350 Humboldt

Tomorrow (Tuesday, January 17th), the Eureka City Council will consider whether to adopt a Complete Streets Policy. This policy would require that all projects affecting city streets must include facilities for all modes of transportation – including walking, biking and transit. Click here to read the proposed policy.

Eureka is our region’s biggest city and the epicenter of our local bike and pedestrian safety crisis. A Complete Streets Policy is desperately needed to formalize the city’s commitment to safety for all street users and to accelerate safety improvements throughout the city. Please attend tomorrow’s meeting and ask the City Council to adopt the policy.

What: Eureka City Council Meeting
When: Tuesday, January 17th at 6 pm
Where: Eureka City Hall and on Zoom (see the agenda for participation instructions)

If you can’t attend tomorrow’s meeting, please click here to email City Councilmembers today.

We encourage you to thank the city’s Transportation Safety Commission and staff for drafting the proposed policy, and for their efforts to improve safety for people walking, biking and rolling. Then tell the Councilmembers that you strongly support the proposed Complete Streets Policy and ask them to adopt it.

Here’s an example of what this new policy would mean: Currently, city staff usually have to provide some kind of justification or seek additional funding if they want to include something like a new bike lane or crosswalk when re-painting a street. If the Complete Streets Policy is adopted, they would automatically include any feasible crosswalks, bike lanes and related features – or have to publicly justify a decision not to include them. When you add up all the projects large and small that affect city streets each year, this change in policy could make a really big difference.

Ironically, right after considering the Complete Streets Policy, the City Council will consider adopting an agreement for a 10-year extension to approvals for the Lundbar Hills subdivision. This sprawling suburban project is miles from downtown and other major destinations and is only accessible by streets without safe bike and pedestrian infrastructure. If you show up to Tuesday’s meeting to support the Complete Streets Policy, you might want to stick around a few minutes longer to object to the city’s promotion of this kind of car-dependent development.

Thanks for supporting safe, healthy, and sustainable streets!