Arcata Planning Commission Takes Steps to “De-prioritize” Car Infrastructure

Posted on April 14, 2023 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

April 14, 2023

Arcata Planning Commission Takes Steps to “De-prioritize” Car Infrastructure
The headline from this week’s meeting was that the Commission voted to keep the proposed L/K Street couplet as a goal in the Gateway Plan. But they also expressed unanimous support for more near-term safety improvements to K Street. Making K Street safe for everybody has always been CRTP’s priority in this debate, and although the options presented by city staff this week do not go nearly far enough, the Planning Commission’s discussion opens the door for a more significant re-design.

With CRTP’s encouragement, the Planning Commission also made some other decisions which got less attention but may be even more significant in the long run. For example, the Commission voted to recommend new citywide policies prioritizing accessible design for people with disabilities, and exploring the possibility of a smart parking meter system downtown. (Smart meters could reduce the subsidy for driving, support businesses by increasing turnover, and create a new funding source for public transit.) They also voted to “de-prioritize” management for traffic congestion, and to view congestion as a potential asset for calming traffic and encouraging other modes of transportation, rather than a problem to be avoided. Other changes to the General Plan will be needed to follow through on this commitment, but the vote signals a major and much-needed shift from outdated, car-centric approaches of the past.

If you want to be part of the positive changes happening in Arcata, you might consider applying to be on the city’s Transportation Safety Committee. Two long-term members are leaving, creating new opportunities for you to serve and have your voice heard on key local issues.

Grab a Cocktail to Support CRTP!
During the month of April, Phatsy Kline’s in Eureka is supporting CRTP. Just purchase one of their specially made Champagne violette cocktails, and part of the proceeds will be donated to CRTP. And don’t forget to walk or ride the bus home if you can – or at least have a designated driver!

Regional Climate Action Plan Meetings TODAY & Next Tuesday
The Humboldt County regional Climate Action Plan is moving toward adoption at a snail’s pace. Meanwhile, new virtual public meetings have been announced for today (Friday) at 3 pm and next Tuesday at 2 pm. It’s likely that some attendees will be trying to convince the county to adopt less ambitious targets, including for low-carbon transportation. Transportation accounts for more than half of local climate pollution, and we desperately need smart policies to support more walkable development, better public transit, and infrastructure for walking, biking and rolling. So if you’re free, log on and support ambitious climate action! To find the Zoom info, click here, scroll to the bottom, and click on the “CAP Working Group” tab.

People Aren’t the Only Ones Threatened by Cars
In recent months, three otters have been killed by drivers in the Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary. Will the city take these fatalities seriously and take steps to slow traffic or ban cars from South I Street altogether? We hope so. We also hope they will start responding more quickly and seriously to the cases of human victims of traffic violence in town.

Add Your Reports to Street Story!
Local residents have now made more than 1,000 reports on Street Story in Humboldt County alone. Most of the reports are for hazards, near misses and crashes – but a few safe spots have been reported too. Join your friends and neighbors and start making your reports today! La versión de Street Story en español está disponible aquí.

News from Beyond the North Coast

One Easy Step to Make Vehicles Much Safer
Intelligent speed assistance is a commercially available technology that uses GPS to identify the local speed limit and then prevents a car or truck from speeding. It can easily be added to existing vehicles. Now a national advocacy organization is challenging public agencies to retrofit their fleets. We think it’s time for local governments on the North Coast to adopt this common-sense, life-saving technology, and set an example for other drivers on the road.

Parking Reform Helps Get Housing Built
Case studies from two very different cities demonstrate that most of the housing built after parking mandates were repealed would not have been allowed before the reforms. Unscientific and costly requirements just force the construction of way too much parking!

What Is a “Complete Street,” Anyway?
Complete streets are supposed to be safe for people walking, biking or rolling – including kids and people with disabilities. But sadly the term is often applied to poorly designed projects that continue to prioritize cars while giving other users little real consideration. The result is a lot of self-congratulatory back-slapping while people continue to die on the streets. CRTP is aware that no project is perfect, and often compromise is necessary in order to see safety improvements actually implemented. But we will always advocate for the best, safest, evidence-based designs in every plan and project.

