The Collector

March 27, 2020

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CRTP and Partners Submit Letter About Broadway Improvements
Addressing the current planning effort for the corridor, the letter calls for specific, immediate improvements for pedestrians, bikes and transit to tackle the safety crisis on Broadway.

Humboldt Transit, Heroically, Keeps on Busing
All Humboldt Transit Authority buses – including Redwood Transit, Eureka Transit, Willow Creek and intercity services – continue to run on their normal schedule. To protect passengers, frequent cleaning and social distancing are in force. To protect drivers, passengers enter the rear door of the bus and skip the fare box. HTA deserves high praise for keeping this essential service running for free, while still looking out for the well-being of drivers and riders. The Arcata-Mad River Transit System is also still running, although on a reduced schedule.

Transit Gets $25 Billion in Stimulus Package
The fight isn’t over yet, but it appears that the $2 trillion legislation will include a significant amount to rescue beleaguered transit agencies around the country. This money wasn’t on the table initially, so if you called your representatives and said something, go ahead and pat yourself on the back.

Tell the State that Bike Shops Are Essential
Our friends at Calbike are calling on the state to designate bike repair as an essential service, in recognition of the fact that many people rely on bikes for essential travel. As we reported last week, car repair shops and gas stations have been considered essential, but bike shops generally have not (except in San Francisco).

Zagster Suspends All Rentals
Although it appears that no local announcements have been made, Zagster’s corporate website has a statement dated Thusday, March 26, that all bike rentals have been suspended as a result of the pandemic. Previously, they had been advising users to disinfect bikes before and after use.

Creekside Homes Project to Be Considered by Council Next Week
The big development with both single-family homes and senior housing is currently scheduled to be considered by the Arcata City Council at its (virtual) meeting next Wednesday. You can read CRTP’s comments on the project here.

Airport Spreads Virus, Stays Open
Please don’t fly anywhere unless you really need to.

Weekly Street Story Update: Yield to Bikes in Cutten
This report will sound familiar to many bicyclists: “Drivers rarely make complete stops at this 3-way, regardless of cyclists right-of-way…. constant problem.” Are you encountering street hazards, near misses, or collisions as you walk or bike for your shelter-in-place exercise, or as you make your way to an essential service job? You can make your own Street Story report here.

State Parks Close to Vehicles to Enforce Social Distancing
But you can still walk or bike there! Following all local rules, of course, and staying 6 feet apart.

Will the Pandemic Set Back the Electric Vehicle Revolution?
EV sales have dropped far more quickly than sales of gas-guzzlers.

Congress Clashes Over Bailouts for Dirty Transportation
Airlines and cruise ships are known as mega-polluters. Will there be any strings attached to federal rescue funds? The answer is not yet clear.

Packages Aren’t Teleported to Your Door
The impacts of ramping up online shopping through Amazon and other behemoths are felt acutely by marginalized communities near shipping and distribution hubs.

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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

March 20, 2020

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Editor’s Note: Here at CRTP, we’re sheltering in place as ordered by local public health officials. But we know that the transportation system remains critical for the continued functioning of essential services, and we will continue to advocate for responsible transportation priorities as best we can from the isolation of our own homes. Thanks for your continued support, and stay healthy!

What Does “Shelter in Place” Mean for Active Transportation?
Humboldt County’s Shelter in Place Order allows only “Essential Travel.” To support Essential Travel, businesses providing needed transportation services are allowed to remain open. The order specifies that this includes gas stations and auto repair shops, but says nothing about bike repair. CRTP and others have asked the county to address this oversight, as San Francisco did, to reflect the reality that lots of people need to rely on bikes for Essential Travel. So far, no changes to the order have been reported. However, outfitting stores – some of which also provide bike repair services – will remain open.

