The Collector
May 10, 2024
Editor’s Note: The Collector will be on a break for the next two weeks, but never fear – we will be back bringing you local transportation news before you know it!
Arcata’s Gateway Plan Enters the Final Stretch
Next Tuesday, the Arcata Planning Commission will consider a final recommendation to City Council on the Gateway Area Plan, the rest of the General Plan updates, and the Gateway zoning code. Two weeks later, on May 29th, the City Council is expected to make its final decision. It’s been two and a half long years since the first draft of the Gateway Plan was published. As we’ve said many times, this is the most bike and pedestrian friendly land use plan yet proposed in our region, and many of its best policies have now been incorporated into the General Plan to apply citywide.
Over the long term, these plans and policies will encourage the development of more walkable, vibrant neighborhoods at densities that can support high-quality public transit. We’re very excited at the prospect of the Gateway Plan and zoning code and the updated General Plan finally being adopted. We encourage CRTP’s members and supporters to express their support to the Planning Commission and City Council.
Delays for Arcata Trail & Eureka Bike Boulevard
Next week, the cities of Eureka and Arcata are requesting one-year funding extensions from the California Transportation Commission for two important local projects. In Eureka, the C Street Bike Boulevard is delayed due to an unexpected conflict with a PG&E power pole, and in Arcata, the Annie & Mary Trail project connecting the Sunset neighborhood near Cal Poly Humboldt with Valley West and points north is delayed due to funding changes and red tape. Both projects now have a construction deadline of June 2025.
The Arcata trail project is part of the much larger Great Redwood Trail, whose Master Plan is currently out for public review. If you want to learn more about the Great Redwood Trail, our allies at EPIC are holding a webinar next week. Click here for more information.
What Are Street Story Reports Telling Us in Humboldt County?
Find CRTP’s new Street Story data analysis, “What are Street Story Reports Telling Us in Humboldt County? An Analysis of Almost Five Years of Data”, on our website here. In this report we take a look into all of the Street Story data in Humboldt County up until March 25th, 2024. We focused our analysis on the county as a whole, but we also took a closer look at the trends in Eureka, Arcata, and unincorporated parts of the county which includes areas like McKinleyville and Bayside.
The report highlights many narratives from Street Story reports to give the reader direct insight into community members’ experiences. Street Stories provide robust and qualitative safety information that is not available from traditional data sources, such as police-reported crash data. The purpose of this report is to provide a rich examination of community reports from the Street Story tool, draw attention to the information in these reports, and spark further conversations about how to address the issues identified by Street Story users.
The more people use Street Story, the more powerful the platform becomes at supporting safer streets. Click here to make your Street Story report today! La versión de Street Story en español está disponible aquí.
Pedestrian Killed by Hit-and-Run Driver in Southern Humboldt
Our hearts go out to the family and friends of 28-year-old Dakota Stafslien. This is a tragic reminder that drivers must take great care and expect all kinds of road users, even on rural highways. Despite the lack of sidewalks or bike lanes, pedestrians and bicyclists often travel along or across these highways, sometimes because there is no other way to get where they need to go. This is especially true in places like Richardson Grove State Park, where this crash apparently occurred.
It’s Still Bike Month!
Events coming up in the next couple of weeks include bike to work days, a Eureka Mural Ride, and the big Bike Celebration at Eureka’s Jefferson Community Center on Saturday, May 18th. For a full list of events, check out the Bike Month calendar here.
Watch Our Parking Reform Webinar!
If you missed Monday’s webinar with Parking Reform Network President Tony Jordan, you still have a chance to learn some exciting information about parking policy, because we posted the video!
And if you want to apply what you learned in the webinar, a great opportunity is coming up next week. On Monday, there is a public workshop on Humboldt County’s proposed tiny house ordinance. You can attend and tell them to get rid of the costly and unscientific parking mandates that would effectively limit the number of affordable homes that could be built under the ordinance (and require more pavement than housing for a tiny house village).
News from Beyond the North Coast
Advocates Ask Newsom to Release Transit Funding
Last year, transit agencies and supporters fought hard to get the state to provide desperately needed funding to keep buses and trains running throughout the state – and they won. The money was allocated, and transit agencies made their plans relying on it. Then, just over a week ago, the Newsom administration refused to release the funding by the April 30th deadline, citing the state’s budget shortfall. Without this funding, many transit agencies face the prospect of entering a “death spiral” of service cuts and declining ridership, leaving the state unable to meet its climate targets, and millions of transit riders stranded.
“When Driving Is Not an Option”
A new book by disability rights advocate Anna Zivarts explores the large population of people – even in the US, and even in rural areas – who cannot and do not drive, and discusses what can be done to design our streets and our communities for all people, not just drivers.
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.