The Collector

December 6, 2024

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Your Next Opportunity to Speak Up About Unmet Transit Needs
The Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) is in charge of transit planning for the region, including running the annual public process to collect information on unmet transit needs. The next unmet transit needs hearing will be held next Thursday at 5 pm at the HCAOG Board meeting (at Eureka City Hall or online).

With the recent approval of Measure O providing a potentially significant source of new transit funding, the defeat of Measure F removing a roadblock to development of the Eureka Regional Transit and Housing Center (EaRTH Center), and plans proceeding to add many new housing units along our main regional transit corridor, this is a particularly important time for decision-makers to hear from riders and potential riders about how to prioritize transit investments.

A better transit system is also a key climate solution, since the majority of local greenhouse gas emissions come from driving personal vehicles. So you might want to stick around at the HCAOG meeting after you make your transit comments and listen to the Board’s discussion about taking a leadership role in implementation of the Humboldt County Regional Climate Action Plan. CRTP and our environmental allies advocated for HCAOG to take on this role, and we are excited to see staff preparing to hit the ground running when the plan is finally approved next year.

State E-Bike Voucher Program Finally Launching!
After countless delays and rumors of cancellation, the state of California has announced that its e-bike incentive program is finally launching on December 18th. The program will provide vouchers of up to $2,000 to income-qualified residents toward the purchase of an e-bike. If you received but have not yet spent an e-bike voucher from the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, the local voucher can be combined with the state’s to provide even more financial support. (There may also be some limited local voucher funding still available, especially for Arcata residents.)

The first phase of the program will only release enough funding for up to 1,500 vouchers on a first-come, first-served basis, so be prepared to file your application quickly when the program launches on December 18th! More information can be found on the official program website and from CalBike.

Arcata Transit Will Fully Integrate Into Regional System
The City of Arcata has formally requested that the Humboldt Transit Authority take over the city’s Arcata & Mad River Transit System. CRTP supports fully integrating the Arcata system into HTA, which will allow more efficient operations and help efforts to make the entire local transit network more seamless and understandable for riders. However, some crucial details need to be worked out, including how to maintain and upgrade the Arcata Transit Center, which will still be owned by the city. The HTA Board discussed these issues at its meeting this week, and is scheduled to finalize the transition at its February meeting.

Draft Del Norte Regional Transportation Plan Available for Comment
Del Norte County’s Regional Transportation Plan is updated every four years, and it has come a long way since CRTP first commented on the 2016 version (just a year after our organization was founded). But we believe the current version still lacks the necessary ambition to meet major challenges like reducing climate pollution, increasing bicyclist and pedestrian safety, and improving public transit. You can submit your comments on the plan via the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission site until December 26th.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

US Department of Transportation Publishes Parking Reform Guide
The federal government now officially recognizes reforms like eliminating parking mandates for new development and charging for curb parking as “Climate Strategies that Work,” and has provided a helpful guide for local communities.

Congestion Pricing Is Back in New York City
New York’s governor unexpectedly canceled the long-planned congestion pricing launch shortly before the election, but it’s now back on – albeit with a greatly reduced toll. Congestion pricing has a long and successful track record of reducing traffic and air pollution while supporting public transit and biking in cities around the world, but New York’s will be the first such program to launch in the United States.

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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

November 22, 2024

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Stay Safe Out There!
Contrary to popular belief, it’s perfectly possible to walk, bike or roll in all sorts of weather. On the other hand, extreme conditions can make all kinds of travel more dangerous, including driving, and it’s true that people walking, biking and rolling can be vulnerable to flooded streets and high winds. So however you’re getting where you need to go this week, please be careful during this big winter storm.

Bike and Pedestrian Funding Cuts Hit Home
As we previously reported, the state’s Active Transportation Program – which funds most major bike and pedestrian safety projects in the state – experienced draconian budget cuts this year. (Highway funding, in contrast, was not cut.) Last week, we saw the results of this short-sighted decision when the California Transportation Commission released its recommendations for project funding awards. It turns out there is only enough money for 13 projects in all of California, leaving hundreds of much-needed projects unfunded. None of the applications from Humboldt County – including safe routes to school improvements in Loleta, bike and pedestrian upgrades in Orleans, and a trail segment in Blue Lake – will receive funding.