Additionally, it’s unclear how the statewide “Stay at Home” order may affect support for travel by bike or by foot. The governor stated publicly that outdoor recreation (as opposed to transportation) is allowed as long as social distancing guidelines are followed. But the key transportation modes identified by the Department of Homeland Security, on which the state order relies to identify “Essential Critical Infrastructure,” do not include walking or biking.

How the Pandemic is Affecting Public Transit
Public transit is an essential service, and systems remain operating in Humboldt and around the country. Ridership has dropped precipitously, however, and transit agencies will need significant public support to get through this intact. Yet the Senate is proposing billions to bail out the private airline industry and not a single cent for public transit.

Practically Every Public Meeting Has Been Canceled…
…including many which would have addressed important transportation topics. But you probably knew that already.

COVID-19, Telework, and Vehicle Miles Traveled
EPIC Executive Director and CRTP Board Member Tom Wheeler extols the virtues of telework – including reducing vehicle miles traveled – in a Times-Standard op-ed.

HSU Provides Free Bus Rides to Students Returning Home
Buses will go to San Francisco and Los Angeles.

COVID Can’t Stop Car-Culture Restaurant
The new Broadway drive-thru is still on track.

Measure Z Funds are Shrinking
The sales tax measure has regularly provided funds for local road repairs. Future revenues are uncertain – now more than ever.

Weekly Street Story Update: Another Milestone
Even as non-essential transportation has ground to a halt, people are still reporting hazards, near-misses and crashes on Street Story. In fact, we’ve now hit 600 reports in Humboldt County. You can make your own Street Story report here.

CalBike Advocates for the “Dutch Reach”
A simple driver-training measure could save the lives of many bicyclists.

A Green New Deal for Transportation
A new report investigates how changing development patterns and mode shift can help address the climate crisis.

New Yorkers Switch to Bikes for Social Distancing
The bad news: a lot of them are doing it to avoid public transit.

Big Data Poised to Dramatically Change Transportation Systems
Is that good or bad? That depends on who you ask.

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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

March 13, 2020

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Free Transit Tuesdays Coming to Humboldt!
Every Tuesday from April 7 – June 29, Redwood Transit, Eureka Transit, Southern Humboldt and Willow Creek buses will be free! If you haven’t tried local transit in a while – or ever – this is your chance to give it a try. Here at CRTP, we love it!

Ornelas Resigns, Leaving Plaza Changes in Question
Susan Ornelas recently cast the deciding vote on the Arcata City Council for pursuing partial pedestrianization of the Plaza. She was also just appointed to a Council sub-committee to receive input from businesses (and possibly other stakeholders) on trial closures of 8th Street on the Plaza. Until someone is appointed or elected to fill her seat, the Council now appears to be evenly split between members supporting and opposed to pedestrianization. Some decisions could be made at next week’s Council meeting – unless it’s canceled due to COVID-19.

McKinleyville Town Center Discussion Continues
This week’s meeting again featured talk of form-based codes, road diets, and walkability. Nothing has been decided, but at least good modern land use and transportation planning practices are on the table!

Weekly Street Story Update: Broadway
We know we’ve featured Broadway here before. But it’s such a hazard for bicyclists and pedestrians that it merits returning to it from time to time. And as the City of Eureka and Caltrans explore possible changes to the corridor, we’d like to remind them: lots of people have made informative reports on Street Story! You can make your own Street Story report here.

Coronavirus Is Reducing Transportation Emissions
But it’s also making people scared to ride public transit, despite evidence that transit probably isn’t a major contributor to outbreaks.

New Federal Bill Supports Walkable, Transit-Oriented Development
And it’s bipartisan! Wonders never cease.

Media Coverage Affects Public Perception of Collisions
Victim blaming, ignoring history and context, absolving the driver – it’s not news to us. But it’s a good reminder to be careful about how we write and talk about street safety.

Suburban Malls Try to Become Real Town Centers
Could this become a trend?

