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!
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!
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.
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.