The Collector
May 29, 2020
Seven Years is Long Enough
Way back in 2013, SB 743 became law. It required that environmental impact reports stop identifying traffic congestion as an environmental impact (which inevitably leads to “mitigation” catering to more driving) and instead use vehicle miles traveled (which leads to mitigation in the form of better bike, pedestrian and transit infrastructure). This change was finally scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2020. But because the shift would highlight the impacts of suburban sprawl and make that style of development a little harder to build, some people never got on board. Now, in the midst of the pandemic, those opponents are lobbying Governor Newsom to delay implementation even further. CRTP has joined other transportation advocates around the state in saying: we’ve waited long enough.
Zagster Ends Operations in Humboldt
Although there has been no public announcement, CRTP has confirmed that Zagster has ended its bike sharing operations in Humboldt County and has already started to collect its bikes and infrastructure. Information shared with local Zagster partners indicates that the company is going out of business entirely. Fallout from the pandemic is cited as the primary reason.
Eureka Easing the Way for Sidewalk Dining
We applaud the city for opening up the right of way for outdoor dining, to help local restaurants survive the social-distancing era. However, we wish they’d put those tables in parking spaces instead of on sidewalks, where they might interfere with safe passage for pedestrians.
Architect to Illustrate Options for McKinleyville Town Center
At a meeting this week, the McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee revealed that it has engaged local architect Kash Boodjeh to create renderings to illustrate a range of options for the future Town Center, based on public input to date. The drawings are scheduled to be released to the public at the end of June, with the committee reconvening on July 15 to hear feedback and discuss the options.
Amtrak Bus Service May Cut Some North Coast Stops
At a meeting today, the Board of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority – which oversees the Amtrak bus service from Humboldt County to the Bay Area – is scheduled to consider temporary changes to that service, including the elimination of stops in McKinleyville and Rio Dell/Scotia. It’s just the latest impact of the pandemic on the local public transportation system.
Virtual Trails Summit Next Saturday
Get the latest on the Great Redwood Trail and other local trail projects.
Storm Damage Repair Scheduled for Herrick Avenue
Humboldt County has hundreds of millions of dollars in road maintenance backlogs, and every year has to scramble just to repair damage done by the previous winter’s storms.
Weekly Street Story Update: Tell Your Story
If you’re experiencing problems on the street as a result of the pandemic – like not being able to stay 6 feet from other people on a narrow sidewalk – please reach out and let us know. And as always, if you see or experience a hazard, near-miss or collision, make your Street Story report here.
Streets Need to Be Open to Everyone
When considering how to make streets more welcoming to people who aren’t in cars, we can’t forget that public spaces are all too often hazardous to people of color – no matter how they are designed.
Will the Pandemic Lead to Permanent Changes to the Streetscape?
Slower streets, more space for pedestrians, bicyclists and open-air business – it turns out a lot of people actually like these things.
States and Environmental Groups Sue Over Fuel Efficiency Rollback
The Trump administration’s move to gut federal fuel efficiency standards faces its latest challenge in court.
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.