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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

March 6, 2020

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Arcata City Council Indicates Support for Trial Closures of 8th Street
On Wednesday, three of the five Councilmembers supported weekend closures of 8th Street on the Plaza during the summer months, as a pilot for potential permanent pedestrianization. The Council then created a subcommittee made up of members Susan Ornelas and Michael Winkler to meet with affected businesses and gather input on how to implement the trial with minimal negative impacts on business. Unfortunately, no other stakeholder or interest group was singled out for outreach on how to allocate space in our public right-of-way. But if you have input, you can always call or email Ornelas and Winkler to let them know!

County to Consider Climate Bonds
At its Tuesday meeting, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted to direct staff to move forward with investigating the issuance of municipal bonds to fund projects related to mitigating and adapting to the climate crisis. If this goes forward, transportation projects are sure to be in the mix!

County Holding ADU Ordinance Hearings
Humboldt County is holding hearings on its proposed ordinances to implement the new state mandate allowing accessory dwelling units (also known as “granny flats” and many other names) by right in residential areas. A single family neighborhood can effectively double its density without changing its character if every home adds an ADU. Is this the path forward for infill development in many of our historically low-density residential areas?

Want to Help CRTP Provide Bike Valet for Local Events?
We’re looking for a Bike Valet Coordinator for the 2020 event season! The Coordinator will work with event organizers and volunteers and generally make sure bike valet goes smoothly. There is a stipend for this position. To find out more and to apply, email colin@transportationpriorities.org.

Next McKinleyville Town Center Meeting Coming Up
The parade of meetings continues next Wednesday. The topic: land use. Of course, that’s kind of been the topic all along. But the discussion is sure to be interesting!

Trinidad Hotel Project Gets Another Approval
The hotel is closely tied to a proposed new interchange on Highway 101, although that part is often left out of discussions.

Weekly Street Story Update: Bike vs. Railroad
More than one report on Street Story highlights the hazard that Eureka’s waterfront railroad tracks present to bicyclists. With the city and county encouraging people to use the new waterfront trail, this is an important issue to note. Here’s an example from M St: “I broke my wrist here because the railroad track ate my bicycle wheel and flipped me over.” You can make your own Street Story report here.

“The Congestion Con”
A new report from Transportation for America lays out clearly what researchers have been saying for years: no matter how much money you spend building new lanes and new highways, you can’t build your way out of congestion. Maybe transportation planners and politicians will finally take note?

State Senate Committees Address Rising Transportation Emissions
The urgency is clear. The solutions are clear. But the difficulty is perhaps what’s most clear to elected officials.

Oakland Getting Ready to Unveil New Pedestrian Commons
Just sayin’, Arcata. It’s super cool, and hardly revolutionary.

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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

February 28, 2020

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County to Partner with Energy Authority on Clean Mobility
At its meeting yesterday, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority’s Board of Directors discussed a partnership with Humboldt County Public Health to apply for a state Clean Mobility grant, which would provide “voucher-based funding for zero-emission carsharing, carpooling and vanpooling, bike-sharing/scooter-sharing, innovative transit services, and ride-on-demand services in California’s historically underserved communities.”

Parking Policy, Road Diets Debated for McKinleyville Town Center
Although the Times-Standard coverage doesn’t mention these topics, parking and transportation were probably the most talked-about planning areas discussed at this week’s Town Center planning meeting. As they laid out in a memo prior to the meeting, County staff took the revolutionary step of admitting that McKinleyville has more free car storage than it needs, and that maybe the Town Center should require less of it. They also suggested (amazing!) that reducing lanes on Central Avenue through the Town Center area may be needed to make the area more walkable. These ideas got a surprisingly warm – if at times a little skeptical – reception from members of the McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee. The Town Center conversation will continue at public meetings held every two weeks until at least the end of May.