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.

Eureka Sued Over Walkable Housing Plans

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

April 7, 2023

Eureka City Council Does the Right Thing & Is Sued for It
The Eureka City Council on Tuesday voted to release a Request for Proposals for affordable housing development on city-owned parking lots and vacant parcels. This represents a big step toward a more equitable, healthy, walkable community, and was required by the city’s previously adopted plans. But a group backed by local conservative billionaire Rob Arkley nevertheless announced plans to sue, dangerously abusing the state’s premier environmental law in the process.

As we pointed out in the latest edition of the EcoNews, our communities currently have a huge amount of land dedicated to private car storage, and this comes at a cost. Continuing to do things this way, as Arkley and his ilk would have it, represents nothing more or less than prioritizing car storage over human shelter and a thriving community. CRTP will continue to do everything in our power to fight for much-needed walkable, car-light housing development in Eureka and across the region.

Gateway Plan Review Moves Forward with July Deadline
On Wednesday, the Arcata City Council reaffirmed its previous direction to the Planning Commission to complete review of the draft General Plan update by July of this year. The update includes the Gateway Plan, and the Gateway review must also be completed by July, although the Council did not specifically revisit the Gateway topic because of a procedural issue. We are grateful that there is finally an end in sight for this lengthy process, and we’re hopeful that the city’s bike and pedestrian-friendly plans will eventually be adopted.

To that end, the Planning Commission will be reviewing the General Plan and Gateway Plan transportation policies at its meeting next Tuesday. The proposed L/K Street couplet is sure to be the hot topic of the evening; on that issue, CRTP will only support a solution that makes K Street truly safe without adding vehicular capacity elsewhere. But we are also concerned about some of the General Plan policies that have received less attention, including those that continue to prioritize “congestion relief.” The city has to come to terms with the fact that policies aimed at reducing vehicular delay (which barely exists in Arcata anyway) are ineffective and incompatible with its other stated goals of prioritizing walking, biking and public transit.

Bay Trail South Appears to Be On Schedule for Construction
Despite an apparent threat of litigation, the Board of Supervisors this week approved a construction bid award for the Bay Trail on time and on schedule. We are grateful and can’t wait for this project to be complete.

Meanwhile, another regional trail project, Eureka’s Bay to Zoo Trail, is also moving slowly ahead. We support this project, but we do have concerns about a few of the proposed features, including the Myrtle Avenue roundabout. Roundabouts provide great safety improvements for drivers, but without careful design can present difficulties for people walking, biking, and rolling. We’ll be monitoring closely to ensure that all the features of this trail maximize safety and comfort for active transportation.

Mark Your Calendar for an Earth Day Bike Ride with CRTP!
This is the first in a series of rides we’re sponsoring with the Northcoast Environmental Center and local bike shop Moon Cycles. The ride is free and open to all, but is particularly aimed at folks who have a bike but feel a little uncomfortable getting out there and using it for transportation. If that sounds like you, join us! You’ll learn about basic bike maintenance, infrastructure and route finding, and get to experience a ride with a bunch of like-minded friends and neighbors.

News from Beyond the North Coast

Car-Free Developments Succeed in the Most Car-Dependent Cities
It may be hard to live on the North Coast without a vehicle, but we’ve got nothing on the mecca of sprawl called Houston, Texas. Even there, though, housing developments with no parking are proving popular. Local planners and developers should take note.

A Federal E-Bike Rebate May Yet Materialize
Combined with local and state rebates which are expected in the coming months, a federal rebate could make e-bikes affordable to a whole lot of people.

Why Do People Still Call and Text While Driving?
It’s one of the most dangerous things you can do behind the wheel. A new study explores what can be done to break drivers of the habit.

Humboldt Supervisors Not Sure About F Street Signal

Posted on March 24, 2023 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

March 24, 2023

Editor’s Note: The Collector is on a break next week, but never fear – we’ll be back in April!