Party on Wheels for Trans Week of Resistance
We are in the middle of Trans Week of Resistance here in Humboldt County, and tonight (Friday, November 22nd) the calendar features a “TransPorting Joy” event in Old Town Eureka organized by local bike activist Molly Martin. The event calls for community members to show up with bikes, skates or wheelchairs and join the celebration.

Meanwhile, many local schools celebrated Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day last week, honoring the legacy of the young black student who integrated an all-white elementary school in Louisiana in 1960 in the face of violent resistance. These events are reminders that under many conditions, simply walking, biking, rolling, or riding the bus can be a potent act of political resistance.

Judge Rejects Injunction in Richardson Grove Case
The latest ruling in the 17-year legal battle over Caltrans’ plan to expand Highway 101 through Richardson Grove State Park is a disappointment for opponents of the project, including CRTP. But we have no doubt the fight will go on until Caltrans finally abandons this harmful and completely unnecessary project.

Report Missing Crosswalk Markings on Street Story
There are many legal crosswalks, connecting two well-used sidewalks, that lack the painted markings alerting drivers that they should yield to people walking or rolling. It is particularly common in one-way street design to see unmarked “downstream” crosswalks. (On a one-way street, an “upstream” crosswalk is on the side of an intersection reached first by oncoming traffic, while a “downstream” crosswalk is on the side of an intersection reached second—i.e., the far side of the intersection from the perspective of approaching drivers.)

Some past road designers argued incorrectly that this lack of marking was safer, as it discouraged pedestrians from crossing in a location where drivers turning onto the one-way street might not be looking. But this ignores several key facts. First, a pedestrian at the marked (upstream) crosswalk, while potentially more visible to turning drivers approaching from a side street, is often less visible to drivers already on the street, especially when vehicles are parked too close to the intersection. The lack of markings also means that drivers may not expect pedestrians to use the (still legal) downstream crossing locations. Finally, a pedestrian wanting to use only marked crosswalks would have to cross up to three legs of the intersection just to get to the other side of the street, and each crossing increases exposure to vehicles and therefore crash risk.

You can unfortunately see examples of intersections set up this way on 4^th & 5^th Streets in Eureka and on G and H Streets in Arcata. Check out our Walk Audit report from 4th and 5th Streets where we discuss this issue. And if you know of other locations with missing crosswalk markings, report them on Street Story!

Haga clic aquí para hacer un informe en español.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Support Side Underride Guards for Trucks
Big trucks sometimes pull bikes, pedestrians, and even smaller cars underneath them, resulting in a particularly horrific and deadly kind of crash. There’s a simple solution called “side underride guards” that prevent this from happening, and the California Highway Patrol has the power to require them. Tell them to take action!

Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Is Increasing Climate Pollution
The 2021 law, one of the Biden administration’s signature accomplishments, was supposed to help reduce emissions and repair existing infrastructure. But a new report shows that, without many restrictions on spending, state departments of transportation are spending billions on big highway expansions that result in more driving and more emissions with no real benefits.

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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

November 15, 2024

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Transit Needs Hearing in Eureka Next Week
If you ride the bus in Eureka – or if you’d really like to ride the bus in Eureka but the system doesn’t work for you – please show up either in person or on Zoom to next Tuesday’s Eureka City Council meeting to speak up about the improvements you think are needed in our local and regional transit systems.

If you can’t make it to Tuesday’s hearing, there are more hearings in other parts of the county coming up. And if you can’t attend any of the hearings, you can submit your comments by calling or emailing the Humboldt County Association of Governments (go to this link and click on “Comment on Unmet Transit Needs”), or you can fill out an online survey. Responda la encuesta sobre necesidades de transporte insatisfechas en español aquí.

This is a particularly important time to document our local transit needs. The new federal administration is likely to cut transit funding over the next couple of years, but at the same time the recently passed Measure O will raise significant revenue for Humboldt County – and the Board of Supervisors has promised to spend some of it on transit. A clear demonstration of needs will help put pressure on decision-makers to invest more in transit.

