CRTP Presents Report on Recommended Changes to the Arcata Plaza to the City Council on Wednesday
Image of the Arcata Plaza in 2005 by Terrence McNally [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
The City of Arcata’s Plaza Improvement Task Force will present its final report on recommended changes to the Arcata Plaza to the City Council on Wednesday. The report contains a comprehensive set of recommendations for improving the safety, comfort and attractiveness of the Plaza and increasing its use. Among the Task Force’s recommendations are that the City Council improve bike infrastructure, add additional bike and pedestrian amenities to 8th and 9th Streets and create a one-way loop to the Creamery District, and consider closing some streets to cars.
The Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities (CRTP), an Arcata-based group that advocates for more walking, biking, and transit, urges the City Council to take quick action on the recommendations.
“The Arcata Plaza is one of the premier public spaces on the North Coast, but Arcata residents have long recognized that there’s a need for improvements,” said CRTP Executive Director Colin Fiske. “Now the Task Force is saying what our Coalition has been saying for the last three years: to improve the Plaza, the Council has got to look at bike and pedestrian upgrades—including pedestrianizing one or two of the streets around the Plaza.”
“On an average day, the Plaza is mainly an empty lawn surrounded by cars, both parked and driving,” said Tom Wheeler, CRTP board member. “The Task Force recognized that to make the Plaza more successful, some of that asphalt needs to be re-prioritized as a place for people first, not just vehicles.”
The Task Force was created by the City Council in 2018 in response to community demand for changes to the Plaza. At the time, CRTP and a number of others—including several Plaza business owners—had submitted a letter asking the Council to pedestrianize 8th and 9th Streets and make other changes to improve the pedestrian-friendliness of the area. Subsequently, CRTP submitted a petition with over 500 signatures asking for similar improvements to the Plaza.
“The Task Force studied and deliberated for over a year,” said Fiske. “Now the recommendations are out, and again there is a call for the Council to consider street closures. So it’s up to the Council now, and it’s time for them to act.”
For more information about CRTP, visit www.transportationpriorities.org.
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Closing 8th and 9th street to cars, making the area more pedestrian friendly sound like good moves. Not sure we want to eliminate any/many parking spots around the plaza. When I visit from So Hum most of the spots are full. If they do close any nearby streets to vehicles, the need for parking will be increased. (Little doubt they have thought of this. I am curious to see their full proposal). Could they open a lot nearby to parking as an offset? I do see the value in encouraging Arcata residents to commute there in other than a 3-5 thousand pound gas-juggling machine!
If it’s an empty lawn surrounded by filled parking spaces, maybe what downtown arcata really needs is a parking lot? Rather than, you know, making problems worse?
This is my thought, the plaza would make a great spot for a 5 or 6 story combination parking garage and low income housing.
There are plenty of parking lots around just gotta know where to look.
God no! There are few towns in the west that have a ‘town square’ (found all over the place in Texas, etc.) in my experience. Say what you want about the sometimes less than popular people that frequent them (they live outdoors. What do you expect? lol) but town squares are important for civic and recreational activities (think, North Coast Fair, farmers’ markets, Kinetic Sculpture race, etc.).
avoiding the obvious problems of :
the transients
the trash
the drug dealing.
Most towns would see cars in parking spots as a good sign that people are supporting local businesses.
On an average day the plaza is full of bums smoking tobacco and yelling. The smell of urine in the air. There needs to be more law enforcement on the plaza. I bring my kids down there to play. Why should we have to deal with low lifes and the stench of cigarettes.
I’ve had very troubling experiences bringing my kid to the plaza on days there isn’t an event going on…not things you want children to see, not things parents want to deal with. Last time we visited I found a live .22 round on the square. I just hope the “improvements” don’t lead to more problems, because making it more pedestrian friendly could just mean vagrant paradise in Arcata.
It is gross and filthy. The bums have taken over, as well as all the potheads. It is a worthless place to go with a family. No one obeys the law, drunks from the bars, and trash everywhere don’t help. I end of picking up trash and recyclables the whole time I’m down there with family. Oh, and there is always some dog turds left around the sidewalk, along with the dodging of cigarette butts. Fun times.
But making it harder to shop at local businesses will fix all that!
Why not just remove the parking spots from the Plaza side, and create pull-in spots along the business-side of G and H. More room for pedestrians in the center, and drivers will have easy access to businesses, while only losing a few parking spaces total. If they did the same along the post-office side of G St., that would add more spots as well. Downside: missing out on the fun of watching people trying to parallel park while traffic backs up.
Arcata could also work with HSU and bus schedules to create some satellite lots with bus service for crowded events.
Yes- there are not many people hanging out in the plaza and all the parking spots are full. Hmm…maybe that’s because the people are busy spending money in the shops? And everybody is busy shopping or working or having lunch at one of the restaurants? Because the people from those cars work for a living and don’t have time to hang out on the plaza…they are smart enough to know there are many, many better places to spend your spare time like in the redwoods or at the beach?! I’m going to say this right now- this “task force” set out to prove their own goal, not investigate or understand anything. Cars bad!! McKinley Bad!! This town is going to lib[edit] hell…
Not very many people want to hang out for long in a public place with no public bathroom.
If you really want to attract people and not just make a statement about your virtues then put in a public bathroom and get people to play folk music in the square; town paid or encourage busking.
“The Arcata Plaza is one of the premier public spaces on the North Coast”
Pfffffft what?
Yes, when I think of premier public spaces I think of the Redwoods, Smith River, the Trinity Alps… and the Arcata Plaza.
This document contains designs for uplifting all of the world through restructuring the plaza to promote the greatest aspects of our community and species as a whole. Basic designs include building an in-ground arena theater in the center of the plaza, creating free live theater for the community while simultaneously promoting the local actors/actresses. This gives them the spot light for all the major producers who may be passing through from the major cities (Bay Area, Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles). The theater will have a walk-on cover for when it isn’t being used, creating a flat space in the center square for other events such as farmers markets and will have modulars built into the ground to add/subtract other attachments such as a gazebo. We can also create mini stages built into portions of the sidewalk for the street performers. This promotes our local musicians and other street performing artists while also offering the community another free avenue of cultural engagement. There are many major music producers who come through this area because their tour passes through here. We are located in a key location on a legendary trading route, the highway 101, and are located in a section which intersects with other major trade routes which connect east. These designs achieve the goals of the community Mission in preserving the nature of our world; strengthening family and community bonds, boosting the economy and ecosystem simultaneously, and creating an environment which naturally facilitates the prosperity of all life. There is much held within this document which has been carefully crafted through years of eternal work and servitude with God, creating the heavens with the planet where all of us naturally thrive!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IlOBg_NR6mynpJhejDgy9OpjdCVKTZMia-XyEff-lJk/edit?usp=sharing
*The document is currently being updated
Note: The Section “The Plaza: Welcome to Arcata!” directly refers to designs specific to the Town Plaza