McKinleyville Committee Primed to Eliminate Parking Mandates in Town Center
On Wednesday, almost all Municipal Advisory Committee members supported the removal of costly, unscientific parking mandates from the town center ordinance, and some suggested establishing parking maximums. This is a really significant change for McKinleyville, and will go a long way toward allowing a walkable town center to develop. Thanks to all the CRTP members and supporters who spoke up! A final vote on this issue will come at next month’s meeting.

Humboldt Supervisors Not Sure About F Street Signal
The Supervisors delayed a decision about a traffic signal at F and Oak Streets just ouside Eureka city limits. Neighbors have been advocating for improvements for years, and Supervisors wanted to review all their options for safety and traffic calming. CRTP supports traffic calming and safe crossing improvements on F Street, but believes that a signal may not be the most effective method to achieve these goals. We hope that this review results in a project that truly prioritizes safety over traffic speed.

Also on Tuesday, Supervisors moved forward plans for extending the Humboldt Bay Trail to College of the Redwoods and discussed the latest storm damage to roads and the county’s huge road maintenance deficit. Supervisor Wilson pointed out that continuing to maintain and repair the county’s extensive rural road network to current standards is likely not financially feasible in the long term, and hard decisions will have to be made eventually.

Less noticed but also important, the Supervisors approved an agreement with Caltrans allowing county social services staff to access encampments where people are living in Highway 101 right-of-way. We are glad to see a public agency at least try to provide services to unhoused people in Caltrans right-of-way, rather than simply evicting them as has often been the case in the past. Most of the public land in our communities is devoted to streets and highways, and with the current housing crisis it is sad but unsurprising that some people end up living there.

Fortuna City Council Approves Kenmar Interchange Improvement Plans
We are pleased that the plans include desperately needed pedestrian access across Highway 101, as well as traffic calming features. However, we always have concerns about the safe design of roundabouts for people walking and biking – and those concerns are heightened here, where some approaches are high-speed highway off-ramps. With no vehicle stop required, these designs are particularly hard to navigate for people with low vision and blindness.

Arcata Planning Commission to Speed Up Gateway Plan Review
They’ll have to pedal harder to reach the finish line by the City Council’s July deadline, and unresolved issues will be parked in the bike rack. A special meeting has been scheduled for next Monday, in addition to next Tuesday’s regular meeting, to get the process rolling.

News from Beyond the North Coast

Bigger Vehicles Mean Bigger Problems – Whether or Not They’re Electric
CRTP Executive Director Colin Fiske joins the EcoNews Report to talk about why we need to look to solutions like infill development, not just electrifying trucks and SUVs, to solve the climate crisis and other environmental and social problems.

Bill to Study Fees for Bigger Vehicles Passes First Committee
Bigger vehicles are more dangerous, more polluting, and cause more damage to roads, so AB 251 would tell the California Transportation Commission to study options for charging them more to use the roads. Other bills that passed out of the California Assembly’s Transportation Committee this week include AB 413, which would prohibit parking within 20 feet of any legal crosswalk to improve safety and visibility; AB 825, which would allow bikes to ride on sidewalks anywhere there’s no dedicated, safe bike infrastructure; and AB 761, which would establish an official task force to plan for increasing transit ridership statewide.

New Report: The Climate Crisis Is Dire, Action Is Needed Now
Transportation is the biggest source of climate pollution in the United States, and on the North Coast.

Is Congestion the Solution?
A new study adds to the evidence that congestion causes people to drive less, and free parking causes them to drive more.

Another Delay for Humboldt Bay Trail South?

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

March 17, 2023

McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee to Resume Town Center Review
Next Wednesday the committee will tackle a number of topics, including everyone’s favorite – parking! Excessive and unscientific parking mandates have resulted in the town center’s current landscape, where parking is the dominant land use (see below) and buildings are just islands in an asphalt ocean. Parking mandates must be eliminated to have any chance at a walkable town center.

A satellite image of the McKinleyville Town Center with extensive parking areas highlighted in red. — Land dedicated to parking, shown in red, in the McKinleyville town center area.

Another Delay for Bay Trail South?
Humboldt County is requesting that the California Transportation Commission extend the deadline for awarding a construction contract for the final four miles of the Bay Trail from May to October. The reason? Apparently “public concerns were raised about the project’s legality and possible litigation.” Message to whoever is out there threatening to sue: cut it out! Local residents have waited decades for a safe bike and pedestrian route between Eureka and Arcata, and shouldn’t have to wait any longer.