Potential for Lower Speed Limits in Eureka and Arcata
Tuesday’s Eureka City Council meeting also includes a discussion of the city’s most recent “Engineering and Traffic Survey,” a legal document that is required by state law to be updated periodically in order to enforce local speed limits. Historically, because of the dangerous and counterproductive rules for setting speed limits, this process has usually meant raising speed limits.

Eureka city staff are not raising speed limits this time around, and are even lowering limits on some streets. We’re grateful for that, but we also know that more could be done. Recently reforms such as 2021’s AB 43 allow cities to lower speed limits in a number of different ways, including by designating “safety corridors” and “business activity districts,” and identifying land uses that generate lots of bike and pedestrian traffic. Check out this useful resource for all the details.

At another meeting next Tuesday, the Arcata Transportation Safety Committee will also talk about lowering speed limits by using AB 43’s provisions. We strongly encourage both Arcata and Eureka to use all available opportunities to lower speed limits as much as possible and in as many places as possible. While speed limits by themselves are not as effective as good road design at lowering driver speeds, they do make a difference. And when it comes to surviving a crash, even lowering speeds by a few miles per hour can mean the difference between life and death.

More on Those Election Results
If you want to hear more about how election results at the national, state and local level will affect climate, transportation, and other environmental issues, check out the most recent episode of the EcoNews Report.

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Vote for CRTP!
If you’re a North Coast Co-op member, don’t forget to vote for CRTP in the 2025 Seeds for Change register round-up election. The deadline to vote is this Sunday! The money raised in a month of round-ups can make a really big difference for an organization as small as CRTP, and we would really appreciate your vote.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Traffic Violence
This Sunday is the annual World Day of Remembrance, an opportunity to reflect on the enormous toll cars and trucks take on human life each and every year.

Transit Benefits Everyone – Not Just Riders
Even in areas with great public transit, not everyone uses it. But a new study finds that changes in community land use patterns related to public transit cause all sorts of other improvements. Researchers concluded that even people who don’t ride transit still drive a lot less in communities with good transit systems. In fact, taken as a whole, the reduction in driving was many times greater for non-riders than for riders!

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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

November 8, 2024

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What Do Election Results Mean for North Coast Transportation?
The election of Donald Trump, along with a conservative majority in the Senate and possibly the House of Representatives, means that we can expect the federal government to double down on promotion of highway building and sprawling, car-dependent development, while attacking public transportation, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and all programs and policies meant to address climate change. Advocates for safe, equitable and climate-friendly transportation will soon face a very hostile environment in the nation’s capital.

Local elections in Humboldt County, however, provided some relief from the bad news. It will take a while to finish counting all the ballots, but some results seem clear. Eureka’s anti-housing, anti-transit Measure F failed spectacularly, despite conservative business mogul Rob Arkley spending a record $1.6 million to inundate voters with misleading pro-F advertising. Measure F’s defeat removes a major threat to the development of much-needed walkable, affordable housing in downtown Eureka, along with the EaRTH Center housing-and-transit hub – although the city, along with CRTP, the Wiyot Tribe, and other parties, are still fighting in court to defend these projects from Arkley-funded lawsuits. Meanwhile, both Eureka and Arcata voters supported City Council candidates whose platforms featured infill housing development and sustainable transportation.

Measure O, the countywide sales tax, also appears to have passed. When putting this measure on the ballot, Humboldt County supervisors pledged to dedicate a significant portion of the revenues to public transit. This pledge is even more critical now that we face the likely prospect of cuts to federal transit funding. CRTP will be working hard to ensure that transit gets its fair share of Measure O revenue.

Hit-and-Run Driver Leaves Pedestrian with Major Injuries
The incident happened earlier this week on Highway 101 in southern Humboldt. We hope that Max Wolfe has a full and quick recovery, and our thoughts are with Max and his friends and family.

Despite dangerous conditions, many people walk (and bike) on the highway, especially in rural areas where there are no other feasible options for getting between towns. If you have observed especially hazardous locations or experienced a crash or a near-miss on a rural highway in our region, don’t forget to report it on Street Story.

