‘Unnecessary Tragedies’: Coalition Pushes Caltrans to Fix Deadly Eureka Corridor

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The Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities (CRTP) today delivered a petition signed by 738 concerned residents asking Caltrans to make immediate safety improvements for people walking, biking, rolling (such as using a wheelchair, skateboard, or stroller), riding the bus, and driving on 4th and 5th Streets (US-101) in Eureka. In addition, the petition asks for already planned safety improvements to be funded and built on Broadway.

People with mobility devices crossing at 5th & C St

The petition notes that there is a traffic safety crisis on Highway 101 in Eureka, including Broadway, 4th Street, and 5th Street. Because of the way these streets are designed, vulnerable people are regularly killed there. In the last decade alone, at least 5 people have been killed and at least 35 people severely injured while walking or biking on 4th and 5th Streets. Pedestrians are severely injured or killed on these streets at 90 times the average rate for streets and roads in Humboldt County.

The petition follows the release by CRTP of a report last fall called “Dangerous Downtown Streets,” which describes the safety crisis on 4th and 5th Streets in detail, and recommends improvements to make things safer. CRTP has also produced point-of-view videos that provide clear perspectives on what it’s like for people of all ages and abilities to walk and bike around 4th & 5th Streets.

In addition to CRTP, the petition is supported by the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), Tri-County Independent Living, Area 1 Agency on Aging, California Nurses Association, Caltrans District 1 Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, and Ink People Center for the Arts, as well as all current Eureka city councilmembers and Humboldt County Supervisor Natalie Arroyo.

Person with motorized wheelchair crossing at 5th & U

“Older adults and people with disabilities are more likely to be hit and killed while walking or using a wheelchair,” said Area 1 Agency on Aging Executive Director Maggie Kraft. “Our office is on 4th Street, so our clients and staff are at risk from the dangerous conditions in this corridor. But even if our office were somewhere else, older adults and people with disabilities who live, work, shop, and access services in Eureka would still be at risk, and we think that needs to change.”“The injuries people suffer in car crashes can be life-changing,” said local nurse and California Nurses Association member Leah Stamper. “And too often, their lives can’t be saved even with the best care. We know these crashes happen disproportionately on Broadway, 4th and 5th Streets—streets most of us travel on daily—and we know they are preventable with better road design. These are unnecessary tragedies that hurt our community and strain healthcare workers and hospitals.”

“As a long-time supporter of CRTP, Tri-County Independent Living works diligently to partner with them to provide accessible and safe crosswalks, bike lanes, and streets for all that live in Humboldt County, with a particular focus on individuals with disabilities,” said Tri-County Independent Living Systems Change Advocate Jessica Warrick. “Through our street, walk, and bike audits we are able to provide insight and information on how to make the streets safer and more accessible. CRTP has been instrumental through their diligent and hard work within the community, with CalTrans, and through advocacy at HCAOG meetings. We support their efforts to make the streets safer for individuals with disabilities as well as our entire community.”

The organizations supporting the petition also support the incremental safety improvements currently under construction on parts of 4th and 5th Streets, as well as the South Broadway Complete Streets Project. However, they acknowledge the urgent need for much more significant safety improvements throughout the entire US-101 corridor in Eureka. While the most critical cost of the current unsafe conditions in this corridor is the loss of lives, these conditions also impact local quality of life, economic development, and access to environmentally friendly transportation. Immediate action from Caltrans is needed to address the situation.

Caltrans has already responded to the petition by announcing a “feasibility study” of safety improvements for all users of the 4th and 5th Street corridor. “This announcement amounts to an acknowledgement of the need for more safety improvements, which we appreciate,” said CRTP Executive Director Colin Fiske. “However, this ‘feasibility study’ must not result in just more study and delay. We already know that major safety upgrades are feasible. And every year we put off making those improvements, more people are injured and killed. We need change now.”

Bicyclist Crossing at 4th and C

The petition calls for several specific, evidence-based safety improvements, including:

1. Fully fund and construct planned safety improvements throughout the Broadway corridor.

2. Convert one lane on 4th Street and one lane on 5th Street to protected bike lanes, so that Highway 101 consists of 2 vehicle lanes and 1 protected bike lane in each direction throughout Eureka.

3. Add traffic signals and other safety improvements to key intersections on 4th and 5th Streets.

4. Improve visibility at intersections.

5. Slow car and truck traffic for everyone’s safety.

6. Consider all safety upgrades recommended in the “Dangerous Downtown Streets” report.