October 2018
WHEEL PEOPLE Vol. 37 No. 4 October 2018
Newsletter of the Humboldt Bay Bicycle Commuters Association
P.O. Box 9054 Eureka CA 95502
Website: www.humbike.org
Email: info@humbike.org
New and Renewed Members of the HBBCAThe following are new and renewed members for 2018. Please consider joining or renewing if you haven’t already.
New Members
Will Bagnall, McKinleyville*
Colin Fiske, McKinleyville**
Ryan Campbell, Arcata**
Renewed Members
Sherry Meyers, McKinleyville**
Those with a ** next to their name gave an additional donation. Those with *** have given a $25 or greater donation. Thanks to all those who have joined or renewed their commitment
and those who have given additional donations to support our many causes.
Get on board now for all the benefits, including discounts at all the bike shops. See application at the end of the newsletter. Any renewals received during the rest of 2018 will include membership through 2019.
The Next Regular Meeting will be Held on October 22, 2018 in Arcata
The next regular HBBCA meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m., Monday, October 22, 2018, atCarmela’s Mexican Restaurant, 13thand G Streets in Arcata.
To add agenda items, please contact Rick Knapp at info@humbike.orgor call him at 445-1097.
Eureka City Council Approves Concept of Converting H & I Streets to 2 lanes and Adding Bike Lanes
By Rick Knapp, President
On August 7, 2018, the Eureka City Council voted 4 -1 in support of converting H and I Streets from 3 lanes to 2 lanes with the addition of green bike lanes.
Before voting in support of the concept that was supported by the HBBCA, the council first had to vote to extend the length of the meeting from 9 pm to 11 pm, as there were so many present to speak on this item along with another controversial agenda item to follow.
At the end of the public testimony, Councilman Austin Allison indicated that he counted 23 speakers in favor of converting the streets to 2 lanes vs. 19 who were opposed. All four members of the HBBCA Board of Directors testified. After presenting extensive rationale for their votes, Council Members Bergel, Arroyo, Messner and Allison voted in favor of Concept1, conversion from 3 lanes to 2 lanes, addition of green buffered bike lanes and bulbouts at intersections (to facilitate street crossings). Council Member Brady voted in opposition, instead offering a long list of other ideas not under consideration.
Included in those who made presentation in opposition to Concept 1 were three persons running for City Council: John Fullerton, Joe Bonino, and Anthony Mantova. They each wanted to leave things as they are. Most who opposed the conversion seemed to think that it would result in disastrous effects on traffic. It so happens that traffic volumes on H and I are substantially less than on Harris and Henderson, so congestion will likely be less than on those streets. Many also thought that bicyclists deserved no more than one north-south bike route. There was very little discussion around the fact that these are residentialstreets unlike Harris and Henderson. It seems a little traffic calming might be in order for these residential streets.
Supporters of the “road diet” were anxious to reduce excessive speeds, high collision rates, frequent lane changing, and accommodate students and other pedestrians who could benefit from slower speeds and shorter crossings. Lastly, the alternative selected will better accommodate commuting bicyclists than “J” Street, which has many stop signs as well as conflicts with double parking motorists in the morning, at noon, and when school gets out.
While we were thrilled with the results of the vote, the project won’t actually happen unless the City receives grant funding. The current estimate is $3.1 million, most of the cost for the extensive construction of concrete bulbouts for pedestrian crosings. There is a ballot measure (Proposition 6) on the November ballot which would overturn Senate Bill 1 which added substantial funding for transportation as a result of an increase in gas and diesel taxes enacted by the Legislature and the Governor in January. With a 50% + 1 vote, the tax increases will be reversed and transportation funding will dry up at the State and local level.
HBBCA Repairing the Pole-mounted Bike Racks in Downtown and Old Town Eureka
Due to the fact that City staff has been unable to repair pole-mounted bike racks identified by the HBBCA, Board members are doing it themselves, with approval by Public Works. City staff did repair those in Henderson Center earlier this year.
So far, Rick Knapp and Alexis Kelso have reviewed and fixed those on the lettered streets. Next, those on numbered streets will be reviewed and repaired as needed, if feasible. We are also adding “I bike Eureka!” stickers to the racks just so it is clear that these ovals are for bikes.
Who to Call When You See a Safety Concern (Rev. 4/2018)
The HBBCA checked with agencies in the Humboldt Bay region to determine appropriate contact personnel to respond to bike-related issues. If you see a condition that needs to be corrected in order to improve safety or convenience for cyclists such as a pothole in a bike lane, accumulated debris on a roadway shoulder, the need to re-stripe a bike lane, the need to clear vegetation encroaching on a shoulder, or a street light that is out, call the responsible agency/person listed below. Of course, if you see a condition that requires immediate attention, like a stop sign knocked down, call 9-1-1. For non-emergency conditions, the following contact information is provided:
Caltrans
Betty Totten, Customer Service Liaison
441-5655 www.dot.ca.gov/d1/contactus.html
County of Humboldt
Wendy Meeks, Dispatcher
445-7421wmeeks@co.humboldt.ca.us
Abandoned Vehicles: Wally Williams,
County Sheriff’s Office, 268-2509
City of Arcata
Melanie Dabill
Public Works Administrative Assistant
825-2128mdabill@cityofarcata.org
Abandoned Vehicles:
Arcata Police Dept. at 822-2424
City of Eureka
441-4203publicworks@ci.eureka.ca.gov
Abandoned Vehicles:
eureka-policeabatement@ci.eureka.ca.gov;
phone 268-5232
HBBCA Board of Directors (Rev. 1/2018)
President---------------------- Rick Knapp
445-1097(h) email: info@humbike.org
Vice-President---------------- Brett Gronemeyer
845-2117(h); 445-6578 (w)
Secretary/Treasurer---Gail Popham,
707-502-8030(cell)
Director of Planning-----Alexis Kelso, 445-6397(w)
Director of Publicity ----open/available
Contact Rick Knapp if you are interested in filing a vacant Board position.
Please Join or Renew Your Membership for 2018 and/or 2019
The HBBCA is working to improve and encourage bicycle commuting. Your $5.00 annual dues, paid on a calendar year basis, will help pay for youth helmets, bike racks, this newsletter, the website, BikeSmart promotions, “Bike Month” activities, prizes, postage, insurance, etc. And, it will help demonstrate your commitment to our goal.
With your membership card, you may request the following discounts on bike parts and accessories: 10% at Revolution Bicycle Repair; 15% at Adventure’s Edge; 10% at Pacific Outfitters, and 15% at Sport and Cycle. Membership cards include stickers on the back showing discounts offered by the various bike shops.
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Mail to HBBCA, P.O. Box 9054 Eureka CA 95502-9054