The Collector
August 11, 2023
Parking Lots Cover More Than One Third of Downtown Eureka
A new map made by CRTP shows that 34% of developable land in the downtown area is covered by parking lots. And that’s after removing the 35% of land covered by streets, most of which is also devoted to moving and parking cars! Click here to explore the map and read more about it.
Clearly, complaints about a parking shortage downtown are misinformed. If there’s a parking problem in Eureka, it’s a management problem, not a supply problem. The fact that almost all the parking is free (i.e., subsidized), and much of it is in private lots only available to land owners or business customers, makes it a very poorly managed resource. Implementing best practices for metering and sharing parking would do a lot to increase efficiency and ensure spaces are available when and where they’re actually needed – even after parking is removed to allow affordable housing construction. Speaking of which…
Don’t Sign That Petition; It’s Not Pro-Housing!
The Arkley-funded petition now being circulated is cynically titled “Eureka Housing for All,” but its true purpose is the opposite: to make it virtually impossible to build affordable housing by mandating that not a single parking spot can be removed from any public downtown lot. It would also prevent the Humboldt Transit Authority from building the much-needed (and already funded) Eureka Regional Transit and Housing Center (EaRTH Center). This initiative is anti-housing, anti-transit, anti-walkability, and – let’s face it – anti-poor people. The only thing it’s really for is free parking. CRTP strongly urges Eurekans not to sign it.
If you already mistakenly signed it because of the misleading marketing, you’re not alone! Click here for a form you can print and return to the Elections office to remove your signature.
Take the Eureka Bike Plan Survey
Let the city know where you bike, where you’d like to bike, and what kind of infrastructure would make you feel comfortable biking. Your answers will help inform the Eureka Bike Plan which is currently under development. And if you have specific input not captured by the survey, let CRTP know! We are representing our members and supporters as a stakeholder on the Bike Plan Project Task Force, and if you have ideas we’d love to hear from you.
Judge Rules Against Caltrans in Richardson Grove Case
The latest lawsuit against the highway expansion project through Richardson Grove State Park will continue thanks to a ruling by a local judge. After more than a decade of legal setbacks and a massive shift in state transportation plans, we have to ask: why is Caltrans still promoting this outdated and expensive project?
Street Story: A Simple Way to Contribute to the Fight for Safe Streets
Reports on Street Story only take a few minutes, and they give CRTP and local government agencies better information about the need for safety improvements. So don’t forget to make a report every time you experience a near-miss, a crash, or a hazardous location. La versión de Street Story en español está disponible aquí. 
News from Beyond the North Coast
What Can Local Communities Do About the Increasing Size of Personal Vehicles?
New cars, trucks and SUVs just keep getting bigger, threatening not only the planet but also anyone who is walking, biking, or even riding in a smaller vehicle nearby. Addressing this problem will require federal or state government action, but local governments have some tools they could use as well, including designing streets that are safer for people outside a vehicle and less convenient to use in an enormous truck or SUV.
All New Cars Should Have Automatic Braking for Pedestrians
Automatic braking technology is far from perfect – for example, it rarely detects pedestrians at night, at high speeds, or when a car is turning – but it can still save lives in many situations. If you agree that it should be standard on all new vehicles, click the link above to let the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration know how you feel.
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.