, disability, income, and race/ethnicity. Perhaps the most striking finding is that people overwhelmingly want to drive less and walk, bike, and/or take the bus more.

Bike Month Starts Tomorrow!
It’s Bike Month again in Humboldt County. Check out the calendar of events here, and play along with Bike Month Bingo too! We also encourage everyone to pick up a Bike Month Humboldt temporary “bike plate” to put on your bike this month to show support – available at most local bike shops and city halls.

Take the Survey on Eureka Transportation Improvements
Linc Housing, the non-profit behind the three new affordable housing projects planned for Eureka city-owned parking lots, is looking for public feedback on potential bike, pedestrian and transit improvements to go with the new housing.

Committee to Consider First Drafts of Regional Transportation Plan Elements
Next week, the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) Technical Advisory Committee will review early drafts of the Active Transportation and Commercial & Industrial Transportation Elements for the new Regional Transportation Plan update. This is the first public preview of how HCAOG will incorporate its new greenhouse gas and driving reduction goals into this critical plan.

Eureka City Council to Adopt Traffic Safety as Strategic Goal
It’s one of five goal areas identified by the Council in its recent strategic planning process. At the same meeting next week, the Council will hear a report on the inter-agency Climate Action Plan currently under development in the county.

Speaking of Climate Action and Regional Transportation Plans…
Check out CRTP’s article in the most recent issue of the EcoNews to find out just how important these two plans will be.

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Make your Street Story reports!
Local residents have reported 758 reports (and counting) on Street Story. La versión en español está disponible aquí. CRTP uses reports to advocate for change, and local agencies use them to apply for grants and prioritize improvements. Your reports are important!

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Speed Hump Hurdles
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors held a hearing this week on whether to allow two speed humps to be installed near Bridgeville School on Kneeland Road. The fact that a public hearing had to be conducted just to install some very basic traffic safety infrastructure in a school zone shows just how difficult the county’s policies make it to do anything that might slow down cars and trucks.

Check Out Our Comments on the Bay-to-Zoo Trail
We strongly support this project – but there are still important improvements to be made.

Last Chance Grade Alternatives Down to Two
Caltrans announced this week that the only two options it’s still considering are permanently shoring up the existing highway route or building a major tunnel. Thankfully, these are also the two least environmentally damaging of the options formerly under consideration.

Assembly Transportation Committee Passes Freedom to Walk Act
Could this be the first step toward restoring pedestrians’ right to the road? Also this week, the bill to allow more density in single-family zoning districts passed another committee – which could be the first step toward developing more walkable land use patterns in many parts of the state.

Florida Wants to Build Hundreds of Miles of New Freeways
What century is Florida living in?

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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 23, 2021

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McKinleyville Transit Study Update Next Week
The draft report will be released for public comment very soon! Get the most current information at next Wednesday’s McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee meeting.

Public Meeting on Eureka Affordable Housing Project Next Week
On Thursday, Linc Housing will hold a meeting to hear from the public about active transportation, transit and other amenities that could be included in its three new affordable apartment buildings to be constructed on city-owned parking lots. CRTP strongly supports this project, which recently became controversial when the city’s Planning Commission Chair quit in a huff over the fact that the project is actually allowed under the city’s new land use codes.

Two More Serious Pedestrian Crashes in Eureka This Week
After the hit-and-run on Wabash on Sunday, a semi-truck driver hit a pedestrian on Broadway on Wednesday. Both victims are in serious condition as of the latest reports.

Arcata to Get New Wayfinding Signs for Pedestrians
The “semi-permanent” signs will be installed as part of an HSU student project trying to enhance connections between campus and other parts of town.

Traffic Safety Snubbed by Measure Z Funds
Despite the fact that far more people in Humboldt County die in vehicle crashes than in other criminal acts, the Board of Supervisors continued the trend this week of allocating lots of Measure Z “public safety” funds to law enforcement and none to road safety. The lone street safety project under consideration, a traffic light on F Street in Eureka, was ranked too low by the advisory committee to receive funding.

Humboldt Supervisors Worried About New State Fire Safety Regulations
Why is this a transportation issue? By limiting development in fire-prone areas through increasingly stringent road standards, the new rules could substantially impact rural land use and transportation patterns.

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Make your Street Story reports!
Local residents have reported 757 reports (and counting) on Street Story. La versión en español está disponible aquí. CRTP uses reports to advocate for change, and local agencies use them to apply for grants and prioritize improvements. Your reports are important!

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Bike Safety Stop Bill Passes Assembly
If it passes the Senate and is signed by the Governor, California residents on bikes will join those of many other states in being able to lawfully roll through stop signs when conditions are safe. Research has consistently shown the rolling stop – a.k.a. safety stop, a.k.a. “Idaho stop” – to be safer than requiring people on bikes to come to a full stop and then start again.

Will People Keep Working from Home After the Pandemic?
Some new data from a survey of California commuters adds to the speculation.

Republican State Legislatures Absolve Drivers Who Hit Protesters
It’s already hard to hold drivers accountable. The new laws practically declare open season on pedestrians, as long as they’re protesting for social justice.

Green New Deal for Cities?
With a new bill, progressive leaders in Congress are acknowledging the critical role local governments must play in addressing the climate crisis through transportation infrastructure and other investments.

Putting Infrastructure Thinking in Reverse
We need to build a lot of new bike lanes, sidewalks, and transit – but removing auto-oriented infrastructure might be an easier and even more effective way of fighting climate chaos.

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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 16, 2021

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CRTP Weighs in On State Climate & Transportation Infrastructure Plan, Federal Traffic Control Manual
Check out what we had to say about the draft Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure and the “notorious MUTCD.” Comment periods for both documents are still open, so you can submit your comments too! Find instructions here and here.

Humboldt County Overwhelmed with Junked Vehicles
It’s a problem second only to cannabis for the code enforcement team, and an impact of our society’s addiction to cars that usually doesn’t get much attention.

Bike Month is Back!
Get a sneak preview in the latest edition of the Humboldt Bay Bicycle Commuters Association newsletter.

Redwood Way to Get Pedestrian Improvements
Sidewalks! What a nice idea.

4-Mile Run/Walk/Roll This Weekend to Remember David Josiah Lawson
Charmaine Lawson points out the benefits of active transportation for a healthy community.

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Make your Street Story reports!
Local residents have reported 752 reports (and counting) on Street Story. La versión en español está disponible aquí. CRTP uses reports to advocate for change, and local agencies use them to apply for grants and prioritize improvements. Your reports are important!

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Bike “Safety Stop” Bill Passes First Committee
Other bills passing out of committee this week include SB 9, which would dramatically increase allowable housing densities in many areas, and AB 1401, which would bar local governments from imposing minimum parking requirements on developments within 1/2 mile of a major transit route. (Unfortunately for us, there are currently no major transit routes on the North Coast.)

The New Phenomenon of Climate Gentrification
Wealthy homeowners fleeing sea level rise, wildfires, and other climate-driven disasters may drive up rents in some low-income areas.

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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.