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Vote for CRTP!
We know you may be tired of hearing about elections, but if you’re a North Coast Co-op member, there’s still one more ballot for you to cast. Voting is happening now through November 17th to determine which organizations can participate in the 2025 Seeds for Change register round-up program – and CRTP is on the ballot! The money raised in a month of round-ups can make a really big difference for an organization as small as CRTP, so we would really appreciate your vote.

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**CORRECTION**
Last week, we posted a schedule of this year’s Unmet Transit Needs hearings. Since then, the date of the City of Arcata hearing has changed. It is now 6:00 pm on Wednesday, December 18th. See the updated schedule of hearings here.

As we noted last week, the transit needs documented at these hearings can help make the case for more transit funding, and they can guide decisions about what to do with that funding. If you’d rather not go to a hearing, you can also submit your comments by calling or emailing the Humboldt County Association of Governments (go to this link and click on “Comment on Unmet Transit Needs”), or you can fill out an online survey. Responda la encuesta sobre necesidades de transporte insatisfechas en español aquí.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Santa Rosa Works Toward Safer Streets
Check out the steps one nearby city is taking to reduce traffic speeds and protect bicyclists and pedestrians.

Why Big Pickup Trucks and SUVs Are So Deadly
A pedestrian is twice as likely to die when hit by a driver with a large SUV as opposed to a sedan. A new report delves into the reasons today’s huge vehicles are so dangerous. In addition to sheer size, those reasons include tall and blunt front ends, huge blind spots, and stiffer frames.

Report: Reducing Car Dependence Would Save Trillions of Dollars
It would also save countless lives and go a long way toward confronting the climate crisis.

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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

October 25, 2024

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Report Outlines Pedestrian Safety Problems & Solutions for Eureka’s 4th & 5th Street Corridor
CRTP has published the findings from our walk audits earlier this month in Eureka’s 4th & 5th Street/US-101 corridor. The report identifies a wide range of issues contributing to the lack of pedestrian safety and comfort in the corridor and suggests possible interventions to improve the situation.

This isn’t the last you’ll be hearing from us about this busy and dangerous corridor! If you have observations of safety hazards in the area, or if you’ve experienced a crash or near-miss, don’t forget to report it on Street Story. We always review Street Story reports when we’re advocating for safety improvements, and Caltrans and other local agencies use the data too.

Humboldt County Supervisors Approve Draft Climate Action Plan
The latest draft of the Regional Climate Action Plan includes several changes that CRTP and other local environmental groups requested, including measures to encourage the adoption of complete streets policies, prioritize spending on public transit, adopt a more realistic definition of urban and rural areas, and acknowledge the need for more staff to implement the plan. The plan also includes some measures we’re concerned about, like a focus on problematic biofuels. And there’s no doubt it doesn’t go far enough to address the accelerating climate crisis. Nevertheless, the plan represents major progress for our region’s efforts to tackle climate pollution from transportation and other sources. The plan will now move to an environmental review phase prior to final adoption, which is expected next spring or summer.

Caltrans Withdraws Request for More Richardson Grove Project Funding
Plans for the highway expansion project through Richardson Grove State Park were first published back in 2007. So much time has passed that Caltrans now wants more state funding from the California Transportation Commission to update its plans and studies to modern standards. But last week, they withdrew their funding request at the last minute. Caltrans says they will come back to request the funding later “pending final CEQA clearance,” but we hope they finally give up on this inappropriate and unnecessary project. Highway expansions weren’t a good idea in 2007, and they’re an even worse idea now – especially when that highway is lined with old growth redwoods in the middle of a state park.

City of Eureka Seeks Planning Commissioners
If you live or own a business in the Eureka area, and you want to help the city promote more vibrant, walkable and climate-friendly infill development, you might want to apply to be a Eureka Planning Commissioner!

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News from Beyond the North Coast

State Transportation Agency Undermining New Complete Streets Law
The new Caltrans complete streets law, SB 960, includes new mandates for pedestrian, bike and transit facilities on state-owned streets and roads. But the California Transportation Commission (which works hand-in-glove with Caltrans) is trying to get new rules for its largest funding program finished before the law goes into effect in January. Behavior like this helps explain why SB 960 was necessary, despite Caltrans and the CTC proclaiming that they already supported complete streets.