Rail Proponents Just Keep Chugging Along
Humboldt County’s train lovers haven’t given up on bringing back something to ride the rails around here. This time, they’re not talking about freight trains or passenger rail – which, as Senator McGuire so succinctly said, “will never come back” – but small-scale tourist or demonstration projects. A new feasibility study concludes that even these small-scale projects would be very expensive, but still possibly achievable. Of course, any new rail project would have to be compatible with the new Great Redwood Trail, which is now the law of the land governing the North Coast Railroad Authority right-of-way.

Weekly Street Story Update: West End Road
Numerous reports highlight the dangers of walking and biking on West End Road in Arcata, which is one of the main connections between Valley West and the rest of the city. Here’s one report: “Too many work trucks and cars that drive too fast and can’t see you due to no sidewalks, no lighting. A terrible road to walk or bike on.” You can make your own Street Story report here.

New Report Aims for Carbon-Free Transportation in California
Electrify cars and buses and increase walking, biking and transit. Seems easy enough, right?

Car-Free Market Street Doesn’t Affect Traffic Much
Every time a major street goes car-free, or an urban freeway is removed, people predict that terrible traffic jams will result. The word “carmaggedon” is much used. But every time, nothing that bad happens to traffic – and neighborhoods benefit enormously.

Why Would a Bike Shop Owner Oppose Safer Bike Infrastructure?
Fear of change is a very real thing – even when the data all indicate that the change would benefit you.

Bike Commuting Has a Problem
In big cities like San Francisco, it seems to be dominated by wealthy white men. Why that is, and what can be done about it, are much debated topics. Of course, in areas like Humboldt County with less extensive public transit systems, lower-income commuters without cars are more likely to rely on bikes for commuting as well.

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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

February 21, 2020

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Town Center Land Use & Design on the Agenda
At next Wednesday’s McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee meeting, the Committee will take on topics of “Land Use/Zoning, Streetscape and Design” for the proposed Town Center. Transportation has been pushed to the next meeting – but when you put them all together, land use, streetscape and design pretty much add up to transportation anyway, so you can bet CRTP will be there! Meanwhile, the Town Center planning process is causing many to re-consider the old idea of cityhood for McKinleyville.

Arcata City Council to Rank Plaza Recommendations
On Wednesday, the Council received the final report from its Plaza Improvement Task Force. Discussion at the meeting seemed to indicate general support for the bike and pedestrian improvements recommended by the Task Force. Councilmember Susan Ornelas was the lone Councilmember to discuss street closures in any detail, suggesting pedestrianization of 9th Street as part of a package of other changes on and off the Plaza. Now, Councilmembers will rank the recommendations (and possibly some of their own ideas) and take up the topics again at a future meeting for official prioritization. Meanwhile, a somewhat factually flawed article in the Times-Standard highlighted many of the proposals CRTP has made for the Plaza over the last 3 years.

Stop Signs to Make You Stop and Think
The Stop&Sign project invites the public to join in an event of the 4th Annual Womxn’s Festival Art Installation on Feb., 29th at 12 p.m. on the Arcata Plaza called Stop&Sign.  For this project community members will hold hand made stop-signs at four-ways around the Plaza to interact with the public.  So far, community members have made signs that address everything from love to hate. Sign making workshops are held at the Sanctuary’s (1301 J St.) Taco Tuesday from 6:30-7:30 P.M. & at the Arcata Playhouse (1251 9th St.) from 3-6 P.M.

Disturbing Vehicular Violence in Ukiah
A person driving a car intentionally ran over a person on a bicycle with whom they were arguing. This is a tragic reminder that cars are deadly weapons, and we can’t let their ubiquity in our landscapes blind us to the dangers they pose.

Friends Raise Money for Bicyclist Hit By Driver
After a collision with a vehicle in Arcata, the bicyclist is seriously injured.

Caltrans Eureka-Arcata Corridor Wetland Mitigation Approved
But as with the project itself, the mitigation doesn’t seem to have taken much account of sea level rise.