Also on the Commission’s agenda next week: allocating funds for the long-planned Old Arcata Road improvement project, as well as planning money for a roundabout at Highway 199 and Elk Valley Cross Road in Del Norte County and for eventual replacement of the Highway 101 Eureka Slough bridges.

Infill Housing on Eureka City Council Agenda
Next Tuesday, the Council is slated to authorize a funding application for the Linc Housing affordable homes and transportation improvements project, a General Plan amendment application to allow multifamily housing on an old church property near Henderson Center, and a zoning code correction to allow smaller residential units. All of these efforts could result in more much-needed walkable housing in the future.

The Council also recently approved a repaving project with some important bike and pedestrian upgrades. We support the improvements but are concerned that the city didn’t follow procedures in its new Complete Streets Policy which could have resulted in even better conditions for people walking, biking and rolling.

New Lawsuit Filed Against Richardson Grove Highway Project
A recent letter to the legislature from advocates points out that there would be plenty of money to fund active transportation if the state redirected money from highway expansions. The Richardson Grove project is a prime example – the millions of dollars slated for this unnecessary highway project would go a lot further if spent on bike and pedestrian improvements. And, as a recent terrifying big rig crash in Gasquet remind us, a project that paves the way for more big trucks also has implications for road safety in the region.

News from Beyond the North Coast

Take a Bike Survey!
Let researchers know what you think about different kinds of bike infrastructure. La versión en español está disponible aquí.

Urban Highway Building Destroyed Lots of Communities
Check out some examples of what was lost.

What Hydrogen Counts as Green?
The official definition could have a huge impact on transportation emissions and climate pollution in the United States.

Another Pedestrian Killed on Highway 101 in Eureka

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

March 10, 2023

Another Pedestrian Killed by a Driver on Highway 101 in Eureka
The tragic crash occurred on 5th Street, almost right in front of City Hall. In an increasingly and disturbingly common occurrence, the driver then fled the scene without reporting the crash or offering aid. We offer our condolences to the victim’s loved ones. And we are outraged that these tragedies are so commonplace that they barely result in a story in the local media beyond re-printing a law enforcement press release.

This is not normal or acceptable, and we can’t be complacent about it. We know exactly what the problem is, and we know that it is highly concentrated on a small number of high-speed, high-volume streets. And we know what to do about it; we know how to re-design these streets for safety rather than for speed, and we know that if done well it works. These tragedies are preventable. Let’s stop the death toll now.

Massive McKay Subdivision Approved by Humboldt Supervisors
Thanks to advocacy by CRTP and our allies, the county and the developer finally agreed to making the development all-electric, and to devoting some funds to bike and pedestrian improvements. Unfortunately they did not agree to other needed transportation improvements, such as providing bus passes to apartment residents and reducing the amount of subsidized parking. But compared to past county subdivisions, this can be counted as a major win for people and the environment.

Will the Arcata Planning Commission Finally Start Making Faster Progress on the Gateway Plan?
We previously reported that city staff are estimating adoption of the Gateway plan and form-based code a full year from now. But even meeting that far-off deadline, which the City Council has requested, requires the Planning Commission to significantly speed up their review. They’ll be tackling this procedural issue at their meeting next Tuesday. Hopefully, the process will begin to move forward at a pace that reflects the urgency of the housing crisis, the climate crisis, and the street safety crisis – all of which the Gateway Plan will help to address.

Local Road Network is Fragile and Overextended
The earthquake damage to Fernbridge is the latest reminder that the maintenance of our extensive and vulnerable rural road system is difficult and expensive. It may seem normal or even natural that people living in low-density rural areas can always drive to and from their homes, but that is the result of road-building efforts in decades past that have never produced enough tax revenue to sustain themselves – especially in our stormy and geologically unstable region – and the future is far from certain.