The Biking Habits of Older Adults
Yes, older people bike too! A nationwide survey about biking after age 50 found that biking can be an important mobility option, including for people who no longer drive. The survey found that older adults are aware of, and often taking advantage of, new options ranging from e-bike to trikes, but that many people also become more sensitive to the need for safe biking infrastructure as they age. This is a great example of why CRTP advocates for bike facilities that serve people of all ages and abilities.

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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

October 18, 2024

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Simpler, Lower Fares for Humboldt County Buses
A few weeks ago, the Humboldt Transit Authority Board of Directors approved a comprehensive new fare structure. Fares for almost all bus rides throughout the system will now be $2, while day passes good on all systems are $5, week passes are $15, and month passes are $50. This represents a reduction in fares for most riders, and makes the fare structure much simpler and more equitable (it now costs the same whether you pay with cash or card, for example). The changes have already been implemented on most routes and will be fully implemented by November 1st. The only exception is the Arcata & Mad River Transit System (AMRTS), which will still have lower-cost day and month passes good only on Arcata buses (but the systemwide passes will still work on AMRTS buses too!).

Join a Walking Tour Saturday in South Arcata to Provide Input on Safety Improvements
The City of Arcata is hosting a tour of the South Arcata Multimodal Safety Improvement Project area this Saturday from 9 am to noon. The project aims to improve safety for walking and biking in the notoriously dangerous Samoa Boulevard/US-101 interchange, as well as other parts of Samoa Boulevard and South G Street. If you can’t make the tour, there are other ways to provide input on the project website and on Street Story.

Reflections on the Week Without Driving
In the latest episode of the EcoNews Report, Arcata City Councilmember Sarah Schaefer and Humboldt County Association of Governments Executive Director Beth Burks join CRTP’s Colin Fiske and EPIC’s Tom Wheeler to discuss experiences participating in the Week Without Driving. You can also check out some reflections from local Week Without Driving participants here.

More Information on the Status of Humboldt Bay Trail Construction
As we reported previously, the projected completion date of the long-awaited trail between Arcata and Eureka has been pushed back to May 2025. A new story in the Lost Coast Outpost includes additional information about the reasons for the delay and updates on all the work that’s been done so far.

Check Out a Recording of Our Street Story Training on Our YouTube Channel!
Our Outreach Specialist, Kelsey, has been out in the community providing Street Story presentations to local agencies and organizations. The presentation provides information about Street Story, why it’s important and how to utilize it in the community. Now it has been recorded! We are excited to provide this resource for folks to use in their future street safety efforts! Click here to watch the presentation, then check out the rest of our YouTube channel and subscribe to future videos. And don’t forget to make your Street Story reports!

Bike Repair Basics for Femmes and Thems
Humboldt’s local queer-owned bike shop Moon Cycles will be offering a series of workshops this fall on bike repair basics for people who identify as femme or non-binary. If that’s you, we encourage you to check it out!

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News from Beyond the North Coast

It’s Pedestrian Safety Month, and the Messages Are Depressingly Predictable
As we have commented before, most of the public messaging telling pedestrians how to (theoretically) be safe from speeding drivers is unhelpful, and constitutes a subtle form of victim-blaming. This Pedestrian Safety Month, safety expert Angie Schmitt comments on some of the most common (and pointless, and kinda insulting) messages public agencies direct toward pedesetrians. After reading her piece, check out the Eureka Police Department’s pedestrian safety message and see how it measures up.

Speed Cameras Don’t Have the Same Biases as Police Officers
The fact that police officers pull over people of color more often than white drivers is well documented, as are the tragic consequences that sometimes result from escalations of these traffic stops. A new study finds that speed cameras do not share these human biases – nor, obviously, the potential for violence – and may therefore be a key strategy to enforce traffic safety laws in a more equitable way.

Car Dependency Can Make Natural Disasters Worse
For one thing, people who can’t drive but live in car-dominated landscapes often find it very difficult to evacuate ahead of major storms or fires.