Weekly Street Story Update: Stroller on the Shoulder
This report from McKinleyville demonstrates what can happen when there aren’t sidewalks where people need to walk: “I was walking on shoulder of road, with a double stroller. A large truck moving hay came around the corner too fast and went over the white line. It zoomed past me, missing my children and me.” You can make your own Street Story report here.

How Do You Get More Money for Bike Projects?
Make sure you have decision-makers who don’t see everything through the windshield of a car.

San Francisco Mayor Looks to Proven Cures for Congestion
No, not road widening – that doesn’t work! Instead, she’s proposing congestion pricing and less free parking – hey, those do work!

LA May Pedestrianize Broadway
Now that San Francisco removed cars from Market Street, anything is possible!

Planning a New Mega-City from Scratch in Indonesia
Will they take the opportunity to make it plan for people and nature instead of cars?

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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

February 14, 2020

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Supervisor Candidates Discuss Buses in Eel River Valley
Ferndale City Council doesn’t want buses in the Victorian village. One supervisor candidate seems to think that’s OK, while the other says there’s a real need for transit service. Some other candidate comments on transportation issues can be found in their interviews and questionnaires with the North Coast Journal, here and here.

Infill Development in Ferndale?
Speaking of Ferndale, the mayor says that the little city’s biggest opportunity is denser infill housing development. Sounds transit-friendly to us!

New Video Features CRTP Proposals for Arcata Plaza
Just in time for next week’s delivery of Plaza Improvement Task Force recommendations to City Council, Arcata News is out with a 14-minute mini-documentary about the choices the Council faces.

We Take Caltrans to Task Over Permit Amendment
Along with our allies at Humboldt Baykeeper, Northcoast Environmental Center, and EPIC, CRTP pushed back against the Caltrans permit amendment application which would have effectively added an extra lane to part of the Route 101 Arcata-Eureka corridor. The application is being discussed by the Coastal Commission today, but the word on the street is that Caltrans has backed off the lane-adding part. That’s one small victory for good planning and common sense.

Samoa Redevelopment Plan Takes Another Step
At next week’s meeting, the Humboldt County Planning Commission will consider approval of the next phase of the long-running Samoa Town Master Plan: a 332-parcel subdivision. The low-income housing and mixture of other uses in a compact area sound good, but given its location, will this project just end up adding to the county’s already high level of vehicle miles traveled?

New Open Door Clinic One Step Closer to Approval
The Arcata Planning Commission recommended approval of the project on Tuesday. The new clinic will consolidate services and update infrastructure, but it will put services a little farther from a major transit hub for some people. CRTP has worked with Open Door to provide guidance on how best to encourage employees and patients to walk, bike or take the bus to the new clinic.

Weekly Street Story Update: Help Complete the Annie & Mary Trail!
The City of Arcata and County of Humboldt are both seeking grant funding this spring to complete segments of the Annie & Mary Trail between Arcata and Blue Lake. Crowdsourcing collisions, near misses, and hazards along West End Road, Highway 299 and other roads connecting Arcata and Blue Lake will help our local jurisdictions make the case for funding to construct the Annie & Mary Trail. You can make your Street Story report for any of these areas here.

Eureka City Council to Hear Update on Broadway Plans
Maybe staff has abandoned the old capacity-increasing ideas and will now focus instead on making Broadway safer and more appealing for people on foot and on bicycles? A person can dream.

Are You the Next Arcata Planning Commissioner?
You won’t know if you don’t apply.

Leftover Measure Z Funding Goes to Roads
Of course, it won’t put a dent in the county’s road maintenance backlog. Nor will it make the streets safer for people walking and biking.

New York Will Crack Down on Worst Traffic Offenders
Research shows that repeat traffic law violators are more likely to hurt or kill someone in a crash. So now New York City will start requiring them to take a traffic safety course, or have their vehicle impounded.

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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

February 7, 2020

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Transportation is Key to Medical Care on the North Coast
The possibility of losing obstetrics and gynecological services in Fortuna highlights the importance of transportation and relative location in access to care.

