The Arcata City Council was unable to come to agreement on sidewalk widening plans for H Street between 11th Street and 9th Street. Brinton and Winkler made a last ditch motion and second to forge a compromise by trying a 6 month trial period for Option 2 (which would keep the bike lane and widen the sidewalks), with the option to replace the bike lane with parking if it didn't work out, but neither Wheetley nor Ornelas would vote for the motion.

It would appear that Ornelas and Wheetley were unwilling to compromise on parking to encourage bicycling, and create a quality pedestrian experience in our downtown.

As I stated in my spoken testimony at the meeting, if we base all of our decisions on supplying a free parking at the expense of other amenities, we will have a parking lot for a downtown, and it won't live up to its potential.

The city council will decide on tomorrow night whether to keep the bike lane or not in the process of widening sidewalks on H Street.  In a split vote, the Arcata Transportation Safety Committee recommended eliminating the bike lane and maintianing parking on both sides of the street, as well as the two motor-vehicle through lanes.  A motion to instead keep the bike lane and eliminate parking on one side of the street failed by one vote.

The Arcata Transportation Safety Committee voted last night to remove the bike lane on H Street between 11th Street and 9th Street for sidewalk widening.  An initial motion to remove parking from the west side of H Street and keep the bike lane (option 2) failed 4 -3.  This failed option would have allowed for even wider sidewalks than the option that won out, but supply-side parking management seems to have won out over safety, access and quality of life.