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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

October 11, 2024

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Arcata to Take Next Step to Fully Integrate Transit Systems
At its regular meeting next Wednesday, the Arcata City Council is poised to begin the process of transferring ownership of its Arcata & Mad River Transit System (AMRTS) buses to the Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA). HTA has been providing drivers, maintenance and scheduling for the AMRTS buses for the last couple of years. CRTP supports fully integrating the Arcata system into HTA, which will allow more efficient operations and should also support efforts to make the entire local transit network more seamless and understandable for riders.

More on Those Local Ballot Measures
Rob Arkley is dumping even more money into the Measure F campaign, powering a flood of disinformation in mailboxes, on billboards and online. The mortgage loan tycoon has now spent over $1.5 million to convince Eurekans to block the development of downtown housing and a transit center in favor of maintaining some parking spaces that he and his employees like to use, all while lying that it’s a “pro-housing” measure. Meanwhile, a top state housing official has weighed in to explain the potentially dire consequences of passing Measure F, and the North Coast Journal editorial board took a strong stand against the measure. CRTP urges Eurekans to vote No on F.

Advertising has also begun ramping up in support of Measure O, the countywide sales tax measure. While the ads focus almost entirely on roads, CRTP and our allies secured a promise from Humboldt County supervisors that some of the money would also go to support transit. You can be sure that if Measure O passes, we will be working to ensure the supervisors keep that promise, and also that road spending helps improve safety for all road users rather than just maintaining the dangerous status quo.

Check Out a Recording of Our Street Story Training on Our YouTube Channel!
Our Outreach Specialist, Kelsey, has been out in the community providing Street Story presentations to local agencies and organizations. The presentation provides information about Street Story, why it’s important and how to utilize it in the community. Now it has been recorded! We are excited to provide this resource for folks to use in their future street safety efforts! Click here to watch the presentation, then check out the rest of our YouTube channel and subscribe to future videos. And don’t forget to make your Street Story reports!

Local Environmental Group Makes Endorsements
The Redwood Coalition for Climate and Environmental Responsibility (RCCER) has endorsed candidates in several local Humboldt County races and taken positions on Measure F and two statewide ballot measures.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

More About Those New State Laws
Check out CalBike’s handy summary to get some of the highlights of new bike and pedestrian-friendly laws from this year’s legislative session.

Longer Crosswalks Are More Dangerous
A new study provides quantitative support for the common-sense conclusion that longer crosswalks are more dangerous for pedestrians.

Why Won’t US Regulators Allow Automakers to Sell Small Cars?
Counterproductive US “safety” rules let massive pick-up trucks and SUVs onto American streets with no problem, but balk at extra-small, low-speed vehicles. Consequently, mini-cars which are popular in much of the rest of the world and can dramatically improve safety on city streets are illegal to sell in this country.

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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

October 4, 2024

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Local Ballot Measures Could Impact Walkability, Transit and More
Humboldt County voters will soon be receiving their ballots in the mail. Three local ballot measures deserve particular attention from voters concerned about safe, sustainable and equitable transportation.

As we have reported previously, Eureka’s Measure F is an attempt to block the city from building affordable housing and a transit center on underused downtown parking lots. This measure weaponizes parking in an attempt to stop the construction of desperately needed homes for local people and a transit hub that would improve local and regional bus service and help revitalize downtown. It could also result in the city losing access to millions in crucial state funds and possibly losing control of its own land use regulations. CRTP opposes Measure F and encourages Eureka voters to vote no.

Humboldt County’s Measure O proposes a new, countywide 1% sales tax, and Arcata’s Measure H proposes a new 0.75% sales tax within city limits. Both are “general taxes,” meaning that in theory the revenue could be spent on anything the county (Measure O) or the city (Measure H) chooses. However, the Board of Supervisors and the Arcata City Council have both promised to spend revenues only on specific lists of eligible uses, and thanks to advocacy from CRTP and our allies, the lists for both measures include public transit. The Measure H list also includes bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

Of the two measures, Measure O would bring in far more revenue. And while the Supervisors promised to spend most of it on roads, they also promised an unspecified but significant amount to support bus services. If only ten or twenty percent of the expected revenues were dedicated to transit, that would represent roughly a twenty-five or fifty percent increase in the Humboldt Transit Authority budget, which could allow transformative improvements in local bus service. CRTP has not taken an official position on Measure O or Measure H.

