The Collector

December 20, 2024

Editor’s Note: The Collector will be on a break for the next few weeks, but do not fear – your favorite transportation newsletter will return in January. Happy Holidays!

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Using Public Transit for Long-Distance Trips
Residents of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties can get to San Francisco, Redding, and places much further away by combining multiple trips on local public transit systems. But these journeys, while generally quite affordable, are not always quick or convenient. And there are also important destinations in the broader Northern California/Southern Oregon region that are not accessible at all by public transit. The Shasta Regional Transportation Agency is looking for public input about regional public transit needs across this large region. If you use public transit for long-distance trips – or if you would like to do that in the future – click here to take their brief survey.

Supervisors Talk Transit
At their regular meeting this week, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors took some time to talk about local transit needs. When the recently approved Measure O was discussed, Supervisor Rex Bohn asserted that – despite the Board promising before the election that a significant amount of the revenue would go to transit – he plans to “stick to getting the work done that needs to be done on the roads.” Thankfully, other supervisors including Supervisor Steve Madrone continue to acknowledge the need for transit investment from Measure O. CRTP will keep fighting to ensure that transit gets its fair share of Measure O revenues.

Got Ideas for the Humboldt Bay Trail?
With the long-awaited trail connecting Eureka and Arcata slated for completion early next year, the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) is looking for proposals from community organizations and government agencies to help maintain the trail or add amenities (things like signs, places to sit, pedestrian-scale lighting, etc.). If your organization or agency has a proposal, HCAOG would like to hear it!

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News from Beyond the North Coast

California Transportation Commission Adds New Complete Streets Guidance to Funding Program
The State Highway Operations and Protection Program (SHOPP) is the biggest source of funding for Caltrans projects. After months of resistance, Transportation Commission staff finally added language required by the new Caltrans Complete Streets law (SB 960) to SHOPP funding guidelines.

How Does Excessive Parking Impact Public Health?
From enforcing car dependency to reducing housing availability, a new study counts the ways.

The Car Share Industry is Struggling
Car sharing is often seen as a key to getting people to give up individual vehicles and drive less, especially in rural and suburban areas. But car share companies have struggled to turn a profit, and many have shut down operations in recent years. Some experts think that – just like with most other transportation systems – car sharing is inherently unprofitable and will require public subsidies to work.

California Zero-Emission Vehicle Rules Finally Approved
Long-time readers of The Collector will know that adoption of electric vehicles will not, by itself, reducing climate pollution fast enough to meet important climate goals – we will also have to start driving a lot less. But it is still critical that the miles we drive in the future do not produce greenhouse gas emissions. Which is why climate advocates breathed a sigh of relief this week when the Biden administration approved the state’s mandate for a transition to zero-emission vehicles.

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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

December 13, 2024

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Affordable Housing and Transportation Safety in Eureka
This week, the Eureka Planning Commission gave its approval to an affordable housing development at Sunset Heights, on the bluffs above Broadway between Harris and Henderson Streets. CRTP supports housing in this location, which is transit accessible and within walking, biking and rolling distance of many destinations. However, we can’t ignore the fact that Broadway, Harris and Henderson are all dangerous streets for pedestrians and bicyclists, and there is a history of serious crashes in the area, including some that have been fatal. If you have experienced a hazard, crash, or near miss in this area, don’t forget to report it on Street Story.

We asked the city to coordinate this project with safety improvements on Harris and Henderson Streets, and Planning Commissioners agreed with our concerns. Depending on which funding programs are used for the affordable housing project, there might even be some money included to support such bike and pedestrian upgrades.

The Planning Commission also asked the City Council to set aside some land in the development area to accommodate the potential for one day building a pedestrian bridge over Broadway. While CRTP appreciates the intent to improve pedestrian safety and connectivity, we have concerns about a bridge. Walkability advocates have long pointed out that footbridges generally require pedestrians to walk significantly out of their way just to cross the street, and consequently they are inconvenient and often unused. They also do nothing to improve safety for bicyclists and other street users.

CRTP has worked hard for years to get Caltrans to improve bike and pedestrian safety on Broadway (a state highway). As a result of our work, Caltrans has proposed and is now seeking funding for major improvements throughout the corridor – including, in the Sunset Heights area, protected bike lanes, traffic calming, and intersection safety upgrades. We will be advocating for these changes to be implemented long before the future residents of Sunset Heights move in.

King Tide & Tea: Bike Ride on Sunday!
The Northcoast Environmental Center and CRTP are sponsoring a fun bike ride on the Eureka waterfront on Sunday, during one of the highest tides of the year. This is the latest – and possibly the last – in the series of rides our groups have sponsored over the last couple of years. Join us!

Arcata Unmet Transit Needs Hearing Next Week
The Arcata City Council is scheduled to hold a hearing to collect public input on unmet transit needs during its regular meeting next Wednesday. This is the last scheduled unmet transit needs hearing of the year – but if you can’t make it, your transit needs can still be heard! You can submit 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.

Check Out Our Comments on the Del Norte Regional Transportation Plan
CRTP and our friends at the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) and Friends of Del Norte have submitted a comment letter on the draft Del Norte County Regional Transportation Plan. You can submit your comments, too! We encourage you to read through our comments to get some ideas, and then submit your own comments on the plan via the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission site.

Get More Information on State E-bike Voucher (Launching Next Week!)
The state’s e-bike incentive program is finally launching next Wednesday. 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! More information can be found on the official program website and from CalBike. CalBike is also hosting a webinar on Monday to provide information and answer questions about the program. Click here to register.

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News from Beyond the North Coast

Parking Reform Can Increase Housing Production 40-70%
According to a new study from Colorado, removing costly mandates to build excessive parking with new development can dramatically increase the construction of new housing. According to the study, this reform alone can have a greater impact than two other common reforms – allowing more apartment buildings near transit and allowing accessory dwelling units in single-family neighborhoods – combined.

Big Trucks and SUVs Are Pedestrian Killers
New research adds to the mountain of evidence that enormous pick-up trucks and SUVs are much more dangerous to pedestrians and bicyclists than smaller vehicles. In fact, the new study found that pedestrians hit by a big vehicle at just 25 mph – the most common speed limit in residential and other “low speed” areas – have an 83% chance of suffering at least moderate injuries. The risk of a serious injury or fatality is also significant at relatively low speeds.

Star Safety Ratings Will Finally Consider Pedestrians
Until now, huge vehicles routinely got five-star safety ratings from the federal government, because the testing only considered people inside the vehicle. With the new changes, at least a little consideration will be given to the risks posed by the vehicle to pedestrians and bicyclists. It is the latest and one of the last in a series of safety reforms from the US Department of Transportation under Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

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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

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.