Luckily, We’re Not Made of Sugar
CRTP’s latest article in the EcoNews takes on active transportation in the rainy season.

2nd District Supervisor Candidates on Transportation
Well, whaddaya know? The local press is reporting what candidates said about transportation and greenhouse gas emissions.

Watch the Full 1st & 2nd District Candidate Forum
The full video – including the answers and non-answers candidates gave to CRTP’s question about reducing vehicle miles traveled – is now available to watch online.

Great Redwood Trail Takes Another Step Forward
A new segment of the Great Redwood Trail – the first since the former North Coast Railroad Authority right-of-way officially gained that moniker – opened last week in Ukiah. This is just the beginning, folks!

Weekly Street Story Update: Multimodal Hazards
About a quarter of Street Story reports in Humboldt County so far have reported places that are hazardous for multiple modes. A report near Willow Creek gives an example: “No posted speed limit. Should be 25mph max. Blind curves and too much speed. A very frequent problem. This section is on a cliff above the river. I have almost been run off over the cliff or had someone else swerve at high speed to miss me and almost go over the edge. Should be posted at 25mph and patrolled periodically to slow drivers down. It is also dangerous for pedestrians for the same reasons.” You can make your own Street Story report here.

Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force Issues Final Report
The official statewide task force recommends making it easier to lower speed limits and improving road design, education and enforcement. Will the state legislature actually listen this time?

Your Chance to Go to Walking College
America Walks is now taking applications for its “Walking College.” If you want a deep dive into pedestrian design and advocacy, this is your chance!

San Francisco Chronicle Bike Lane Hit Piece Pits Teachers Against Bicyclists
If this is any indication of how journalists are going to report on a shift to less car-oriented infrastructure, we’re in real trouble.

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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

January 31, 2020

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We’re Suing Humboldt County
CRTP has joined a lawsuit brought by Eureka residents who live in the housing that was slated to be demolished by the County in order to build a new parking lot on 4th Street. Although the County has announced that it no longer plans to buy the property, many residents were already displaced, and the remaining residents are living under deteriorating conditions. The lawsuit seeks to force the County to fulfill its legal obligation to provide displaced residents with access to alternative housing that has comparable access to public transit.

Plaza Task Force Makes Final Recommendations
The Arcata task force held its last meeting this week and finalized its report and recommendations to City Council. Among the recommendations: parklets, possible street closures, and shifting some parking off the Plaza. The final report is scheduled to be delivered to City Council on February 19th. Then it will be up to Councilmembers to take action to improve pedestrian design on the Plaza.

CRTP Cosponsors Supervisor Candidate Forum
Candidates for Humboldt County Districts 1 & 2 Supervisor seats answered questions about a lot of important topics on Wednesday night. We asked them their plan to address the climate crisis by reducing the amount of driving in Humboldt. Unfortunately, many of them ignored the premise of the question and only talked about making cars cleaner. (That’s important, but we still need to drive less!) The full video of the forum will soon be available for anyone to watch.

Old Arcata Road On-Demand Transit May Get Easier to Use
A consultant is recommending changes including allowing users to book a ride up to 1 hour in advance (instead of the 24 hours currently required) and providing curb-to-curb service (instead of requiring users to get to a designated pick-up/drop-off location). In its first year, the service only provided 10 rides, and the hope is that these changes would make it more popular. The recommendations will be considered at the Humboldt County Association of Government’s Technical Advisory Committee meeting next week, along with an interim assessment of other potential mobility-on-demand services for the county.

Caltrans Wants to Change Safety Corridor Project
The agency is asking the Coastal Commission to amend its permit, including to add another “auxiliary” lane on northbound Highway 101 between Bracut and Bayside. How long will it take Caltrans to figure out that no matter what word they put in front of it, an extra lane is an extra lane – and that will encourage more people to drive in the future? The hearing is scheduled for February 14th…in Long Beach.