Over 1,000 Humboldt County Reports on Street Story!
Local residents have now made more than 1,000 reports on Street Story in Humboldt County alone. Most of the reports are for hazards, near misses and crashes – but a few safe spots have been reported too. Join your friends and neighbors and start making your reports today! La versión de Street Story en español está disponible aquí.

News from Beyond the North Coast

Cars Just Keep Getting Bigger – Including the Electric Ones
Electric trucks and SUVs may not guzzle gas, but they do require a lot more electricity, lithium, and other rare and toxic chemicals than smaller vehicles do, and they are just as deadly for pedestrians. Americans: please buy smaller vehicles. Especially the smallest vehicles of all: e-bike electricity and mineral use is tiny compared to even the most compact sedan, and they can replace many car trips pretty easily.

Bill Targeting Biased Police Searches Passes First Committee Vote
The bill would make it illegal in California for police officers to conduct warrantless searches of people or vehicles based only on individual “consent.” Why is this a transportation issue? Data show that these searches disproportionately target people of color, harassing people just trying to walk, bike or drive on public streets, and making it uncomfortable and even dangerous for people to get around their communities.

New York Times Picks Up on Parking Reform
The elimination of costly parking mandates is going mainstream.

Biden Administration Leaves Highway Spending Decisions Up to States
The administration has given into conservative pressure and stopped trying to discourage new highway construction. The results could be catastrophic.

Cutten Area Subdivision Heads Back to Supervisors Next Week

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

March 3, 2023

Next Public Meeting on Eureka’s Downtown Housing & Transportation Improvements
Following up on last month’s meeting, Eureka and Linc Housing will be presenting “refined” proposals for bike, pedestrian and transit improvements to go with the affordable housing projects on city-owned parking lots. You can attend next Wednesday’s meeting in person at the Jefferson Center or via Zoom.

Cutten Area Subdivision Heads Back to Supervisors Next Week
The huge suburban-style “North McKay” subdivision has been in limbo for nearly a year, after CRTP and allies demanded stronger measures to reduce environmental impacts. Here’s the good news: the county has now agreed to prohibit natural-gas hookups for the development – a critical climate mitigation measure – and had already consented to devote the transportation fees to bike and pedestrian improvements. These are big wins for responsible transportation and the environment. The bad news is that they have still not agreed to other reasonable and necessary measures, like free bus passes for residents of future apartment buildings. The Humboldt County Supervisors are expected to make a decision on the project next Tuesday.

The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Car-Dominated Communities
Check out the latest and final article in our EcoNews series on the history of designing communities for the automobile. If you missed any of the previous articles, you can read the whole series here.

Gateway Plan Adoption Still a Year Away?
That was the estimate at this week’s Arcata City Council meeting, even as the city’s Planning Commission was discussing the urgent need for more infill housing of the kind the plan is designed to encourage. That’s a long time to wait. We are happy to report, however, that in their discussion the Commissioners broached the subject of eliminating the costly parking mandates that hold back housing development and enforce car-centric design.

Next Steps for the Great Redwood Trail
The Great Redwood Trail Agency is asking a federal agency to give up its authority over the rail line used by the “Skunk Train,” one of the last steps toward finalizing railbanking for the entire corridor. Next up: trail planning!

Caltrans Still Trying to Expand Highway Through Richardson Grove
Conceived in past decades to redesign the highway for the biggest vehicles at the expense of a state park, this project should have been abandoned long ago. It’s just not consistent with Caltrans’s current mandates, but for some reason the agency just can’t seem to let it go.

Samoa Transit Service to Be Discontinued
Almost no one is using the service, which debuted two years ago and connects the small cluster of homes in Samoa with downtown Eureka. Here’s the lesson that local governments (and developers) need to learn: you can’t build housing far away from jobs and services, demand a new bus route, and expect that people will use it. Transit ridership depends not just on service, but also on efficient land use patterns.

When you see a street safety hazard, get out your phone or make a note.
Then report it on Street Story. Your reports help us advocate for safer streets, and help government agencies get funding for improvements. La versión de Street Story en español está disponible aquí.

News from Beyond the North Coast

Sign Cal-Bike’s Petition to Legalize the Bike Safety Stop
It’s common sense. It increases safety. It’s already the law in most other western states. Why isn’t it legal in California yet?

