The Collector
January 30, 2026
Taking to the Streets to Protect Our Neighbors
In Minneapolis and around the country, families are hiding in their homes, afraid to go out in public for fear of arrest, detention, or deportation. People who take to the streets in protest have been beaten, arrested, and killed.
CRTP believes in the right of all people to move around their communities safely and without fear. We stand in solidarity with everyone resisting the reign of terror being visited on communities in the name of immigration enforcement. And we encourage all of our members and supporters to take part in that resistance in any way they can.
We will be joining local demonstrations this weekend, and we hope that you will too. We also encourage you to enter Centro del Pueblo‘s hotline number into your phone, and call it if you see federal immigration agents locally. That number is 707-200-8091.
Sign the Petition for Safer 4th & 5th Streets!
Eureka’s Broadway, 4th and 5th Streets are dangerous. Anyone who lives, works, or travels in downtown Eureka knows that. CRTP’s recent report documents the dangers in detail.
It’s past time to make these dangerous downtown streets safe for everyone. If you haven’t signed the petition for safer 4th & 5th Streets yet, click here to sign now.
HCAOG Resists Putting Its Money Where Its Mouth Is
As we previously reported, following public pressure from CRTP, EPIC, and 350 Humboldt, the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) Board of Directors recently showed support for addressing the problems we identified with an update of the county’s Regional Transportation Plan. Specifically, a majority of the Board supported restoring use of the phrase “climate crisis” throughout the plan, as well as restoring the existing policy that 80% of new housing should be in non-car-dependent areas, rather than pushing that target date out to 2030. Supervisor Steve Madrone, representing the county, also spoke forcefully in favor of a policy requiring HCAOG to prioritize funding projects that do the most to advance the plan’s goals of safety, climate action, and equity.
We are now seeing the proposed final draft of the plan for the first time. While HCAOG staff did restore the phrase “climate crisis” throughout the document, as well as the target for new non-car-dependent housing, they did not include any policy requiring that funded projects meaningfully advance climate, safety, or equity goals – despite Supervisor Madrone’s call for such a policy. This policy is fundamental to ensuring that the plan is more than just a pile of paper (or an online PDF), and CRTP will continue fighting for it as HCAOG considers the plan’s final adoption.
New Transit Options on the Way!
The Humboldt Transit Authority’s on-demand Flex system is expanding, with dozens of new stops and new dedicated vehicles. The system allows riders to hail a vehicle with an app. While it’s not a door-to-door service, it does serve numerous stops in the Humboldt Bay region, and can provide point-to-point rides as well as connections to regular fixed-route buses. CRTP supports this system as a way to provide service in areas without enough population density to support good fixed-route buses. If you have a trip that the regular bus routes don’t serve and you want to try out the Flex system, HTA is currently running a special promotion for two free rides with the code “FlexUp”. Everything you need to know to ride Flex can be found here.
In other transit news, the Arcata & Mad River Transit System recently expanded its later night options, and the Fortuna City Council appears likely to open Fortuna Transit service – which currently only serves seniors and people with disabilities – to the general public. This change could ensure the continuation of Fortuna Transit, which otherwise might end service, while allowing HTA to eliminate some low-ridership Redwood Transit stops in Fortuna and reduce travel times on its main regional route.
Love New Bike Lanes & Trails? Share Your Story!
From the long-awaited opening of the Humboldt Bay Trail to the completion of Eureka’s C Street Bike Boulevard to the quick-build bike lanes on Hiller Road in McKinleyville, we’ve seen a lot of progress toward better bike infrastructure in the last year. And progress continues with Eureka preparing to rehabilitate a portion of its much-loved Waterfront Trail.
But here at CRTP, we still regularly hear people grumble that they never see anyone riding on the new trails and bike lanes, and using that as an excuse for opposing future bike improvements. We know you’re using these new facilities, and we want to hear from you! Send your stories about what these new improvements mean to you to kelsey@transportationpriorities.org, and we’ll share them on CRTP’s social media – and maybe in The Collector too!
Hiller Road Quick-Build Project Changes
At this week’s McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee meeting, Humboldt County Public Works Director Tom Mattson provided some explanation for the county’s recent decision to remove the protective bollards on the new Hiller Road quick-build bike lanes, as well as the quick-build roundabout at Hiller Road and McKinleyville Avenue. Apparently the roundabout had not been designed in consultation with the fire district, which presented obvious problems. And the bollards were removed because debris was building up in the bike lane, and the county does not have a bike lane sweeper. CRTP has been encouraging local jurisdictions to buy a bike lane sweeper for several years, and we hope this is a wake-up call.
In better news, the traffic-calming narrower car lanes and painted bike lanes remain on Hiller Road, along with the community murals. And the county is now planning to add quick-build curb extensions, with more murals, to replace the roundabout in the spring.
Complete Streets Safety Assessments Available
The UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) – the organization that brought us Street Story! – is offering local governments free Complete Streets Safety Assessments. Could your community use an assessment? Encourage them to apply!
Traffic Deaths Outnumber Homicides 5-to-1
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has reported that 3 people were killed in homicides last year (two of them by law enforcement officers), while 15 people were killed in car crashes, including 5 pedestrians. It’s another reminder that while homicides get much more attention in the media, drivers and their vehicles are the bigger threat to public safety by far.
News from Beyond the North Coast
Walkable Infill Homes Are More Affordable
A new report from UC Berkeley analyzes the total cost of housing – including associated transportation, utility, insurance, and tax costs – and found that homes built more densely in non-car-dependent areas are much more affordable than homes built in typical suburban sprawl patterns. A big part of the reason is the cost of owning and operating a vehicle.
Are Cars Causing the Loneliness Epidemic?
Cars separate their occupants from everyone around them, keeping people isolated even in public spaces. People in car-dependent communities live far apart and don’t see other people as much as people in walkable communities. The implications for loneliness and social isolation are significant.
Hauling Stuff Without a Car
Has anyone ever told you they can’t give up their car because they need to take their kids to school, or haul groceries or other heavy items around? Maybe you’ve had that thought yourself. If so, let us introduce you to the cargo e-bike.
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.