The Collector
March 1, 2024
Earlier & Later Service Now Available on Redwood Transit!
Earlier morning and later evening buses have long been needed on the major regional Trinidad-to-Scotia service, and now we have some! This expansion of service hours will improve access to work, school, meetings and events throughout the greater Humboldt Bay region. And don’t forget that you can also now connect to the daily Redwood Coast Express bus from Eureka to Ukiah for only $2! In less exciting transit news, Eureka riders should take note that several stops are temporarily closed due to construction.
Another Eureka Bike Plan Workshop Next Week
If you couldn’t make it to February’s virtual workshop – or if you were there but just can’t get enough of bike planning! – you can learn more and provide feedback about the official Eureka bike plan at an in-person workshop next Thursday at 5:30 pm at the Jefferson Community Center. CRTP is advocating for the plan to include a complete network of low-stress bike routes, including on busy streets where most of the important destinations are.
More Infill Housing Planned for Eureka
Eureka’s Housing Authority is planning to add more homes to several of its existing properties, starting with one on Burrill Street near Winco. Next Wednesday, they’ll be holding a virtual public workshop to get input on the plans. If you have ideas about what should be included – like secure bike storage for residents, perhaps – you can attend Wednesday’s meeting and let them know!
Roads, Roads, Roads
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors talked again about road conditions this week. There’s no denying that the pavement is in bad shape on many county roads, despite millions of dollars of investments every year. But it is equally undeniable that our public transit system is still struggling to return to pre-pandemic service and ridership levels, that sidewalks throughout the county are missing, cracked, buckling, or blocked by utility poles, and that safe bike lanes are practically non-existent in many places. Given the fact that we need to get many more people walking, biking and riding the bus in order to avert the worst impacts of climate change, and the fact that many of our communities’ most vulnerable residents are non-drivers, these challenges deserve at least as much attention and investment from our public officials as the state of rural roads.
Street Story Reports Make a Difference
Local planners, advocates, grant writers and committees review Street Story reports when making decisions about safety improvements. Your reports are important! Make a report every time you experience a near-miss, a crash, or a hazardous location – or report a place you feel safe. La versión de Street Story en español está disponible aquí.
News from Beyond the North Coast
New Report on Pedestrian Fatalities
Estimates for the first half of 2023 show a slight but welcome decline in fatalities from pandemic-era highs. But there are still more pedestrians being killed than there were before the pandemic.
It’s Getting Even More Dangerous to Be Houseless
A new study has found that the death rate among houseless people is almost three times higher than it was a decade ago. Although there are many dangers faced by houseless people, we note that traffic violence is among the leading causes of death, and the rate of traffic fatalities in this population has tripled over the decade.
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.