Pedestrian Fatalities Keep Rising Nationwide
Preliminary 2022 data show the disturbing trend is continuing. Fortunately, California’s pedestrian deaths didn’t increase from last year’s number – but that’s not very comforting given how much they had already risen over the last decade.

Rob Arkley’s Love of Downtown Parking Lots

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

February 24, 2023

Rob Arkley’s Love of Downtown Parking Lots Reveals “Motonormativity”
Check out CRTP Executive Director Colin Fiske’s recent op-ed in the Lost Coast Outpost for an exploration of our culture’s deep-seated biases about cars, and how those biases frequently lead people – including certain prominent business owners – to ignore facts and ethical standards when it comes to subjects like parking.

And while you’re thinking about downtown Eureka, take this new survey from Linc Housing. Your answers will help guide their plans to include transportation upgrades with their affordable housing project on city-owned parking lots. La versión en español está aquí.

Still More Decisions to Be Made About McKinleyville Town Center
The McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee didn’t quite finish their review of the town center ordinance this week, so more decisions – including those about parking policy – will have to wait until next month. But support for a lane reduction and traffic calming on Central Avenue was strong, and we’ve now ensured that various versions of that approach will be considered as part of the ordinance moving forward. Thanks to CRTP members and supporters who showed their support! And thanks to local advocate Melodie Meyer for her excellent op-ed on the subject in the Times-Standard.

Join a Local Bus Adventure!
CRTP ally 350 Humboldt recently started organizing fun “bus adventures” in Humboldt County. These group outings are a great opportunity for folks who aren’t regular riders to experience the bus system, learn how it works, and get comfortable using it for everyday transportation. The next bus adventure is next Thursday, March 2nd. Ride the bus from wherever you are to downtown Eureka, where you’ll join fellow bus adventurers at the gazebo at 12:15 pm for lunch and a stroll before getting back on the bus! Contact organizer Cathy Chandler-Klein at cathyck@sbcglobal.net for more information and to coordinate your trip.

Riding the bus is cheaper than driving, by the way – but it isn’t free. Should it be? Check out this recent article from CRTP for a discussion of this hot topic.

Coordinated Branding for Humboldt County’s Transit Systems?
Sounds like a good idea to us! Unified branding could make the system less confusing, especially for new transit riders. A consultant will present their recommendations at a special meeting next Tuesday.

Walk, bike, roll, Street Story.
If you’re out walking, biking, or rolling on local streets, you see hazards and experience near-misses pretty regularly, maybe even every day. Make it a habit to report those things on Street Story. Your reports help us advocate for safer streets, and help government agencies get funding for improvements. La versión de Street Story en español está disponible aquí.

News from Beyond the North Coast

Congressman Huffman Talks About Transportation Decarbonization
And lots of other environmental topics! Check out his latest appearance on the EcoNews Report with local environmental leaders, including CRTP’s own Executive Director.

A Different E-Bike Subsidy Model
Instead of rebates, one organization is offering a “rent to own” program. Could this help get e-bikes to more people who really need them?

Seeing Streets from a Different Perspective
If you’re an adult who doesn’t use a wheelchair, you may never stop to consider what it’s like to see the world from a vantage point closer to the ground. But if we want to design streets for everybody, we need to see things from all perspectives. Now you can download plans for a simple “reverse periscope” designed to help people who experience the street from a slightly greater height understand what it’s like for kids (and wheelchair users). The experience might surprise you!

Housing, Parking, Bikes and Sidewalks

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

February 17, 2023

McKinleyville Town Center Plans Near Decision Point
Next Wednesday’s meeting of the McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee may be the last in its years-long process of developing an ordinance to implement the community’s vision for a future town center. At last month’s meeting, Humboldt County Planning Director John Ford stated his hope that the draft ordinance could be finalized and move into the environmental review process by the end of February.

