October 2024
Vol. 43 No. 4
Website: www.humbike.org
Email: info@humbike.org
New and Renewed Members of the HBBCA
The following are new and renewed members since the last newsletter. If you haven’t renewed your dues for 2024, please see the application at the end of this newsletter. It would also be a good time to renew or join for 2025.
New Members
None
Renewed Members (since last newsletter)
Lisa Hoover, Blue Lake (for 2025)***
Netra Khatri, Arcata City Engineer (for 2025)**
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 bike shops. See application at the end of the newsletter.
Next Meeting at Chapala’s Mexican Restaurant on Monday, October 28th in Eureka
The next meeting of the HBBCA will be on Monday, October 28th. The dinner meeting will be at Chapala’s Mexican Restaurant, 2nd and C Streets in Eureka from 6-8 pm. The agenda will be set by the attendees.
Eureka Bike Plan Adopted
On September 17th, the City Council unanimously adopted the new Bike Plan, prepared by Mark Thomas Associates. While the Plan involved a large task force as well as including public outreach, the Final Draft was only released the Thursday before being adopted 5 days later.
Our Association expressed some concern regarding the short opportunity for review, but the Council ultimately decided it will be a living document, modified as needed. Very few public members attended either in person or by video, likely due to the lack of advertising for the meeting.
The plan is largely focused on improving opportunities in single and multiple street corridors consisting primarily of minor local streets rather than major corridors served by arterial roadways. These corridors, if developed into bikeways would be primarily Bicycle Boulevards rather than bike lanes. They would be for shared use with motor vehicles and improved in ways to prioritize bike use rather than motor vehicle use. The rationale is to better meet the needs of those who don’t feel comfortable using arterial streets with high traffic volumes. It has been the arterial streets that the HBBCA has emphasized historically, as these are the streets the serve the business centers that bicycle commuters want to reach for their work, business trips and shopping.
Completion of the Humboldt Bay Trail South hoped for by the End of the Year
According to the Summer Edition of the Humboldt Trails Council Newsletter, the Council hopes for completion of the 4.3 mile trail segment that will link Eureka with Arcata by the end of the year. At this time, the three new trail bridges are nearing completion. Retrofit of the existing Eureka Slough has been underway since early Spring. Earthwork is also nearly completed. The trail prism needs to be brought to grade and compacted before base and surfacing can be accomplished. To complete it before the end of the year, we will need some luck regarding winter rains.
CalBike Wins Approval of SB 960, Complete Streets Bill by Senator Scott Wiener
The following are excerpts from a September Newsrelease from the California Bicycle Coalition, “CalBike.”
“We’re celebrating Governor Newsom”s signing of Senator Scott Wiener’s Complete Streets Bill, SB960! It will require Caltrans to serve the needs of people who bike, walk and take transit, as well as people driving on the state routes it maintains.
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of this new law. Caltrans manages routes that serve as local streets in many communities across California, and these have often been roadblocks to creating the connected, protected Complete Streets networks residents desire. Winning Complete Streets on Caltrans corridors is a huge step forward for better biking, safer streets and reducing traffic violence………”
“CalBike sponsored SB127 in 2019. The bill would have required Caltrans to follow its own Complete Streets Policy and prioritize the safety of everyone who uses our roads, not just drivers, on every repaving, maintenance, and rehab project. Despite overwhelming support in the legislature and from constituents, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed that Complete Streets Bill. In 2019, Caltrans had a new leader and the governor stated in his veto message that he wanted to give the agency a chance to reform its practices without legislative oversight. Five years on, CalBike examined Caltrans’ record and found that, while there are some positive changes, more needs to be done to improve safety for people who bike, walk, and take transit.”
The following is a summary from a Guest Opinion piece from the October 1 Lost Coast Outpost Re: H and I Streets by Erin Kelly
It’s been 6 months since since the upgrades to H and I Streets, and as a resident of H Street, I can attest that traffic is calmer and slower, people on bicycles are enjoying the new bike lanes and people are able to actually cross streets without fearing for their lives.
I previously wrote about the many problems of H and I Streets: that there were more than three times the number of collisions relative to comparable streets in California. That I watched high schoolers run across the streets (in crosswalks) while speeding motorists ignored their presence. And so, the city council decided to reduce the streets from three lanes to two, created a buffered bike lane, put in flashing lights at crosswalks and installed bulb-outs to aid people crossing the street.