Fatal Crash on Harris Street
Two drivers struck a man crossing the street on a mobility scooter last week in Eureka. According to police, the first driver knocked the man off his scooter, while the second hit and killed him. We grieve the loss of another member of the community on our streets, and our thoughts are with the friends and family of the victim.

The statement issued by police indicates that visibility issues caused by the sun being in drivers’ eyes contributed to the crash. If the drivers’ visibility was so limited that they could not see a pedestrian in time to stop and avoid a crash, that suggests that they were exceeding a safe speed for the conditions. Yet the police statement also says that speed “does not appear to be a factor.” And the statement says the victim was “outside of a crosswalk and away from the intersection,” which implies that the victim was at fault and would have been safe if crossing in a crosswalk.

In fact, this is known to be a dangerous area for pedestrians, in crosswalks or not. Street Story reports indicate that cars routinely fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks in the area, and one report relays an incident in which a person in a wheelchair was hit by a driver in a crosswalk. A neighbor who knew the victim in last week’s crash told a Times-Standard reporter that nobody feels safe crossing Harris in that area, and people with cars often drive across the street to the grocery store to avoid having to cross as a pedestrian.

Crashes on streets that are known to be dangerous are not “accidents,” and pedestrians who are killed by drivers are not to blame for their own deaths. We know that safe street design leads to slower cars and less lethal outcomes, and the city of Eureka thankfully has taken steps to improve safety on other streets. To save lives and prevent future tragedies, we must go further. It’s time for comprehensive changes to our streets and to our pedestrian victim-blaming culture.

Humboldt Bay Trail Won’t Be Finished Until Spring
An update on the county’s website indicates that trail construction between Arcata and Eureka is now expected to wrap up by May 2025. Hopes had been high for the long-awaited trail to be completed this fall, but we are all now looking forward to walking, biking and rolling on it next spring.

Supervisors Reduce Parking Requirements for Some New Housing
A new Humboldt County ordinance aims to implement a state law allowing homes to be built on land zoned for commercial development. We are happy to report that, following months of advocacy from CRTP, the Board of Supervisors made a few changes before approving the ordinance this week. Specifically, they removed parking mandates for new housing within half a mile of a bus stop and incentivized building in already-developed areas. These changes will help ensure that the new ordinance supports affordable, walkable housing instead of more sprawl.

It’s the Week Without Driving!
This week is the national Week Without Driving. Thanks to everyone who has taken the pledge to get around this week without getting behind the wheel. We’ll be sharing some reflections from participants after the week is over.

And thanks to the 20+ people who showed up to our first walk audit on Wednesday! Whether or not you’ve participated in the Week Without Driving so far, you are invited to join CRTP and our partners for our next walk audit on Saturday from 5 to 6 pm, starting at 5th and O Streets in Eureka. (We’ll be done in time for you to head on over to Arts Alive!)

Check Out a Recording of Our Street Story Training on Our YouTube Channel!
Our Outreach Specialist, Kelsey, has been out in the community providing Street Story presentations to local agencies and organizations. The presentation provides information about Street Story, why it’s important and how to utilize it in the community. Now it has been recorded! We are excited to provide this resource for folks to use in their future street safety efforts! Click here to watch the presentation, then check out the rest of our YouTube channel and subscribe to future videos. And don’t forget to make your Street Story reports!

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Get Your Tickets for Our Mosaics with Mir Fundraiser!
Join CRTP and local artist Mir de Silva on Thursday, October 10th for a mosaic-making workshop at Six Rivers Brewery in McKinleyville! All mosaic supplies will be included and all ticket proceeds benefit the work of the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities. We look forward to crafting a safer, greener future with you! Click here to buy tickets.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Newsom Signs Caltrans Complete Streets Bill
While Caltrans has started taking non-drivers into account in recent years, the agency has not always lived up to its promises to provide safe and convenient facilities for people walking, biking or riding the bus. The new law will require Caltrans to set specific targets for active transportation and transit facilities and increase accountability for meeting those targets. Since our region’s most dangerous roads are state highways, this is a big deal for the North Coast.