The draft town center ordinance has an explicit focus on walkable and bikeable development that would contrast sharply with the existing car-dominated landscape, and would represent a major improvement over current regulations. But the town center vision could yet be sabotaged by some holdovers from the old way of doing things, including costly parking mandates and a Central Avenue that is both unsafe and uncomfortable for anyone not inside a vehicle. (For more on the history and impacts of parking mandates, check out this recent article by CRTP Executive Director Colin Fiske.) It’s up to us to make sure these issues are addressed before the ordinance moves forward!

Public Workshop on Gateway Zoning Code Next Thursday
The next workshop to get public feedback on proposed rules and regulations for the Gateway area in Arcata will be held next Thursday at 6 pm. For CRTP and other advocates of pedestrian-oriented, bike- and transit-supporting development, constant vigilance is needed to ensure that the standards don’t reflect outdated ideas that prioritize car-centered, low-density neighborhoods. If you want to do more to support the Gateway Plan and ensure that it lives up to its promise to promote a vibrant, low-car, climate-friendly community, email colin@transportationpriorities.org. We’ll put you on a list to get regular reminders and ideas about when input is needed.

More on the Cal Poly Student Housing Crisis
One thing that has stood out to us in recent media coverage is the repetition of statements that “new on-campus housing, along with a parking structure, will house another 600 to 700 students.” (That particular quote is from the statewide CalMatters news agency, but similar statements have appeared in multiple outlets.) Well, we’ve apparently got news for both Cal Poly Humboldt and for reporters: parking garages don’t house students. More to the point, on-campus garages would take up extremely valuable space that should be used to house students – and to house them in a location that would drastically reduce the need for them to have their own private cars in the first place. It often takes more room to store a car than to house a person, and it is outrageous that officials are doubling down on parking garages at a time when the need for on-campus housing couldn’t be greater.

More Bikes, Better Sidewalks in Arcata
The size of Arcata’s bikeshare program has nearly doubled recently with the addition of three new stations around town. Research shows that the success of bikeshare depends largely on the extent of the network, so we’re excited to see it growing.

Arcata is also preparing to start its annual work on bringing sidewalks up to standards. It’s a slow process, but one that is much needed in a town whose walkability is hampered by the dismal state of its narrow, gap-ridden, frequently obstructed sidewalks.

News from Beyond the North Coast

CalBike Rolls Out New “Invest/Divest” Agenda
We need to put a lot more money into safe, comfortable infrastructure and connected communities, says the statewide bike advocacy organization. But we also desperately need to stop building highways, and stop polluting, displacing and over-policing communities of color. We couldn’t agree more.

Another E-Bike Benefit: More Support for Safe Bikeways
The e-bike boom is exposing a lot more people to the unsafe conditions for bikes in many communities – and creating new bike advocates in the process.

Needed: Accessible, Affordable Housing in Eureka and Arcata

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

February 10, 2023

Cal Poly Humboldt Students Rally for Accessible, Affordable Housing
A lack of transportation options is one of the big concerns for students, who face a daunting off-campus housing market. Although it will not solve the immediate housing crunch, the Gateway Plan and other infill development efforts will eventually put significantly more housing within walking and biking distance of campus – and that’s one of the reasons we support it. (Note: the Arcata Planning Commission will hold a special meeting on the plan this Saturday, and will likely take it up again at their regular meeting next Tuesday.)

We also support building new student housing on campus, particularly on some of the university’s extensive parking lots, as other universities around the country are doing. Many more students than cars can be housed in the same limited space, and on-campus housing mitigates the perceived need for students to bring cars in the first place.

Rob Arkley: Free Car Storage More Important Than Walkable Housing
Declaring that parking spaces, not people or homes, are the “lifeblood” of a thriving downtown, Eureka’s part-time resident billionaire is once again trying to threaten, insult and bully the city into abandoning plans for walkable infill development. We strongly disagree with Mr. Arkley, and there is no empirical basis for his claim about the primary importance of parking. In any case, independent analysis has shown that downtown Eureka has plenty of unused parking. We also take issue with Arkley’s professed concern for the safety of his employees having to walk a few blocks past other Eurekans to get to work, despite abundant evidence showing that injury and death are far more common behind the wheel than from any other form of violent crime.