County Airport Trying to Fix Problems
Meanwhile, travel from the airport jumped significantly last year. We don’t want to rain (or fog) on anyone’s parade, but it’s worth remembering that flying is generally the most carbon-intense form of transportation.

Bike/Ped Project Featured in Fortuna’s State of the City Report
Creating safer ways to bike and walk to an elementary school – what’s not to like?

Henderson to Become a One-Way Street at Broadway
Will it to anything to make Broadway less of a death-trap for people walking and biking?

Weekly Street Story Update: A Milestone
As of this week, more than 500 reports have been made on Street Story in Humboldt County! You can make your own Street Story report here.

SB50 Fails in the Senate
The bill, which would have required cities to allow denser housing near transit, had united a diverse coalition behind it, but divided the environmental justice and social justice communities. How will California meet its housing construction goals now? Let’s hope it’s not through the sprawling status quo.

Free Youth Transit Passes for California?
AB1350, which would require transit agencies to provide free passes to anyone under the age of 18, passed the State Assembly unanimously this week. Free bus passes for kids could be a transformative development in many areas. But cash-strapped rural transit agencies like the Humboldt Transit Authority are hoping that the state provides some way to make up for any lost fares.

Huffman Introduces Active Transportation Bill for Public Lands
The bill would set aside 5% of annual funding for transportation projects on federal lands for bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

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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

January 24, 2020

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Trinidad to Return Trail Money After Strong Objections
After a contentious City Council meeting, the city is abandoning its already-funded project to build a trail and other improvements to bicycle and pedestrian access to the Trinidad Head area. The concern is that the project could disturb native Tsurai graves and other culturally important sites. We fully support protection of sacred native sites, and we also want people to be able to walk to Trinidad Head and its beaches without taking their lives in their hands. Hopefully a solution can be found.

McKinleyville Town Center May Get Mixed-Use, Form-Based Code
At a meeting this week, the McKinleyville Muncipal Advisory Committee gave its blessing to applying a single mixed-use zone to the entire Town Center area and appeared poised to adopt a form-based code for that zone in the future. This would be a radical departure from the county’s past zoning practices, and one that – if the code is well-written and well implemented – could allow McKinleyville to develop a truly walkable and appealing town center.

County Supervisor Candidates Will Be Asked a Transportation Question at Forum
We know, because we’ll be asking it. Want to hear the question – and their answers? Come out to College of the Redwoods on Wednesday evening – or the Mateel, where it’ll be simulcast – and you will.

More Money for Trucks?
Next week, the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission’s Technical Advisory Committee will consider whether to fund more “actions to support” the plan to widen and straighten sections of Highways 199 and 197 to accommodate larger trucks. This project has been mired in litigation for years, so it’s somewhat unclear what “actions” staff has in mind. Also on the agenda: more money for redesigning the proposed Sunset Circle active transportation improvements.

Humboldt County Urbanism
CRTP’s own Colin Fiske appeared on the new EcoNews Report on KHUM this week to talk about how the principles and practice of urbanism apply to our local area.

Arcata City Hall Gets Bike League Recognition
It was given Bike-Friendly Business recognition at the Bronze level. It’s not gold, but at least they’re on the podium!

Weekly Street Story Update: Roundabouts
A report from the Indianola/Old Arcata Road roundabout: “Vehicles do not yield to cyclists in roundabouts, a chronic ongoing danger for all cyclists.” (We can vouch for that, too.) You can make your own Street Story report here.

San Francisco’s Car-Free Market Street Starts Next Week
It’s a landmark achievement akin to New York’s pedestrianization of Times Square.

Can Suburban Homes Be Built Without Parking?
One developer wants to give it a try in Hayward.

The Nation’s Most Dangerous City for Pedestrians Is Making Some Changes
It’s Orlando. Trip to Disney World, anybody?

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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.