Unfortunately, while the governor signed the complete streets bill, his record on transportation safety continues to be mixed. For example, he vetoed a bill that would have required automakers to alert drivers when they dramatically exceed the speed limit. While the original bill would have required technology that actively slowed speeding vehicles, it was watered down in the legislature to require a mere driver alert – but even that was apparently a step too far for Governor Newsom.

Electric Vehicles Really Are Better Than Gas-Powered Ones
At CRTP, our focus is on reducing the amount of driving in our region and getting more folks safely walking, biking and riding the bus. All cars and trucks have huge environmental and social costs, regardless of how they are powered. But we are under no illusion that people will stop driving entirely, and to avoid climate chaos it’s critical that whatever driving is done in the future is done in zero-emission vehicles. Unfortunately, a growing number of Americans believe that EVs are worse than gas cars for the environment – something that’s just not true.

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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

September 27, 2024

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Progress Toward Hiller Road Safety Improvements
This week, the McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee (MMAC) discussed possible designs for a quick-build bike and pedestrian safety project on Hiller Road. There was widespread support for the kinds of improvements CRTP advocates for, including narrower lanes and other traffic calming features, protected bike lanes and pedestrian lanes, high-visibility crosswalks, public art, and a quick-build protected intersection at Hiller & McKinleyville Avenue. We expect final designs to be presented to the MMAC in a few months, with construction hopefully starting in the spring.

Thanks to everyone who showed up on Wednesday or emailed the MMAC with your support! If you couldn’t make it on Wednesday, you can still participate by sharing your crash, near-miss, hazard and safe place experiences on Hiller Road on Street Story! The MMAC has said they will review reports as they develop plans for the project. Get your reports in soon, and you can also make reports after the quick build has been completed to share your experience utilizing the new infrastructure. Haga clic aquí para hacer un informe en español.

Find Out More About the Humboldt County Regional Climate Action Plan
CRTP Executive Director Colin Fiske joins EPIC Executive Director Tom Wheeler and EPIC Climate Attorney Matt Simmons on the latest edition of the EcoNews Report to talk about the new Climate Action Plan draft, provide some context, and discuss what should happen next.

Colorful New Crosswalks in Arcata
Crosswalk art can make a place more beautiful and increase safety by slowing traffic and drawing more attention to the presence of pedestrians. Arcata’s new Cal Poly Humboldt-themed crosswalks are the first examples of crosswalk art we’re aware of in our region. We hope they’re not the last!

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Get Your Tickets for Our Mosaics with Mir Fundraiser!
Join CRTP and local artist Mir de Silva on Thursday, October 10th for a mosaic-making workshop at Six Rivers Brewery in McKinleyville! All mosaic supplies will be included and all ticket proceeds benefit the work of the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities. We look forward to crafting a safer, greener future with you! Click here to buy tickets.

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Next Week is the Week Without Driving!
The national Week Without Driving starts on Monday. If you are a transportation decision-maker or an interested community member there’s still time to take the pledge to participate! And whether or not you take the pledge, you are invited to join CRTP and our partners for our two Week Without Driving walk audits in Eureka.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Newsom Vetoes Bill to Limit Caltrans Pesticide Use
AB 99 would have limited Caltrans’s use of roadside pesticides and herbicides and required the agency to comply with local pesticide rules. Pedestrians and bicyclists are particularly vulnerable to roadside toxics, and CRTP supported AB 99 in part to help limit their exposure. Unfortunately, the governor vetoed the bill, claiming it was unnecessary and would be too expensive to implement.

More People Bike When There Are Protected Bike Lanes
And there are fewer major crashes. Those are the findings from a recent report analyzing results in a major city (Washington, D.C.) and a smaller town (Bloomington, Indiana).

Kids Benefit from Limiting Cars
A new study finds that when restrictions on high-polluting vehicles were implemented in central London, it didn’t just reduce pollution – it also led to more kids walking and biking to school.

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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.