I sat through Bay District Executive Director - Dave Hull’s presentation to the Arcata City Council Wednesday night, July 16 just to check out how the project is being pitched, and how the council might react. They don’t have any regulatory oversight over port development, but they may or may not exert political pressure one way or the other.

This is an update from a letter to the City of Arcata.

At the beginning of July I was driving back home, yes in my truck, and passed through the new road construction on K Street, Arcata near 11th Street. As I crossed 11th Street heading north I was completely shocked and pissed-off that the new, temporary lane markers indicating the centerline directed motorist right into the class II bike lane. It frustrates me that it appears that construction crews and the City only acknowledge that motorists use the roads, and fail to meet the needs and safety concerns of bicyclists while construction is taking place.

To: Transportation Safety Committee, City of Arcata
Re: Bike Lane to disappear on K St. @ 11th

Dear City Representatives,

On Saint Patty’s Day I was biking home from my wilderness first aid class on the HSU campus, having just practiced a bunch of emergency medical scenarios over the course of two days. At the corner of 11th and H streets, I came upon a man lying on the sidewalk holding his bloody head as a few acquaintances and his bicycle sat around him. My first thoughts were something along the lines of: How did my instructors know which way I was biking home, where did they recruit these actors, and how did they get the blood on this guy’s head to look

Transportation is responsible for 45 percent of Arcata’s greenhouse gas emissions¹. This is an issue where each person’s actions are what could really make the difference. In eco-groovy Humboldt County and other liberal enclaves, many folks have taken to buying hybrid cars so they can feel like they are doing something good for the environment. There is good sentiment here, but a big problem. Hybrids aren’t all that great for the environment.

Five million dollars per year.

That is what California appropriates for bicycle infrastructure. It might sound like a lot of money, but not when you consider that Caltrans is working up the Environmental Impact Report for a frivolous $60 million project to save motorists 60 seconds on their trip to Eureka.
Compare that with $5 million for bicycle infrastructure spread over the most populous state, a state that has plenty of dangerous places to bike, and you can see the imbalance in our transportation policy.

Dear City Council,

I am writing regarding the proposed Q Street subdivision, which the Council started discussing November 16^th. The issue will be continued at the December 7^th meeting. Without bike and pedestrian thru-access, this cul-de-sac project becomes an L.A.-style, car-centric liability to our city’s goal to create a walk-able and bike-able city. In the council’s discussion of this issue, it was great to see Paul Pitino asking questions about the bicycle and pedestrian bridge which enables thru-access.

When I arrived at the Bayside Grange for the 250-Mile Potluck a couple Wednesdays ago, I found fewer than 10 bikes outside, and more than 40 cars. The event was put on by Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) and the Humboldt Peak Oil Action Group, which is committed to helping prepare our community for oil depletion.