Planning Continues for Crescent City Transit Hub
Local officials seem to have finally decided which of the city’s many parking lots will house the future hub. CRTP is just excited to see public transportation options improve in a severely underserved part of our region, and we are supporting a grant application that could fund the project.

Humboldt County Faces Potential Budget Shortfalls
When road budgets are tight, bike, pedestrian and other safety projects are typically the first things to be cut. So local officials may need a reminder that providing safe facilities for people who are walking, biking, rolling and riding the bus is just as much a “core service” as filling potholes – and that it’s a good investment, too! For example, a new economic analysis projects that the future Great Redwood Trail will generate over $100 million in economic benefits for our region.

Indianola Interchange Construction Will Begin Soon
This project, decades in the making, is intended to improve safety on the notorious Highway 101 corridor between Arcata and Eureka. We continue to advocate that Caltrans be sure not to negate any actual safety benefit by raising the speed limit again when it’s complete.

News from Beyond the North Coast

“Moving from Cars to People”
A new comic book provides a good introduction to the history of cars in American communities – and what’s happening today to challenge their dominance.

Nope, Parking Garages Aren’t the Solution
As Cal Poly Humboldt plans to build our region’s first parking structures – which would be a huge mistake in our opinion – cities around the country are struggling to figure out how to get rid of the garages they built decades ago.

New Federal “Mega-Grant” Program Is a Mixed Bag
Some important multimodal safety projects are being funded – but so are some massive highway expansion boondoggles.

Eureka to Purchase Land for Bay-to-Zoo Trail

Posted on February 3, 2023 by Colin Fiske

The Collector

February 3, 2023

Big Support for Major Transit Improvements
More than 30 people attended this week’s public workshop on transit improvement plans for Humboldt County, and many of them proposed big ideas like increasing bus frequency to every 15 minutes between McKinleyville and College of the Redwoods. Research suggests high frequency is one of the most effective ways to increase ridership, so CRTP is excited about this idea – and so were other workshop attendees! Hopefully ideas like this will make it into the 5-year plan, and local leaders will commit the funding needed to implement them.

Learn About Housing & Transportation Improvements in Downtown Eureka
Next Wednesday at 5:30 pm at the Jefferson Community Center, Linc Housing and the City of Eureka are hosting a workshop to discuss proposed bike, pedestrian and transit improvements associated with the development of affordable housing downtown. Click the link above to register (or click here to register to attend via Zoom). This project, which includes 3 new apartment buildings on city-owned parking lots, has been in the works for several years and is currently seeking state funding to proceed. CRTP is a big supporter, and we’re excited for both the walkable housing and the transportation improvements.

Eureka to Purchase Land for Bay-to-Zoo Trail
The City of Eureka is hoping to purchase some land with crumbling, uninhabited buildings to allow construction of part of the new Bay-to-Zoo Trail along with some wetland mitigation. The City Council will likely approve the purchase next week, moving the trail one small step closer to reality. When complete, the trail will provide a much-needed safe bike and pedestrian connection between downtown, the hospital district, and the zoo.

Also on next week’s City Council agenda is approval of a consultant to help develop a Bike Plan for the city. Despite some wonderful trails and other plans in the works, Eureka needs a lot of work to become a great bike town. Let’s start planning!

News from Beyond the North Coast

How Do We Clean Up California’s Freight Transportation System?
Here at CRTP, we focus mostly on personal transportation, but freight transportation is also a major contributor to climate pollution, along with public health and safety impacts. If you’re interested in how we can develop a “climate-safe” statewide freight system, check out this webinar put on by The Climate Center.

The Federal Plan for Climate-Friendly Transportation
Despite the headlines, the new plan does actually talk about strategies other than electric vehicles – including development of more walkable and bikeable communities. But the focus on EVs, along with a problematic reliance on questionable biofuels, has drawn plenty of justifiable criticism.

How Does Your Community’s Budget Help or Harm the Climate?
It’s actually pretty hard to figure that out, due to budgeting practices based more on what’s been done in the past than on the impact of funding decisions on important priorities. But a new method called “priority-based budgeting” offers the potential to vastly improve budget transparency and help align funding with climate targets. We hope to see this new approach adopted by local governments across the North Coast!