On December 15, about twenty folks gathered at Arcata City Hall to walk the streets of Arcata’s downtown, as part of an ongoing program of “walkability audits” throughout Humboldt County communities. The event was sponsored by Humboldt Partnership for Active Living (HumPAL), a group of health professionals, citizens, planners, and activists “working together toward integrating physical activity into daily life through education, policy change and support of appropriate community design.”

Despite the sunshine, the day was still chilly, but folks were still enthusiastically discussing “bulb-outs,” sidewalk widths, bike lanes, bike parking, benches, signage, and sight-impaired and disabled access. Doby Class showed audit participants sidewalk modifications Arcata has already made in the past six months in conjunction with the removal of utility poles, and he solicited feedback on the various choices that have been made for crosswalk, intersection, and sidewalk design. The feedback Doby received will inform the design that is chosen for “H” street, whose narrow five foot sidewalks make it difficult to walk two-abreast, even without umbrellas unfurled.

Here is the current layout of “H” street:

3 of 8 options under consideration for its redesign:

To offer your input into the street planning process, attend a Transportation Safety Committee meeting on the third Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm, City Hall, or email pubworks «at» arcatacityhall «dot» org [ why does this email address look funny? ]. If you would like, you can request a more complete presentation of possible “H” street modifications from the Arcata Public Works Department.

To be notified about future events like December 15 th ’s walkability audit, subscribe to the Green Wheels listserve.

Visit the HumPAL website for more information about their organization.