I’ve seen some criticism of the changes to the streets and it’s true: many cars now need more time to get down these streets. This is because the average speed of vehicles has been reduced to closer to the actual speed limit.
The benefits have been immense. Groups of high schoolers heading to and from school cross H and I safely. Motorists stop because of the flashing crosswalk lights and the bulb-outs mean that people crossing don’t have as far to cross. The bike lanes feel safe and I see a lot of folks bicycling on them. And, the reduced speeds, and reduced swerving across three lanes, has made our streets feel more like the city streets that they are...……..
Who to Call When You See a Safety Concern (Rev. 9/27//24)
The HBBCA periodically checks 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
Customer Service Liaison, Jessica Henry Gibbs
707-441-5655 online Customer Service Report:
csr.dot.ca.gov
County of Humboldt
707-445-7421 Public Works
RoadsDispatch@co.humboldt.ca.us
Abandoned Vehicles:
County Sheriff’s Office, 707-445-7251
City of Arcata
Engineering Administrative Staff
707-825-2128
Engineering@cityofarcata.org
Abandoned Vehicles:
Arcata Police Dept. at 707-822-2424
City of Eureka
707-441-4203 publicworks@ci.eureka.ca.gov
Abandoned Vehicles:
707-268-5232
eurekapoliceabatement@ci.eureka.ca.gov
HBBCA Board of Directors (Rev. 10/2/23)
(all phone numbers have 707 area codes)
President---------------------- Rick Knapp
499-5918(cell) email: info@humbike.org
Vice-President---------------- Brett Gronemeyer
845-2117(cell);
Secretary/Treasurer----------------Gail Popham
502-8030(cell)
Director of Planning-----open/available
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 2024 and 2025
Your membership, 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 discounts on bike parts and accessories at Revolution Bicycle Repair and Adventure’s Edge. Discounts are typically 10%, but may vary. Membership cards include stickers on the back showing discounts offered by the various bike shops.
Enclosed: $_____dues ($5.00) $_____donation
Name_______________________________________________
Address_____________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Phone__________________(h)______________________(w)
____I’d rather receive my newsletter by email. This is my neatly printed email address:
_____________________________________________________________
Mail to HBBCA, P. O. Box 9054 Eureka CA 95502-9054
Website: www.humbike.org
Email: info@humbike.org
New and Renewed Members of the HBBCA
The following are new and renewed members since the last newsletter. If you haven’t renewed your dues for 2024, please see the application at the end of this newsletter. It would also be a good time to renew or join for 2025.
New Members
None
Renewed Members (since last newsletter)
Lisa Hoover, Blue Lake (for 2025)***
Netra Khatri, Arcata City Engineer (for 2025)**
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 bike shops. See application at the end of the newsletter.
Next Meeting at Chapala’s Mexican Restaurant on Monday, October 28th in Eureka
The next meeting of the HBBCA will be on Monday, October 28th. The dinner meeting will be at Chapala’s Mexican Restaurant, 2nd and C Streets in Eureka from 6-8 pm. The agenda will be set by the attendees.
Eureka Bike Plan Adopted
On September 17th, the City Council unanimously adopted the new Bike Plan, prepared by Mark Thomas Associates. While the Plan involved a large task force as well as including public outreach, the Final Draft was only released the Thursday before being adopted 5 days later.
Our Association expressed some concern regarding the short opportunity for review, but the Council ultimately decided it will be a living document, modified as needed. Very few public members attended either in person or by video, likely due to the lack of advertising for the meeting.
The plan is largely focused on improving opportunities in single and multiple street corridors consisting primarily of minor local streets rather than major corridors served by arterial roadways. These corridors, if developed into bikeways would be primarily Bicycle Boulevards rather than bike lanes. They would be for shared use with motor vehicles and improved in ways to prioritize bike use rather than motor vehicle use. The rationale is to better meet the needs of those who don’t feel comfortable using arterial streets with high traffic volumes. It has been the arterial streets that the HBBCA has emphasized historically, as these are the streets the serve the business centers that bicycle commuters want to reach for their work, business trips and shopping.
Completion of the Humboldt Bay Trail South hoped for by the End of the Year
According to the Summer Edition of the Humboldt Trails Council Newsletter, the Council hopes for completion of the 4.3 mile trail segment that will link Eureka with Arcata by the end of the year. At this time, the three new trail bridges are nearing completion. Retrofit of the existing Eureka Slough has been underway since early Spring. Earthwork is also nearly completed. The trail prism needs to be brought to grade and compacted before base and surfacing can be accomplished. To complete it before the end of the year, we will need some luck regarding winter rains.
