Three Local Leaders Named 2022 Responsible Transportation Champions
Kelso and Caminiti Receiving Awards
Press release from the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities (CRTP):
The Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities (CRTP) has named Alexis Kelso, Joseph Caminiti, and Jerome Qiriazi the 2022 North Coast Responsible Transportation Champions. Kelso is the Caltrans District 1 Complete Streets Advisor and Caminiti is the District 1 Complete Streets Coordinator. Qiriazi currently serves as the transit planner for the Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA).
The annual North Coast Responsible Transportation Champion award is given to leaders who further CRTP’s mission of “promoting transportation solutions that protect and support a healthy environment, healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy economy on the North Coast.” Past recipients include State Senator Mike McGuire, former McKinleyville Community Services District Director Mary Burke, former Humboldt County Association of Governments Executive Director Marcella May, and Humboldt Transit Authority General Manager Greg Pratt.
Kelso and Caminiti are being recognized for their leadership of the Caltrans District 1 Complete Streets team. Qiriazi is being recognized for his pivotal role in the development of the Eureka Regional Transit and Housing Center, or EaRTH Center.
Alexis Kelso and Joseph Caminiti
“CRTP was founded in 2015 by environmental advocates, many of whom had fought with Caltrans for years. It is a testament to the success of Alexis and Joseph and their colleagues that CRTP and Caltrans are now partners in the agency’s efforts to redesign many of our state highways to better serve people walking, biking, rolling and riding the bus. District 1 has adopted an Active Transportation Plan, invited stakeholders like CRTP to participate in planning significant safety improvements on Broadway, and convened a Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee to provide input on future plans and projects. This remarkable turnaround wouldn’t have happened without the consistent dedication and leadership of Alexis Kelso and Joseph Caminiti. They both deserve the title of Responsible Transportation Champion.”
-Colin Fiske, CRTP Executive Director
“Caltrans is committed to providing a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment. As your District 1 Complete Streets Advisor and Coordinator, we are thankful to work every day with people inside and outside Caltrans to plan and deliver high-quality projects like Broadway Complete Streets and the Annie & Mary Trail Phase 2. The Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities is a strong supporter of safe and sustainable transportation. We want to thank them and our other external partners for continuing to participate in and provide their perspectives on Caltrans activities.”
-Alexis Kelso & Joseph Caminiti
Jerome Qiriazi
“Jerome has had a big impact on a lot of important plans and projects, including the regional Climate Action Plan, which when implemented will help create low-carbon, healthy transportation systems throughout Humboldt County. Jerome currently serves our community as Humboldt Transit Authority’s transit planner, and this year we are honoring him for the role he has played in planning, designing and securing funding for Eureka’s downtown EaRTH Center. This project is key to the transformation of local transit into a high-functioning, zero-emission system, and Jerome is a big part of the reason it’s happening. Jerome is truly a Responsible Transportation Champion.”
-Colin Fiske, CRTP Executive Director
“I’m ecstatic to be a part of this effort to elevate public transit service and support the City of Eureka and the County in achieving a long-awaited and overdue critical public facility. The EaRTH Center will coalesce and centralize the myriad public and private mobility services in our County, increase access to sustainable and healthy transportation options, and support the exciting population and economic growth that we expect over the next few decades. This project would not have been possible without the leading role that Humboldt Transit Authority has taken in securing funding, the tireless support of the City of Eureka, the dedication of the Schatz Energy Research Center, the guidance and support of CalPoly Humboldt, and the critical partnerships with Servitas, SmithGroup, and Creative Inclusion. I’m honored to receive this award on behalf of the entire project team and look forward to keeping us on track for a grand opening in Summer of 2026.”
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Congratulations all!
There is no way to fix our transportation/climate change issue without completely redesigning our society.
First of all every single job would have to pay a true living wage, where a single person working 40 hours a week could support an entire family (as was the case not long ago in American history).
We would also have to implement radical rezoning including an unprecedented use of imminent domain in order to break cities up into small bikeable towns.
Even a small city like Eureka would need to be turned into at least five separate towns each with their own essential services within walking/biking distance.
We would also have to break up the railroad monopolies and switch back to transporting goods by rail rather than predominantly by tractor trailer.
Unfortunately unless we are saved by some miraculous technology not even yet upon the horizon, we will continue our ways until we destroy ourselves.
“There is no way to fix our transportation/climate change issue without completely redesigning our society.”
We don’t have a climate change issue, increased CO2 has made our world much greener: good for plants => good for herbivores => good for carnivores => good for us.
For millions of years, warmer world has been better for hominids, colder world has been worse for hominids.
Way more people die from cold than from heat. A slightly warmer world will reduce fatalities from extreme temperatures.
“First of all every single job would have to pay a true living wage, where a single person working 40 hours a week could support an entire family (as was the case not long ago in American history).”
That was never true that every single job paid a wage such that 40 hours of work/week would support an entire family.
Market economies work great when given a chance. Marxist economies are always a disaster, particularly destructive to freedom and much poorer. The end effect of mandated wages by the government simply destroys jobs and creates inflation and product scarcity.
The more government interference there is in an economy, the more misallocation of resources there are, the less efficient the economy is, the poorer the people are.
“We would also have to implement radical rezoning including an unprecedented use of imminent domain in order to break cities up into small bikeable towns.”
What about people who don’t want to live in a small town? Some people want to live in a big city. Other people want to live in rural areas. Other people want to live in the suburbs. Are they all going to be forced to live in your mandated villages? You’re advocating a lefty dictatorship which recent history in Russia, China, Cuba, Venezuela, etc. has shown is horrible.
So much wrong packed into a single comment — have to applaud you for the achievement. <golf clap>