CalBike Wins Approval of SB 960, Complete Streets Bill by Senator Scott Wiener
The following are excerpts from a September Newsrelease from the California Bicycle Coalition, “CalBike.”
“We’re celebrating Governor Newsom”s signing of Senator Scott Wiener’s Complete Streets Bill, SB960! It will require Caltrans to serve the needs of people who bike, walk and take transit, as well as people driving on the state routes it maintains.
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of this new law. Caltrans manages routes that serve as local streets in many communities across California, and these have often been roadblocks to creating the connected, protected Complete Streets networks residents desire. Winning Complete Streets on Caltrans corridors is a huge step forward for better biking, safer streets and reducing traffic violence………”
“CalBike sponsored SB127 in 2019. The bill would have required Caltrans to follow its own Complete Streets Policy and prioritize the safety of everyone who uses our roads, not just drivers, on every repaving, maintenance, and rehab project. Despite overwhelming support in the legislature and from constituents, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed that Complete Streets Bill. In 2019, Caltrans had a new leader and the governor stated in his veto message that he wanted to give the agency a chance to reform its practices without legislative oversight. Five years on, CalBike examined Caltrans’ record and found that, while there are some positive changes, more needs to be done to improve safety for people who bike, walk, and take transit.”
The following is a summary from a Guest Opinion piece from the October 1 Lost Coast Outpost Re: H and I Streets by Erin Kelly
It’s been 6 months since since the upgrades to H and I Streets, and as a resident of H Street, I can attest that traffic is calmer and slower, people on bicycles are enjoying the new bike lanes and people are able to actually cross streets without fearing for their lives.
I previously wrote about the many problems of H and I Streets: that there were more than three times the number of collisions relative to comparable streets in California. That I watched high schoolers run across the streets (in crosswalks) while speeding motorists ignored their presence. And so, the city council decided to reduce the streets from three lanes to two, created a buffered bike lane, put in flashing lights at crosswalks and installed bulb-outs to aid people crossing the street.
I’ve seen some criticism of the changes to the streets and it’s true: many cars now need more time to get down these streets. This is because the average speed of vehicles has been reduced to closer to the actual speed limit.
The benefits have been immense. Groups of high schoolers heading to and from school cross H and I safely. Motorists stop because of the flashing crosswalk lights and the bulb-outs mean that people crossing don’t have as far to cross. The bike lanes feel safe and I see a lot of folks bicycling on them. And, the reduced speeds, and reduced swerving across three lanes, has made our streets feel more like the city streets that they are...……..
Who to Call When You See a Safety Concern (Rev. 9/27//24)
The HBBCA periodically checks 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
Customer Service Liaison, Jessica Henry Gibbs
707-441-5655 online Customer Service Report:
csr.dot.ca.gov
County of Humboldt
707-445-7421 Public Works
RoadsDispatch@co.humboldt.ca.us
Abandoned Vehicles:
County Sheriff’s Office, 707-445-7251
City of Arcata
Engineering Administrative Staff
707-825-2128
Engineering@cityofarcata.org
Abandoned Vehicles:
Arcata Police Dept. at 707-822-2424
City of Eureka
707-441-4203 publicworks@ci.eureka.ca.gov
Abandoned Vehicles:
707-268-5232
eurekapoliceabatement@ci.eureka.ca.gov
HBBCA Board of Directors (Rev. 10/2/23)
(all phone numbers have 707 area codes)
President---------------------- Rick Knapp
499-5918(cell) email: info@humbike.org
Vice-President---------------- Brett Gronemeyer
845-2117(cell);
Secretary/Treasurer----------------Gail Popham
502-8030(cell)
Director of Planning-----open/available
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 2024 and 2025
Your membership, 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 discounts on bike parts and accessories at Revolution Bicycle Repair and Adventure’s Edge. Discounts are typically 10%, but may vary. Membership cards include stickers on the back showing discounts offered by the various bike shops.
Enclosed: $_____dues ($5.00) $_____donation
Name_______________________________________________
Address_____________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Phone__________________(h)______________________(w)
____I’d rather receive my newsletter by email. This is my neatly printed email address:
_____________________________________________________________
Mail to HBBCA, P. O. Box 9054 Eureka CA 95502-9054